Sunday, April 23, 2023 | Special Advertising Section 1 R 20 SPONSORED CONTENT PROVIDED BY ADA DEVELOPERS ACADEMY As recently as 2021, Big Tech was growing at a breakneck pace in Seattle, with the industry's key employers offering thousands of high-salaried positions. Unfortunately, recent layoffs have soured the job pool to the tune of 5,400 in-state jobs, according to the state Employment Security Department. As the threat of more layoffs looms, Microsoft and Amazon no longer lead the charge of companies hiring in Washington, leaving many tech workers to wonder where to find their next opportunity and, for newcomers, whether it’s even possible to break into the industry. The landscape is worse for women. According to data from the National Center for Women & Information Technology, while women account for 57% of the US workforce, only 26% of computing occupations are held by women. In a separate survey conducted by consultancy McKinsey & Company, 32% of women in tech reported that they were often the only member of their gender in the room. For every 100 men promoted from entry level to manager in 2022, only 87 women were promoted, and only 82 women of color were promoted. “With the macroeconomic headwinds affecting the industry, we’ve found ourselves in unprecedented times. The tech industry has historically relied on talent acquisition to diversify its workforce, and as that wanes, we are adapting to ensure that we can continue to grow representation in tech for women and gender expansive people,” says Lauren Sato, CEO of Ada Developers Academy. Ada began in Seattle in 2013. Named for Augusta Ada Lovelace, the 19th-century mathematician and founder of computer science, their Adapting to a changing landscape in tech careers Since 2013, Ada Developers Academy has graduated 800 new software developers and generated $50M in salaries for women and gender-expansive folks in the tech economy, narrowing gender and racial equity gaps in one of our most prosperous and influential sectors. Learn more at adadevelopersacademy.org. student body has tripled since 2020. Their programs prioritize women and gender-expansive applicants who likely can’t afford the cost of traditional schooling, particularly members of the Black, Indigenous, Latine, Native Alaskan, and Pacific Islander communities who are most underrepresented in tech. This year, they expect to graduate 260 students and enroll 265 students in their yearlong program, which includes six months of coursework and a five-month internship. Tuition is free, funded by philanthropy, charitable giving and local partners, including Microsoft, Amazon, and Google. “What helped me decide to come to Ada or even attempt to apply was the sheer motivation to change something,” says Haben Foto, who landed a software engineering position at Microsoft after graduating from Ada. “I had to change, for me and for my kids, and for my future most of all. I could do better, and Ada was the perfect path.” A desire for personal change is a familiar refrain among Ada students, one that caught the ear of the Equality Can’t Wait Challenge in 2021. Ada was awarded $10 million through the initiative funded by Melinda French Gates’s investment company, Pivotal Ventures, along with MacKenzie Scott and Dan Jewett, and Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, which allowed them to open additional campuses in Washington, D.C. and Atlanta and develop a virtual learning program. The expansion has helped Ada leadership further their goals of training more women to learn new skills, self-advocate, and speak up amid social injustice. “We believe we can achieve dramatic increases in the power and influence women, and gender-expansive people hold in this country by leveraging the wealth and cultural engine of our time: the technology sector,” says Sato. “This funding means thousands of more Adies, and as a result, resilient economies and thriving communities that benefit everyone.” As the tech landscape changes, Ada plans to join forces with smaller tech businesses that need employees to provide exposure and mentorship. “We not only partner with tech heavyweights like Amazon, Google, Uber, and Microsoft, but also smaller companies and startups seeking diverse talent,” Sato says. “We are expanding to partner with fintech, govtech, medtech and greentech companies to diversify the internships available to our students and expand our impact to a wider range of industries.” For Foto, the educational and professional allyship she found at Ada gave her the confidence to secure her future. “You’re supported all the way through, and your internship is guaranteed. It’s up to you to turn that internship into full-time, but you have all the resources to succeed.” Since 2013, Ada Developers Academy has graduated 800 new software developers and generated $50M in salaries for women and gender-expansive folks in the tech economy, narrowing gender and racial equity gaps in one of our most prosperous and influential sectors. Students review code. Donate today! A student points at the board as they talk to their classmate. (Photos courtesy of Ada Developers Academy)
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDIxMDU=