UK bank NatWest has launched a programme to help displaced Ukrainian women start new tech-related careers, in partnership with Code First Girls and the Capital City Partnership
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The Scottish-based ‘Women in Tech’ pilot, jointly delivered by NatWest Bank, Code First Girls and the Capital City Partnership, will provide displaced Ukrainian women with the training and education necessary to start new technology careers.
Firstly, 60 select women will complete introductory classes in technology, sponsored by Natwest. Besides, ten Ukrainian women will get the opportunity to complete the Code First Girls Degree.
As for the partners, the Capital City Partnership will provide wrap-around support to the women enrolled during their learning journey, while Equate Scotland, the national expert in gender equality throughout the STEM sectors, will assist them with career support.
According to NatWest’s press release, the programme is a first-of-its-kind in Scotland where women are only filling 23% of all the digital technology roles. It will provide valuable career opportunities for displaced women, many of whom are highly skilled engineers, lecturers, and mathematicians, in coding and software engineering.
Without such opportunities, many highly-skilled Ukrainian refugees are forced to employ in lower-paid jobs, if they find one at all. Those who pass the new training requirements and learning outcomes will be offered permanent roles as trainee software engineers at NatWest’s Royal Bank of Scotland.
The pilot was showcased to Ukrainian women who could potentially join the program aboard MS Victoria, a cruise ship serving as temporary accommodation for families from Ukraine, which is currently docked in Edinburgh.
Digital technology is the second fastest-growing sector in Scotland, growing 1.5 times faster than the entire economy.
We have recently explained How to Donate Your Car to Help Ukraine.
