Bridging the Gender Gap: Collective Cloud Apprentice Program Empowers Women to Break into the $7 Trillion Cloud Computing Industry

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As of 2020, only 14.2 percent of cloud computing jobs were held by women, and projections suggest that this figure is not improving. At Women In Cloud, we firmly believe that economic growth should be inclusive, and this begins with providing equal opportunities for all to access digital skills.

When Microsoft launched Azure training with Coursera, they recognized the importance of including scholarships for women. They approached Women In Cloud to partner with us because we share their commitment to Inclusive Workforce Goals and we have the infrastructure and audience to reach those who need it most. Their goal was to test three hypotheses:

  1. What does it take for women to be job-ready in cloud technologies?
  2. What partnerships are needed to deliver credentialing and hands-on learning?
  3. What wrap-around services do women require to secure jobs in the tech industry?

Our collaboration with Microsoft leaders and experts led to an analysis of the path to $100K cloud tech jobs. Technical certification, career development skills, and hands-on work experience emerged as crucial factors for employment success. Our first step was to provide access to Coursera Training and Microsoft Certification scholarships. Over the past 15 months, we have distributed over 3,000 scholarships to individuals across 65 countries. Furthermore, we launched a monthly career development series that focuses on imparting critical essential skills. In just six months, over 2,500 individuals have benefited from this program.

But one of the biggest challenges that women face in achieving true job readiness is a lack of access to hands-on experience, which is why we are asking Microsoft partners to pledge and contribute.

Watch our coverage at Microsoft Inspire 2023 with Debbie Uttecht.

We are thrilled to introduce our newest initiative—the Collective Cloud Apprentice Program. It is our latest effort to foster gender diversity in cloud computing roles, ensuring a brighter, more equitable future in talent acquisition for the tech industry.

Our program aims to equip women with the vital skills and firsthand experience required to thrive in the cloud computing arena. We offer apprenticeships in design, operations, sales, marketing, and technical roles, empowering women with the practical knowledge that they need to excel.

By participating in the Cloud Apprentice Program, companies will not only be investing in talent, but they will also be contributing to a more innovative and productive tech industry as a whole. Studies have shown that diversity in the workplace leads to more innovation and creativity.

By partnering with Women In Cloud through the Collective Cloud Apprentice Program, you’ll be an active participant in creating a tech industry that prioritizes equality with actions and not just words. By expanding your talent pool with skilled, ambitious women who are ready to make their mark, you will be taking one of the most important initiatives the tech industry can focus on today to create a more equitable, thriving future for us all.

The key benefits of partnering with us include:

  • Access to a ready-made program with more than 100,000 members across 26 countries, 2000+ certified cloud professionals
  • Sponsored by Microsoft
  • Flexible hiring options
  • Discovery of candidate potential and cultivation of their expertise
  • A more affordable investment towards building a brighter future

Women in Cloud aims to partner with 100 companies to create three new jobs per partner, resulting in 300 net new jobs for women in the tech industry.

Projected Launch Date: October 30th, 2023.

If you are ready to partner with us, then you’re actively paving the way for a tech industry that values equality with their actions, not just their words.

Don’t miss the chance to expand your talent pool with skilled, ambitious women ready to make their mark and creating a more equitable future wherever everyone can thrive.

Join us in our mission to bridge the gender gap in the tech industry by becoming a partner today, transforming your workforce, organization, and the tech ecosystem as a whole.

Landing Page: https://womenincloud.com/fortune-100-initiative-2023/

Interest Form: https://airtable.com/shr1JD4PPFR53zQOh

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Introducing the 2023 Azure Microsoft Training and Certification Scholarship

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Amid a rapidly changing world of work, certification programs from technology companies such as Microsoft are highly relevant. Skilling and upskilling opportunities are key for economic security, career growth, and business development. Women in Cloud is teaming up with Microsoft and Coursera to introduce 250 new scholarships for all learners. WIC and Microsoft’s Azure scholarships will focus on AI and cybersecurity to meet the developing needs of the tech industry. 

 

There are currently 3.4 million cybersecurity jobs that need to be filled across the globe. WIC and Microsoft are aiming to bridge that gap by promoting a free scholarship opportunity and supporting diversity in tech. The scholarship is available to all genders and all regions around the world with an emphasis on supporting women and other marginalized people as they start (or continue) their journey in tech. Current research shows that women only make up approximately 24% of the cybersecurity workforce this underrepresentation increases the labor shortage, and this shortage increases digital threats on companies who do not have a large enough team to deal with adapting cybersecurity threats. 

