BECOMTECH

In 2011, 46% of students in scientific high school were girls: they cease to be interested in science after baccalaureate. As a result, only 17.4% of engineers are women (including all sectors of engineering). In France only 10% of IT workers are women. The low participation of women in STEM (Science Technologies and Mathematics) leads to a privation of opportunities for girls in a booming professional sector and societal transformation. 

BECOMTECH proposal is to provide free program's active learning pedagogy which combine an an intensive and free training to acquire computer science skills through training workshops in coding, with website design, video editing, programming.  Girls also work on soft skills such as public speaking, teamwork, project management and improvement of their self-confidence. Furthermore, they integrate to the digital ecosystem with tech companies visits, meetings with professionals and participation to innovation events. The girls can benefit from BECOMTECH's long term support, to help girl’s community in their empowerment and in road to their digital professional lives. 

BECOMTECH's programs exist on 6 French territories, but this is not enough to tackle the underrepresentation of girls and women in IT and digital fields that exists in France as well as internationally. BECOMTECH's mission is to accompany the whole society so that, as of today, women are fully involved in the digital transformation.

Women are underrepresented in IT and digital jobs. In 2018, while 33% of employees were women in the IT and digital sectors, 75% of them occupied support positions (HR, administration, marketing, communication) and just 15% technical positions (operations, development, production, project management (Source: Gender Scan report published by Global Contact in 2019). As a result, only 17.4% of engineers are women (all engineering sectors combined). In France, only 10% of IT workers are women. In addition, many stereotypes are commonly associated with IT and digital professions and professionals. The under-representation of women is also present for high responsibility jobs. Indeed, in the position of CEO of the CAC40, there is only one woman.

It also appears that girls begin to doubt their skills and abilities from the age of fifteen, at a very important time of career orientation and choice. In 2011, 46% of students in science high schools were girls: they stop being interested in science after the baccalaureate.

This underrepresentation of women in the digital field leads to unequal access for women compared to men to the digital field, which is a growing professional sector, full of opportunities.

BECOMTECH is tackling the exclusion of women from IT and digital disciplines through three main vehicles. 

1/ JUMP IN TECH: a free and inclusive intensive digital and IT introduction program aimed to 14 to 17 years old girls, whatever their social or educational background. This first approach is a three-step process: awareness-raising (in a school setting or youth establishment), followed by intensive training over four consecutive weeks in the summer where the girls benefit from a global approach of digital, then GIRLS CAMP, a final presentation ceremony entirely organized by the participants. During JIMP IN TECH, girls acquire digital skills, meet professionals, visit tech companies, meet other girls.

2/BECOMTECH Ambassadors, destinated to JUMP IN TECH alumnae. This long-term support program gives them access to digital workshops, individual and group coaching, and meetings with professionals, especially during conferences and events.

3/ BECOM LEADER. During the program, the girls develop soft-skills: they increase their self-confidence, practice public speaking, develop their empowerment and legitimacy.  focus on the empowerment of girls and on their self-confidence and legitimacy. The goal is to empower them to make decisions about the community, and to make them inspiring and accessible role models in the digital domain.

BECOMTECH is targeting digital diversity. To combat the ongoing gender inequality in access to digital and IT, BECOMTECH is offering an innovative solution to middle and high school students, who are 14 or 17 years old. This is the moment when girls are making their orientation choices. Thanks to the long term support, we follow girls until no limit of age in the program BECOMTECH Ambassadors. More than 50% of participants reside in underprivileged districts covered by priority urban planning policies and/or are schooled in high-priority or very high-priority establishments.

In 2020, BECOMTECH launched a new format for JUMP IN TECH program, 100% online. This format will be conducted again in 2021 to allow girls with disabilities and girls living in rural areas to join the program.

Today, the Ambassador Community is formed by 219 girls. Since BECOMTECH creation, 5384 people were impacted by the actions of BECOMTECH and the Ambassadors among the general public, including 3564 through awareness-raising and 490 people through digital introduction sessions.

Girls are currently underserved because they are facing an inequal access to digital professions compared to boys, because they are underrepresented both in digital studies and professions and in high responsibilities professions.

The method used is an active pedagogy, with project conception and proactivity during JUMP IN TECH and afterwards. By breaking away from a vertical, top-down training method, the aim is to help participants develop their self-confidence and abilities in an independent way. The trainers follow active educational principles and support the limited number of participants – there are no more than 15 girls in a group with support from two trainers. That allow the trainers to know personally the girls and their personal needs, and to adapt the content of activities. 

As Ambassadors, the girls take on a variety of roles: they are volunteers, both trainer and trainee, and may even present during awareness-raising events. More broadly, they are encouraged to become key players in breaking down sexist stereotypes and mainstreaming digital. But, what is really important to notify is that girls have the choice. They choose the kind of activities they want to follow and they choose they rate of commitment. 

