© Christina Morillo / Pexels
The research and application of artificial intelligence has created numerous new professions and fields of activity. However, women in particular are underrepresented in these professions, as there are often fewer opportunities for them to further their education in the field of AI. Our policy initiatives Data Economy and Fair Forward have launched the AI & Data Science Bootcamp for Women in South Africa to tackle this. In collaboration with Intel and supported by Move Beyond Consulting (MBC), Arpeggio Consulting and University of South Africa (UNISA), the first event started on 20 July 2023.
The AI & Data Science Bootcamp is a unique training programme, aimed at increasing the number of women in the fields of AI and Data Science in South Africa. It will upskill young unemployed women from different socioeconomic backgrounds by providing them with technical skills, soft-skills, networking opportunities, industry-relevant training, and ideally work exposure.
The bootcamp trains 60 women from different provinces in South Africa, over a 4-month period. At the end of the bootcamp, participants will be able to use their newly acquired knowledge in coding, data science, machine learning, AI applications, data-driven business models, data and AI ethics, to solve a concrete use case offered by the local industry partners.
With 150 participants, the AI & Data Science Bootcamp for Women launch marked the beginning of an exciting journey!
