officer Sara Venturina and FTW Co-founder and head of learning Michelle Alarcon
The Philippines’ #1 Finance Super App GCash signifies its commitment to empowering Filipino women in technology as it recently signed into a partnership with For The Women Foundation (FTW) to provide support to its Data Science Scholarship Program.
Through this initiative, scholars will undergo a 14-week training, at zero cost, that will equip them with knowledge and skills in data science, allowing them to shift their careers and join the underrepresented female workforce in the tech industry.
These highly specialized learning sessions will upskill Filipinas and hone them for roles in data analytics, which is considered to be among the future-resilient and high-demand fields today.
GCash will work hand-in-hand with FTW to provide up-to-date information and useful skills to prepare the scholars for these positions. At the same time, the fintech company will offer job opportunities that will help them jump-start their new careers.
“Providing equal opportunities is something we hold very dear at GCash. We believe that women, though underrepresented in the industry, can go far and make their mark. In fact, we are a leading proponent of diversity with a high representation of women in management roles in our company. This partnership will pave the way for more women to explore and flourish in tech,” said GCash Chief Data Officer Sara Venturina.
This support of FTW’s advocacy is a testament to how GCash is committed to upholding the United Nations Women’s Empowerment Principles, empowering tech pioneers regardless of gender.
“Not all talented women have the resources or opportunities to have world-class training in order to switch to their dream careers like data science. FTW believes in their talent, selects and trains them, then partners with institutions such as GCash to prepare them for these new roles,” said FTW Co-founder and Executive Director Cara Wilson.
This scholarship initiative boasts a 76% new job placement rate with an average 154% increase in monthly earnings from before and after the training period.
Graduates will return to support the next batch of scholars through an extensive mentoring program — building a pay-it-forward community and creating a sustainable impact on the community.