Slamm Foundation, under its Women in Tech Programme, is training 10 young ladies in cybersecurity for free for the next six months. Slamm Foundation is the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm of Slamm Technologies, an Information Technology (IT) firm that offers IT Support, Career Services, and Corporate IT Training.
The training seeks to provide on-the-job IT training through a blend of practical skills and knowledge in Cyber Security, Security Operating Centre (SOC) operation, and an exciting mentoring programme.
Commenting on the initiative, Francisca Boateng, Executive Director of Slamm Foundation who doubles as the Director for Operations at Slamm Technologies, noted that the world would be a better place when more women are trained in technology and that is what Slamm Foundation is doing by engaging these ladies to promote the initiative of female engagement in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
“With 10 ladies as our starting point, we seek to train these girls in the fundamentals of IT before moving on to networking and cybersecurity. The objective is to train women in cybersecurity with no experience from beginner to advanced levels. I selected girls because I am aware that there is a significant workforce gap in STEM fields and due to the underrepresentation of women in these disciplines, it is important to give these ladies the chance to participate in cybersecurity,” she said.
As part of efforts for the girls to practice all that has been learned after the six-months training programme, she stated that the foundation will provide internship opportunities for the top two graduates adding that the remaining eight will receive internship opportunities with other corporate organizations with which the foundation has a partnership.
Lead Instructor for Slamm Technologies, Prince Carl Tuffour said Slamm has a skilled and efficient team of instructors ready to provide the students with intensive, hands-on practical training needed to succeed in the workforce.
“I am excited about this training, and as an instructor, I believe it is a great opportunity for the girls to take advantage of, and with our skilled instructors we are looking forward to providing these students with the skills they will need in the workforce,” he said.
He said the skills that would be passed on to these students are carefully crafted to enable the students to create opportunities for themselves putting them in the elite rank of women in the workforce. “We are taking them through Basic Computing, Internet Networking, and Cybersecurity. These are all practical skills that they can learn and achieve that will help them both in the local and international markets. With such training, they will be able to establish themselves and not necessarily have to look for employment elsewhere,” he added.
Antoinette Aikins, who serves as the class’s representative, expressed excitement about receiving training from the foundation, saying that it would not only increase their knowledge but also give them the capacity to instruct and teach more women in technology.
