At the recent launch of the Cross-Polytechnic Girls in Tech (GIT) committee, the Singapore Women in Tech (SG WIT), led by the Infocomm Media Development Authority and the five Polytechnics namely Nanyang Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Republic Polytechnic, Singapore Polytechnic, and Temasek Polytechnic has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aims to develop and nurture the interest of women in technology.
Cross-Polytechnic Girls in Tech Committee will represent Singapore’s five polytechnics. The new committee wants to grow girls’ interest in IT through workshops, hackathons, and mentorship and is targeted to reach over 700 members annually.
I’m pleased to see the acknowledgement and support being given to the powerful conversations, actions and perspectives that girls can bring to the tech sector.
– Krystal Lim Yun Shi, President, Cross-Polytechnic Girls, Tech Committee
They are enthusiastic about working together with SG Women in Tech and other industry partners on this project and looking forward to additional girls and industry partners joining their team to create greater vitality in the technology landscape over the next decade and beyond. These further fuel the passion and conviction for more multi-faceted possibilities to cultivate technology potential among females.
In Singapore, around four out of ten tech professionals are women, which is above the global average. SG WIT will continue to reach out to girls and women to ignite their enthusiasm and interest in the technology industry by exposing them to the possibilities of an exciting tech profession.
This partnership between SG WIT and the Cross-Polytechnic Girls in Tech Committee will increase the number of possibilities for digital businesses to demonstrate how girls and women can contribute to the tech ecosystem.
Furthermore, the newly formed Cross-Polytechnic GIT Committee is comprised of female infocomm technology students from the five polytechnics. In accordance with the MOU, the five polytechnics will collaborate with the Cross-Polytechnic GIT to retain, cultivate, and expand girls’ interest in a career in the tech industry.
This will be accomplished through programmes including lectures, workshops, competitions, and mentoring opportunities. SGWIT will support these Cross-Polytechnic GIT programmes through speakers, locations, and sponsorship.
Girls from Institutes of Higher Learning, including those from Institutes of Technical Education, and universities will be invited to corporate tours, tech talks, and sharing sessions with female tech executives during the annual “Girls in Tech Week” in October 2022.
This is intended to encourage ladies to grab chances and overcome obstacles in various tech-related professional roles. Last year’s inaugural three-day virtual “Girls in Tech Week” attracted over 380 participants, as well as women leaders from 17 participating tech organisations who discussed the tech industry and their personal career experiences and paths.
The five Polytechnics welcome the strong support provided by Singapore Women in Tech, industry leaders, and the local community to groom and develop the next generation of female tech talent, and they are thrilled to see numerous tech companies and leaders taking action to attract, retain, and develop talent among female students pursuing ICT courses at the polytechnics.
The creation of the Cross-Polytechnic Girls in Tech Committee, coupled with this engagement with leading agencies and industry partners, is an exciting step toward building a supportive environment for the female students as they embark on a successful career path in the tech industry.
Since the inception of the SG WIT movement in 2019, the movement has extended to incorporate more Girls in Tech programming, such as recognising girls from schools and higher education institutions under the “Girls in Tech” category on the 2021 SG100WIT list.
The signing of the MOU was witnessed by Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information, Dr Janil Puthucheary and Minister of State for Communications and Information, Mr Tan Kiat How.
