New York — June 22, 2021 — United by a mission to diversify the IT industry, DataArt, a global software engineering firm, and Girls Who Code, a non-profit educational organization, have partnered to further this ambition through a variety of joint projects.
Data show that only 25% of tech jobs (GAFAM) are held by women. At DataArt, women occupy 31% of positions, and the company is making every effort to increase this number. The continuing partnership with Girls Who Code is part of the firm’s drive to close the gender gap in IT.
Girls Who Code (GWC) aims to support and increase the number of women in IT by equipping young women with the necessary computing skills to pursue 21st century opportunities. Girls Who Code values diversity, equity, and inclusion as essential to their mission.
As GWC’s trusted partner since late 2018, DataArt has committed a team of professionals to collaborate on three projects with the organization:
- Data warehouse and data management: the system, built in Amazon Web Services (AWS), is intended to attract both students and teachers, track visits, and highlight career paths available to alumni. It makes possible data migration from multiple sources and facilitates complex data verification.
- Website development and support: the primary website, https://www.girlswhocode.com, serves as the main access point for students, partners, facilitators, and supporters from different countries.
- HQ platform, https://hq.girlswhocode.com: the platform to manage courses, activities, programs, and materials for both teachers and students. The platform continues to expand and evolve, with a user base of more than 200,000 registered users and growing.
The data warehouse, website, and HQ platform must all be able to handle heavy usage. Rapid action is necessary to address problems, as system failures aren’t an option. DataArt leveraged its cloud competency and partnership with AWS to overcome many of the inherent challenges.
Yuri Gubin, Chief Innovation Officer at DataArt, says:
"We have learned a great deal working with GWC, and it’s been an exceptional experience. We got to know the cycle of this organization and the school year. As clubs began to appear in India, the UK, and Canada, we had the opportunity to make the system international."
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the largest disruption of education in history, forcing students to quickly adapt to a virtual world. As students around the world moved online en masse, DataArt quickly integrated with Google Classroom to help Girls Who Code move online. The migration included many organizational and IT decisions, and the transition was seamless.
Feargus Leggett, Chief Financial Officer of Girls Who Code, says:
"DataArt is a trusted thought partner and a good steward of Girls Who Code's IT systems. We are so grateful for their support."
Gubin adds:
"Our values are aligned, and we are honored to work with GWC. We share their cause, and we admire their mission. Of course, as we are involved in several projects at once we do encounter challenges, the key issue being security. We focus on detecting problems and reacting to IT issues in a timely manner, and we will continue to do so."
As a multinational organization, DataArt promotes equality, diversity, and inclusion as these principles are the foundation of everything the company does. These principles support the ability to serve a range of customers as well as motivate and retain a highly skilled workforce. The policy forbids bullying, harassment, and discrimination.
DataArt also promotes gender diversity. In addition to Girls Who Code, the firm is closely collaborating with various Women in IT initiatives in Eastern Europe and sponsoring many events that attract female IT specialists. Women TechMakers, Python Community for Women, Toastmasters International, and Geek Girls Carrots are among DataArt’s partners.
