The Head of Communications and Research of the organization,
Mr Yemi Odutola, made the disclosure on Saturday in Lagos.
According to him, the training will be conducted through
W.TEC’s ‘MakeHer Space’ programme.
Odutola described MakeHer Space as a hands-on technology
training project for ladies, carried out in partnership with Google.
Odutola said the initiative was designed to motivate
selected ladies to create technology and engineering-based solutions that would
solve problems in their communities and provide information about career
options.
“The programme is designed to cater for young women mostly
from lower-income households living in communities where the MakeHer
Space-targeted populations reside.
“We will be training girls between ages 10 years and 17
years (in school) and ladies that are 18 years to 25 years (out of school).
“The programme is targeting 1,180 participants this year,”
Odutola said.
He said that with the completion of the pilot phase, the
programme would be extended from Lagos to other states, including Kaduna,
Katsina, Bauchi and Abuja.
Odutola said that due to COVID-19 pandemic, virtual sessions
for out-of-school participants would feature classes on electronics and digital
circuit technologies, mechatronics, and problem and market research
presentations.
He said that the out-of-school group programme would run for
one month, with each session lasting for two hours.
Odutola said the in-school group would meet once a week for
one month, adding that each session would last for four hours.
“This training is targeted at teaching girls and women to
create technology and engineering-based solutions that solve problems in their
communities.
“It will also help young women to develop abilities to work
in teams and in engineering-centred projects, develop marketable and practical
skills in art design, mathematics and critical thinking,” he added.
According to him, W.TEC will also be running a programme
tagged ‘MentorHER’.
He said the programme scheduled for six months was designed
to link successful women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
(STEM) as mentors to selected female undergraduates of those courses.
“The new cycle features mentors from all over the world, who
have been mentoring our ladies from their diverse fields in STEM.
“There are 25 mentors and 25 mentees currently involved in
an ongoing cycle, a bigger membership is planned for the next cycle slated to
commence in the last quarter of this year,” Odutola told NAN.
He said that the organisation would also be running other
programmes which would include Early Innovators for children, Staying Safe
online programmes and Inclusive Technology for all (designed for physically
challenged people).