 

WIC, with input from Microsoft and Coursera, has decided that along with cybersecurity, AI training for the WIC community is essential. This focus is important because of the growing influence of AI. Businesses are looking to automate some processes with AI to help with the talent shortage while also still benefiting their employees. With some basic systems relying on AI, employees would be able to spend more time innovating, training costs and time would be reduced, and future employees from “nontraditional” backgrounds could be more easily identified.   

 

“At Women in Cloud, our mission is to empower every member of our community to build technical, business, and leadership capacity to thrive in the $7 Trillion Cloud and AI Ecosystem,” said Chaitra Vedullapalli, President and Co-Founder of WIC. “This includes expanding access to training and skilling opportunities for women to excel in the ever-changing technology landscape.”

 

The curriculum, provided by Microsoft and Coursera, will begin in July 2023 with Azure AI Fundamentals and will grow to include Microsoft Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate and Microsoft Power BI Developer/Analyst Professional Certificate after they are released on Coursera’s platform in early and late summer 2023. Furthermore, scholarship students can work directly with the WIC team to access any Microsoft specialization or professional certification program available on the Coursera platform. There will be 2,000 Microsoft certification vouchers available for scholarship recipients who complete a full Microsoft specialization or professional certificate through the scholarship program.

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Women in Cloud and Accenture Join Forces: Launching Second-Year B2B Coaching Program to Propel Female Tech Founders into Billion-Dollar Markets

Women in Cloud (WIC) and Accenture have joined forces to deliver a groundbreaking B2B coaching program designed specifically for women tech founders. This world-class program aims to help female entrepreneurs break into enterprise opportunities and accelerate their growth in the industry.

 

The program targets B2B tech female founders with a minimum of 2 years in business and at least one successful pilot. Eligible participants must have a SaaS tech solution built on Cloud Hyperscaler infrastructure such as Microsoft Cloud, AWS, or Google Cloud. Plus open to invest in cosell-led GTM activities to capture market share with Accenture and others.

Over six months, participants will commit 14 hours to the program, including 4 hours in meetings and 10+ hours in coaching sessions. They will lead the scheduling of meetings and maintain ongoing communication with Accenture business leaders.

Throughout the program, B2B Women Tech Founders will:

  • Explore industry alignments, product fit, and technology roadmaps.
  • Build relationships with industry leaders.
  • Provide feedback and ideas to improve the program.
  • Attend mandatory kickoff, closing, and check-in sessions led by Women in Cloud and Accenture (max of 3.5 hours over 6 months).

This innovative coaching program pairs female founders with Accenture executives and their customers, offering unparalleled industry-leading support. 

“It’s not every day that we have the opportunity to mentor CEOs of emerging technology companies, and I’m grateful to have met, worked with, and learned from three awesome startup founders during the WIC/Accenture Coaching Program”, said Accenture mentor Greg Reiser, Managing Director of Cloud First Networks. “Anytime someone takes your advice and then comes back to thank you for the impact you’ve made on their business, it’s extremely rewarding.” 

With B2B Women Tech founders strategically matched with Accenture Executives whose expertise aligns with their unique industry experience and business needs, this program is the ultimate tool to take your business to the next level and unlocks access to funding such as Microsoft Partner Capital Fund, Founder First Capital Partners, Chai Angels, Masterfund and others.

The program has already delivered valuable insights to entrepreneurs, with Accenture mentors focusing on refining product-market fit, developing industry partnerships, and finding and acquiring customers. The collaboration also allows Accenture to explore opportunities to adopt emerging technologies and provide strategic co-market and co-sell insights.

“Our time with Lori was extremely valuable. We discussed our purpose, target market, technical options and strategy, and contracting with enterprises”, said participant Andrea Sorenson, CEO & Co-Founder of Liiingo. “Her insights have helped us understand our options, make key decisions, and develop a clearer strategy. Lori asked great questions, understood our challenges, and offered her insights with respect and encouragement.”