BECOMTECH creates a technology-based solutions that ensure girls have access to the same opportunities than boys in digital economy. Computer skills are required tools to access to professional career and empowerment, and to chance equality in digital fields. 

The program is addressed to girls, whatever their background and financial situation. BECOMTECH provides low-income, remote and victim of gender inequality girls access to digital training, digital infrastructures, and larger professional opportunities. Girls gain and develop new and relevant digital literacy skills (program writing, video editing) to enable their participation in the digital economy. To that extend, BECOMTECH provides equipment (computer, internet key) for free.

BECOMTECH is developing growing projects, with proved impacts. Now, the program can be scaled up.

BECOMTECH’s programs exist for 4 years. In 2017, the programs existed in 4 French departments: Paris, Val de Marne, Yvelines and Rhone. Years after years, BECOMTECH settled its programs in more territories. Today, the departments of Loire-Atlantique and Val d’Oise are also covered. In 2021, a remote training will be launched to enable girls living in rural areas and/or girls with disability to join BECOMTECH’s programs. The number of beneficiaries also increased. In 2017, 460 persons were impacted by BECOMTECH actions through awareness-raising and through digital introduction sessions. Today, 5384 persons are impacted.

In 2020, an evaluation agency monitored BECOMTECH's actions for one year and evaluated the Social Impact of the JUMP IN TECH and BECOMTECH Ambassadors projects. Five social impacts have been identified. This social impact evaluation is a solid basis for the growth of the project. Now, BECOMTECH ambition is to be developed in more territories, by duplication of the program.

BECOMTECH propose an active pedagogy, based on project conception. The practical involvement of participants is desired, during the four weeks intensive formation and afterwards. By breaking away from a vertical, top-down training method, the aim is to help participants develop their self-confidence and abilities in an independent way. Then, the girls take on a variety of roles: they are volunteers, both trainer and trainee, and may even present during awareness-raising events. More broadly, they are encouraged to become key players in breaking down sexist stereotypes and mainstreaming digital.

A key aspect of BECOMTECH’s educational method is single-sex sessions to promote women’s empowerment. The aim is to avoid interactional approaches that differentiate between boys and girls and restrict girls’ access to certain activities (incidentally digital), and avoid relationship dynamics dominated by boys which leads to weaker intellectual development in girls, less confidence in their options and, broadly speaking, lower self-esteem. Through their involvement in a single-sex group, the girls reach a common understanding of the inequality facing them, resulting in relevant action. Single-sex groups also make it easier for them to express themselves and formulate a clear ambition. Therefore, BECOMTECH uses IT and digital as an effective means of combating the structural gender inequality pervading society.

These programs propose an integration to the digital ecosystem with tech companies visit and participation to innovation events. Girls can meet inspiring professional women and find role models to identify with.

These programs are destinated to young girls choosing their orientation. The aim of BECOMTECH is to raise their awareness among digital opportunity during this strategic period to tackle the problem of underrepresentation of women in this area at the source. Also, the profiles of the girls following BECOMTECH’s program are diverse. Some girls may not necessarily have technological knowledge or prior experience of IT. 52% of participants reside in underprivileged districts covered by priority urban planning policies and/or are schooled in high-priority or very high-priority establishments. In 2021, a remote training will be launched to enable girls living in rural areas and/or girls with disability to join BECOMTECH’s programs.

Since the creation of BECOMTECH in 2017, 5384 people have been impacted among the general public, including: 3564 through awareness and 490 people through digital training. 1760 hours of digital initiation sessions were carried out in 5 French regions. 219 girls were supported, and are part of the Ambassadors' community.

By the end of the year, we plan to reach 800 girls in the 5 French regions. 106 girls are expected to join the JUMP IN TECH program and become part of the Ambassador community. This community will include 325 girls. In 2021, BECOMTECH programs are deployed in a new territory : Loire-Atlantique department.

In five years, 7,000 girls will have benefited from BECOMTECH's awareness-raising activities. 615 girls will be part of BECOMTECH Ambassadors. BECOMTECH programs will exist in 9 territories.

The indicators we have are those used in the social impact evaluation study. BECOMTECH teams will be able to track indicators to measure these 5 social impacts thanks to the training provided by Agence Phare in 2020. We provide a questionnaire before and after the JUMP IN TECH program to measure girls skills improvement during the program. The BECOMTECH Ambassadors program is based on long term support. In that way, we can have a personal following up for all Ambassadors regarding their orientation and career choices.

1-Development of digital skills: % of participants mastering the digital skills of the JUMP IN TECH framework of girls say they feel able to complete a digital project alone or with others

2-Public speaking and messaging skills: % of participants who feel able to speak in public / before a group

3-Widening of orientation perspectives, especially towards digital technology: % of participants who integrate digital technology in their orientation projects, % of participants who work in IT or digital fields, % of participants who have high responsibility jobs

4-Change in representations of digital technology and the place of women in this sector: % of participants declaring that they are aware of gender inequalities in the digital sector + % of participants who identify with the digital professionals they met

5-The creation of a solidarity group: % of participants who wish to become BECOMTECH Ambassadors

These are the figures for 2021 :

• Full-time staff : 6 people
• Interns and volontaries : 6 people
• Members of directors board : 5 administrators
• Contractors

      >trainers for intensive formation : 14
      >pedagogical coordinators : 2      

BECOMTECH staff have been working on these programs for 4 years. Some of the staff members have backgrounds in education, job placement, project management and communication. Thus, the team has complementary professional skills that cover all the strategic needs of BECOMTECH.

