How Upskilling Can Help More Women Get Into Tech

How Upskilling Can Help More Women Get Into Tech

Coursera offers over 7,000 courses including certificates from Meta, Yale, Stanford and Google, as well as a number of business and tech courses.

 
As the world becomes increasingly digitised, technology jobs continue to be in high demand. 

Despite the lucrative opportunities these careers offer, women continue to be underrepresented in the tech industry. According to a report by the National Centre for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT), women only make up 26% of the computing workforce. 

This gender gap not only limits the potential of the industry, but also perpetuates societal inequalities. 

To address this issue, many advocates have turned to upskilling as a solution. 

Upskilling programs not only benefit women, but also employers who can tap into a larger pool of talent and increase diversity in their teams. With the potential to create a more inclusive tech industry and provide new opportunities for women, upskilling is an important step towards gender equality in the workforce. 

But making that switch can be scary, especially if you don’t know where to start. That’s where online course provider Coursera comes in. Coursera is an online learning platform that partners with more than 275 leading universities and companies to bring flexible, affordable, job-relevant online learning to individuals and organisations worldwide. 

Their subscription plan, Coursera Plus, gives you unlimited access to over 7,000 world-class courses, backed by some of the biggest names in tech like Google, Meta, Yale, Duke, and London Business School amongst many others.

Need some inspiration around where to begin? Ladies, we’ve rounded up 5 tech-based courses to inspire you to take the leap in 2023:
 

1. Meta Front End Developer 

 
Timeframe: 7 Months, Under 6 hours of study a week

What you’ll learn: Get started in the in-demand field of software development with a Professional Certificate from Meta. Designed for those with no previous experience or education, this Certificate takes learners from beginner-level to job-ready in 7 months. Learn the foundations of front-end development and gain in-demand programming skills through developing a front-end web application for your portfolio.
 

2. Stanford University and DeepLearning.AI’s Machine Learning

 
Timeframe: 3 Months, 9 hours of study a week

What you’ll learn: Taught by Andrew Ng, one of the most prominent names in the AI and Machine Learning space, the Machine Learning Specialization is a foundational online program created in collaboration between DeepLearning.AI and Stanford Online. This beginner-friendly program will teach you the fundamentals of machine learning and how to use these techniques to build real-world AI applications.  
 

 

3. Google Data Analytics

 
Timeframe: 6 Months, Under 10 hours of study a week

What you’ll learn: This Specialisation starts out by teaching basic concepts in Python and ramps up to more complex subjects such as object-oriented programming and data structures in Java. By the time learners complete this series of four courses, they will be able to write fully-functional programs in both Python and Java, two of the most well-known and frequently used programming languages in the world today.
 

4. Introduction to Programming with Python and Java Specialization

 
Timeframe: 4 Months, 6 hours of study a week

What you’ll learn: Take your first step towards a career in software development with this introduction to Java—one of the most in-demand programming languages and the foundation of the Android operating system. Designed for beginners, this Specialisation will teach you core programming concepts and equip you to write programs to solve complex problems.
 

5. Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce

 
Timeframe: 6 Months, Under 10 hours of study a week

What you’ll learn: Businesses need digital marketing and e-commerce talent more than ever before. Throughout this program, you will gain in-demand skills that prepare you for an entry-level job and learn how to use tools and platforms like Canva, Constant Contact, Google Ads, Google Analytics, Hootsuite, HubSpot, Mailchimp, Shopify, and Twitter. You will learn from subject-matter experts at Google and have a chance to build your own portfolio with projects like customer personas and social media calendars to show to potential employers.

Get started for free here or sign up for Coursera Plus