Requirements to get engaged:

  • Complete WIC Founder Application which takes 15 to 25 minutes. 
  • Once you are qualified, you will be required to process nominal operational fees of $295. This program will automatically qualify you to participate in #WICxTOP100 Brand Visibility Program.
  • Then, you will be invited to participate in the B2B Coaching Program for 6 months. 

 

To know more about the program visit the B2B Founder Coaching Program Page

Learn about Women in Cloud’s partnership with Accenture and join the movement to empower women in the tech industry.

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#empowHERaccess 2023 Awards Are Back. Celebrating Excellence in Technology. Nominations Open!

Women in Cloud (WIC), in partnership with Insight Enterprises, is thrilled to announce the commencement of nominations for the third annual #empowHERaccess 2023 Awards. These prestigious awards aim to acknowledge and celebrate the exceptional achievements and contributions of women, allies, and organizations in the technology industry. Nominations for the 2023 Global Edition of the awards are now open, providing aspiring and established women entrepreneurs, leaders, innovators, and allies an opportunity to showcase their excellence in the following eight categories:

For the past three years, the #empowHERaccess Awards have recognized over 2,500 outstanding individuals and organizations worldwide who have made significant impacts in the technology industry. This esteemed event has become a symbol of empowerment, fostering a sense of community and driving positive change in the tech sector.

 

The #empowHERaccess Awards offer a unique platform for women entrepreneurs, leaders, and allies to be acknowledged for their remarkable achievements and contributions to their communities. Award winners and nominees will have the honor of joining the WIC Awards Hall of Fame, granting them access to connect with like-minded women and gain visibility through the Get Introduced platform. Moreover, award winners will receive a prize package valued at over $1000, including membership to the exclusive #WICxInsiderCircle program.

Jen Vasin, Chief Human Resources Officer at Insight, expressed her enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating, “At Insight, we are dedicated to supporting the success of women in technology through career recruitment, professional development, and mentorship. We are thrilled to partner with Women in Cloud to recognize and celebrate the achievements of women leaders, entrepreneurs, and allies who share our mission to promote responsible, equitable practices in the technology industry through the 2023 #empowHERaccess Awards.”

 

To submit nominations for yourself or someone else for the 2023 #empowHERaccess Awards, please visit this link and complete the application before July 10, 2023. The winners will be unveiled at the awards ceremony on July 20th, which will be a highlight of the #WICxInspire 2023 activities.

 

For further information regarding the #empowHERaccess 2023 Awards and the application process, please reach out to community@womenincloud.com.

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Women in Cloud Partners with Insight to Launch Agile Leadership Scholarship Program

Insight Enterprises (NASDAQ:NSIT), a Fortune 500 Solutions Integrator focused on driving client success through digital transformation, is proud to announce its partnership with Women in Cloud to offer leadership scholarships for women seeking to become Professional Agile Leaders. The partnership is designed to promote gender diversity in IT leadership roles and empower women to become effective leaders in Agile software development.

The leadership scholarships will provide women with access to Professional Agile Leadership Essentials training, which will teach them Scrum fundamentals and how to become effective leaders in Agile software development. The program is designed to help women acquire the skills needed to improve team performance, increase business value, better manage risks, engage stakeholders effectively, and deliver software faster.

The partnership with Women in Cloud is part of Insight’s commitment to promoting gender diversity in the IT industry and empowering women to pursue careers in technology. “We believe that diversity is the key to innovation, success and advancements in technology,” said Andrea Perkins, Vice President, Digital Enablement, Insight. “By partnering with Women in Cloud, we are able to offer leadership scholarships to women seeking to advance their careers in software development and help bridge the gender gap in the field.”

Women in Cloud is a community-led initiative that empowers women to pursue careers in technology and provides them with the resources and support they need to succeed. The organization is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in the IT industry and creating a more equitable and inclusive workplace for women.

“We are thrilled to partner with Insight to offer leadership scholarships for women seeking to become Professional Agile Leaders,” said Chaitra Vedullapalli, co-founder of Women in Cloud. “This partnership is a testament to Insight’s commitment to promoting gender diversity in the IT industry and empowering women to pursue careers in technology. We look forward to working together to create a more equitable and inclusive workplace for women.”

The leadership scholarships are open all genders, ages, and backgrounds who are interested in pursuing a career in software development. Please review available opportunities as some require prior Scrum knowledge. To apply for the scholarship program or to learn more about Insight’s training and consulting services, please visit our WICxInsight page.

 

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