For the JUMP IN TECH program, a team of trainers intervenes to ensure the training of the girls. Prior to their mission, these trainers are trained by professionals in teaching methods and active learning. These trainings are used directly by JUMP IN TECH, and thanks to this, the number of people mastering pedagogical and active learning methods applied to digital technology increases every year. In addition, BECOMTECH has the support of educational institutions, where the projects team conducts awareness-raising activities, and of companies that the girls can visit and where they can meet inspiring tech professionals.

BECOMTECH put in place a recruitment process that respect diversity. Members of the team are from different countries (Italy, Tunisia, Djibouti), and some of them do not have French as mother tongue. In the recruitment process, all job descriptions are in inclusive writing.  Each year for JUMP IN TECH, we welcome a trainers team. Their backgrounds are very diverse, but we provide them a formation. The profiles of the trainers are very diverse, in term of professional background experiences, gender, age, origin… Moreover, the association counts on five administrators, members of the directors board. They are from diverse professional backgrounds. Some are more invested in business areas; some are working in foundations. Regarding the equity section, BECOMTECH offered a formation on collective intelligence to its team. The aim is to take decision in group, including all members of the team.

BECOM LEADER program includes a shared governance with Ambassadors. By this way, they will share decision power with staff members. As mentioned above, half of Ambassadors reside in underprivileged districts covered by priority urban planning policies and/or are schooled in high-priority or very high-priority establishments. Moreover, each year, we welcome in our team an Ambassador in internship.

BECOMTECH is applying to Solve to get financial support to develop our solution. We want to meet and build potential partnerships with companies that are part of the Solve Community. We also want to apply to gain visibility in the Solve community and at an international scale, and meet other associations working on the same problem and solution as us. This way, we could find inspiration and create a link between the different projects. We also want to see and learn about innovation at the international level. Thanks to this experience, we could benefit from the MIT double expert assessment. Firstly, to benefit from a support for our scale up and secondly to benefit from digital innovation advice given by experts.

BECOMTECH ambition is to scale up and to be present in more territories. To be efficient, we need more staff working on the programs.

We are working on redifining our fundraising strategy. To that extend we need to follow training, and to hire an expert in fundraising.

We also need partners qualified in public relation to train our team to be more efficient.

Erase All Kittens : This organization works on solve similar problems, and works with youngest girls compared to BECOMTECH beneficiaries. Our two programs could be complementary, and very inspiring for us, because of the gamification they use. That would be a very interesting pedagogical approach to use also in our projects. 

Digital Citizen Fund : This organization also works on equipping girls with digital skills and on the creation of a community. As they are based in the US, we could imagine a partnership between our two structures to propose exchanges between our two countries for girls of our community.

And more largely, we would be happy to partner with any organization who want to help BECOMTECH developing its solution.

BECOMTECH's programs are made for tackle the under-represented in the IT and digital professions. The programs are made for girls. Indeed, a key aspect of BECOMTECH’s educational method is single-sex sessions to promote women’s empowerment.

Therefore BECOMTECH uses IT and digital as an effective means of combating the structural gender inequality pervading society.

Thanks to the free programmes and the methods used to recruit young girls (awareness-raising and talks in high priority and very high-priority establishments), no fewer than 52% of participants reside in underprivileged districts covered by priority urban planning policies and/or are schooled in high-priority or very high-priority establishments.

BECOMTECH's programs are made for tackle the under-representation in the IT and digital professions. The programs are made for girls. Indeed, a key aspect of BECOMTECH’s educational method is single-sex sessions to promote women’s empowerment.

The aim is to avoid interactional approaches that differentiate between boys and girls and restrict girls’ access to certain activities (incidentally digital), and avoid relationship dynamics dominated by boys which leads to weaker intellectual development in girls, less confidence in their options and, broadly speaking, lower self-esteem. Through their involvement in a single-sex group during JUMP IN TECH and within the Ambassadors community, the girls reach a common understanding of the inequality facing them, resulting in relevant action. Single-sex groups also make it easier for them to express themselves and formulate a clear ambition.

Therefore, BECOMTECH uses IT and digital as an effective means of combating the structural gender inequality pervading society.

Thanks to the free programs and the methods used to recruit young girls (awareness-raising and talks in high priority and very high-priority establishments), no fewer than 52% of participants reside in underprivileged districts covered by priority urban planning policies and/or are schooled in high-priority or very high-priority establishments.