Supporting women in tech

Local firm tbk Creative renews commitment to cover cost of first-year Fanshawe tuition for five women in tech studies

LOCAL WEB DESIGN and digital marketing firm tbk Creative has announced a renewal of a program to cover the cost of a year’s tuition at Fanshawe College for five women over the next five years.

The sponsorship, which covers two terms of tuition at Fanshawe’s Interactive Media Design program, which focuses on digital media design, web development and coding, among other skills.

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As the company points out, gender parity remains a long way off in the IT industry, one where 74 per cent of women in tech jobs say they’ve experienced discrimination, in a corporate culture where hiring practices remain stubbornly imbalanced.

“The decision to continue offering tbk’s Women in Tech Scholarship was an easy one,” says Kylie Maisonneuve, principal and director of accounts at tbk. “It promotes gender equality in our industry and aligns with our agency’s core values. This scholarship will help educate the next generation of female talent, empowering them to shape what comes next in software development.”

The tbk sponsorship is valued at approximately $6,000 annually ― $30,000 over the five-year period.

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“tbk’s generous scholarship helps young women who perhaps couldn’t afford this type of education,” adds Michelle Giroux, associate dean at Fanshawe College. “By easing the financial considerations of pursuing a career in digital marketing, more females are encouraged to enter the field. We couldn’t be prouder to partner with tbk on this initiative.”

The company says that any women who applied for entry into the IMD program, with a high school grade average of 85 per cent or higher, and “demonstrated participation in at least one technology project or activity during high school” are eligible for the scholarship. Kieran Delamont