MORE ABOUT W.TEC’S MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME BY MARYAM ABDUSALAM
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) is the key driving force in today’s economic development. The Future success of every nation depends on their scientific and technological capabilities. In today’s world, the basic knowledge of STEM is now among the generic skills for survival in every fast growing economy. Critical thinking using Technology and its social impacts are very crucial in today’s world of complexities. Unfortunately women and girls are underrepresented in the STEM field and has persisted over the years, despite efforts to close the gap. According to National Bureau of Statistic, women make up on average just 22% of the total number of Engineering and Technology university graduates each year, according to the same source, women make up roughly fifth of the total number of people working in the Information and Communication Technology sector.
This disparity starts much earlier when female enrollment in technology and engineering courses of Nigerian higher institutions is lower than men’s. This means men are shaping the technology being developed, while women are largely passive users.
In this light, the Women Technology Empowerment Centre (W.TEC) came up with the “MentorHER programme”. Everyone needs someone who has been where they want to go. They need someone to hold their hands and lead them along a path where there is no fear but only assurance that dreams are realizable. That someone is a mentor. She sees more talent in you than do you see in yourself and helps you bring it out. She empowers you to see a possible future and believe it can be obtained.
With the full understanding of this W.TEC came up with the initiative called “MentorHER”. It is believed that empowerment shouldn’t just stop at the level of skill development but should also embody mentorship.
MentorHER Programme is aimed at supporting young women studying STEM courses at the tertiary level by sharing important technical tips and life skills, which will be instrumental in helping them succeed as technology professionals.
This mentoring programme is designed to provide a platform for young women to gain first-hand knowledge from experienced women in technology fields, so that they can start and navigate their careers in a more informed and strategic manner.
The pilot phase of the MentorHER Programme successfully graduated 15 mentees through one on one mentoring sessions within the span of six (6) months in 2018/2019. The second phase of the MentorHER Programme started in October 2020 with 25 mentors and 25 mentees.
A journey of a thousand miles start with a step, those who are prominent and succeeding today started somewhere and they worked hard to make their dreams into reality “Without putting your plan into action, it remains a dream” try to make your dream come through by taking the bold step towards achieving all your set goals.
We believe in the vision of the programme and understand that more women and girls need a mentorship to thrive and succeed in the various fields. This is why W.TEC designed the MentorHER Programme to help our women and girls to achieve their dreams.
Get a mentor today who will guide you through the steps you need to take towards achieving your set goals.
Written by:
Maryam Abdulsallam (Programmes Manager) W.TEC