Company to host video essay competition and forum to encourage more girls to study STEM

Cable & Wireless Communications (C&W), parent company of Flow and BTC in the Caribbean, is calling for more girls to pursue studies in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) as the company observes International Girls in ICT Day on Thursday.

The company is kicking off several activities across the region to encourage female students to consider careers in Information, Communications, and Technology (ICT) industries. 

The ICT space continues to rapidly evolve, opening up a plethora of career opportunities, yet there are still concerns about the low representation of females in the sector. 

“Globally, the percentage of females following a course of study in STEM education remains low. Girls in ICT Day is therefore an opportunity for us to continue connecting with our girls, to provide mentorship, and showcase careers in the sector, while connecting them to female pioneers in the industry,” said Inge Smidts, CEO of C&W, a leading communications and entertainment provider and one of the largest employers of ICT, engineering and other technical workers in the region.

“As we champion greater inclusion and diversity in the workplace, we are mindful of the need for more balance and female representation in our industry, and so our activities this year are geared towards that purpose.”

C&W will stage a video essay competition for female students, aged 12 – 15 years old, across the region. Participants will be asked to submit a two to three-minute video on the topic: “Why is it important for girls/women to pursue a career in ICT?”

Details will be shared when the competition opens on April 26 and winners will be announced at the company’s Girls in ICT Forum on June 8, 2021.

“Moving the needle on the number of females in the ICT sector will require our collective efforts. At C&W, we are doing our part to create a more balanced industry by supporting our girls and young women across the region as they make critical decisions about their career path,” Smidts continued.

“Through this video essay competition and during our Girls in ICT Forum, we hope to raise awareness of the opportunities available to young women and girls, provide resources to help them on their career journey, and share experiences from senior female leaders across the industry.”

Flow Jamaica will showcase several of its female staff members who are leading in the area of ICT in the communications and entertainment firm. The female employees will also be involved in sharing their expertise in ICT with some of the nation’s young women.  

“We are proud of the work that our women in ICT are accomplishing in our business. Some of them are at the forefront of the technologies being utilised to maintain connectivity to our communities and enabling access for our people to essential services,” shared Stephen Price, country manager for Flow and C&W Business (Jamaica).

“More women are, however, needed to occupy ICT positions in our business, and we will be doing our part to ensure that girls and young women who have an interest in the sector are encouraged.”

Over the years, C&W has staged various activities and partnered with a range of organisations on Girls in ICT Hackathons as it strives to increase the interest of female students across the Caribbean in the ICT field.

Girls in ICT Day 2021 is being marked under the theme, ‘Connected Girls, Creating Brighter Futures!’ The day is an initiative of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), which is geared at empowering and encouraging girls and young women to pursue STEM education, inspiring them to work in STEM careers, and also engaging the community while promoting  collaboration through partnerships