WeThinkCode_ has received tremendous response to its call for young, underprivileged South Africans to sign up for its free two-year coding programme, which will be based in the Joburg CBD, but founders are still looking for more female applicants to diversify the group of coders.
According to founder Camille Agon, over 14 000 applications have been received so far since October, only 11% are female.
“We have partnered with numerous organisations such as Harambee and to provide free access to computers to candidates in underserved communities and the response has been very positive. But we are not there yet” Agon told htxt.africa. “To fix the gender and race imbalance in the IT applicant pool, and ensure we are not all fishing in the same pond, we will need to actively reach out to more female applicants.”
“I believe the main issue is that girls and/or women are not aware of the opportunities available to them in the tech world and as a result choose not to pursue tech careers. A solution could be to communicate better on the career options, economic benefits and impact of tech related jobs. Coding requires resilience, passion, collaboration and a problem-solving mindset, all aptitudes shared by both men and women,” Agon added.
Applying for WeThinkCode_ is straightforward but not very easy, applicants must complete an two-part aptitude test in the form of an online memory and maze game. The top scoring 100 applicants will secure a spot in the programme where they’ll learn to code and solve programming problems 10 hours a day, six days a week.
Anyone between the ages of 17 and 25 can apply. The unconventional course is based around self-learning, mentorship and on-the-job training in real world IT departments rather than traditional seminars. It’s based on a system devised by Ecole 42 in France, which it says challenges ordinary education models that don’t produce results.
“To get in candidates don’t need any diploma. We believe that regardless of your previous education, where you grew up, what you know or what you have done, you could be #BornToCode,” Agon concluded.
So ladies, head over to the WeThinkCode_ website and apply now.
[Image – We Think Code_ Facebook]
