UAE-based retail conglomerate Majid Al Futtaim is launching a coding program developed especially focusing on women, in line with the UAE’s ‘Projects of the 50′ initiative.
The first-of-its-kind program for the region by a private sector firm is following the UAE government’s ‘Projects of the 50′ initiative which aims to allure 100 coders every day to the country’s workforce and to achieve the highest percentage of female coders per capita in the next five years globally.
As part of the program, Majid Al Futtaim will offer a platform for the female workforce in the technology field to secure their position in the sector. The initiative looks to train 5000 women, including university students, new graduates, career women and Majid Al Futtaim workforce, over the next five years.
The initial stage of the program will focus to create a tech community for interactive knowledge sharing by partnering with the UAE government, industry and academia. The initiative will reach out to universities in the country to motivative women to step into the sector and ignite interest in technology-related subjects.
The program, following other company-wide initiatives, will ensure Majid Al Futtaim attains its target to employ over 35 percent of women in advanced technologies and digital roles by 2023.
Mr. Alain Bejjani, CEO, Majid Al Futtaim Holding, said, ‘There are numerous invisible barriers that discourage women from pursuing a career in the digital space which has a knock-on effect, further widening the skills and gender gap. Research suggests that women make up only 28 percent of the global tech sector’s workforce, and with the industry booming, now is the time to change this trajectory. The technology sector has tremendous opportunity for gender parity, and by creating the first corporate-led coding program for women in the UAE, we are committed to developing and nurturing the untapped potential that exists locally..’
The UAE retail giant will launch various initiatives to motivate women to study tech-related subjects, offering upskilling opportunities and helping them to get senior positions within the organization.
The Majid Al Futtaim School of Analytics and Technology will run the coding modules for women who are not part of the business ecosystem and internship opportunities, career guidance and mentorship.
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