She Codes

She Codes Interview with Kate Kirwin:

She Codes is a grassroots organisation that encourages women to code and provides pathways into tech careers through programming workshops and events. I interviewed Kate Kirwin, the founder to reflect on 2019 and what is in store for 2020.

What a year 2019 was, can you share some highlights from the 2019 program?

It has been a jam-packed year for She Codes - we kicked off two new programs, She Codes Flash, a one-week taster program and She Codes Plus, our flagship six-month part time program, creating new stepping stones for women to learn from beginner, intermediate, and job ready. Over the past 12 months we have run events in Perth, Bunbury, Geraldton, Port Hedland, Karratha, and Brisbane - and looking forward to further expanding that impact in 2020! We have just completed the first Plus program in Perth, with 20% of attendees securing jobs in tech before the end of the program, and many more with interviews lined up as we speak. 

She Codes Plus commenced this year to high application levels – how has that program progressed?

We were overwhelmed with over 250 applications for the Plus program, for just 25 spots in the program. It has been a whirlwind for students and mentors alike as we teach HTML/CSS, Python, Django, React and deployment in just 22 short weeks - part time. I am constantly amazed at how much the She Coders have learnt during this time and looking forward to seeing them continue to succeed in tech roles in 2020.

What does She Codes have planned for 2020?

2020 will be the biggest year yet. Thanks to our partnership with BHP we are expanding the Plus program to Brisbane, while continuing another Perth cohort. We also won a state government grant which will see us deliver 3 one-week Flash programs in Perth, one in Bunbury and one in Geraldton, and of course, our one-day workshops will be running quarterly in Perth as well as in Brisbane and in regional WA. What I'm most excited for is seeing our graduates return as mentors in the programs and continue their technical career pathways. We are also looking to partner with other businesses who are keen to grow the technical capability of their workforce and upskill women from other parts of the business to join their technology team. We are seeing a huge demand for technical talent and it is predicted to further increase in 2020.

She Codes is expanding into Brisbane, what excites you about the tech market in Brisbane?

I've had a lot of conversations over the past few months with players in the tech ecosystem and there is a lot of enthusiasm for more structured support and programs to increase the funnel of women in tech. There are some great technical projects being undertaken in Queensland - with a big presence in mining, insurance and start-ups. The Queensland government is heavily investing in these areas, but access to talent continues to be a barrier for many businesses. We ran our first Workshop event in Brisbane in November at River City Labs which was a sell-out event and shows a lot of demand from women in Brisbane to learn new skills - a trend we have been seeing everywhere we have gone to date.

Best advice for any wanting to get involved in She Codes?

Reach out to us at shecodes.com.au - we have three ranges of programs from one day, one week and 6 months so there are plenty of options for you if you want to learn. All our programs are female focussed, teaching relevant industry content, are free for attendees thanks to industry support, and most of all, they are fun. 

If you're a manager or business owner and interested in talking about how we can help you diversify and grow your technology team creating tangible business outcomes and a return on investment - definitely reach out to me directly. It’s no longer enough to talk about it - the market is demanding action from businesses for them to stay competitive.

Thanks Kate and Robert Walters looks forward to promoting women and diversity in technology in 2020.