In recent years, there has been a remarkable shift in the world of work with increasing emphasis on gender equality and empowering women in professional settings.
Historically, women have faced numerous challenges and barriers in professional settings, hindering their ability to grow and succeed.
However, a wave of dedicated organisations have emerged, committed to supporting and empowering women in their career journeys.
These organisations have become instrumental in dismantling barriers, fostering inclusive work environments, and providing women with the necessary tools and resources to thrive professionally.
Equals (formerly RISE), is an Amsterdam-based firm that focuses on empowering and supporting women’s career growth.
Equals and its three pillars of focus
Equals is dedicated to letting women grow and support their careers. It’s work revolves around three fundamental pillars that drive their mission and initiatives:
Visibility: A key focus is on increasing visibility for inspirational women, recognising the significant influence that role models play in reshaping behaviours and beliefs.
By highlighting the achievements and stories of successful women, Equals aims to inspire others and foster a culture of inclusivity and gender equality.
Academy: Equals provides educational and career opportunities tailored to women in technology and entrepreneurship.
Through various programmes and initiatives, they aim to equip women with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to thrive in these industries, promoting their professional growth and success.
Memberclub: Creating a supportive and empowering community is fundamental to Equals’ mission.
They aim to bring together ambitious women who share a common goal of connecting, growing, supporting, and empowering one another.
By fostering a sense of belonging and collaboration, Equals aims to create a network that facilitates personal and professional development for its members.
Talking about Equals and its mission, Dieuwke van Buren, Managing Director of Equals, says, “Since 2021, we have initiated Equals to accelerate gender representation in the tech workforce. Through our Equals Academy and Clubhouse, we focus on empowering women by fostering meaningful connections and championing equality in the workforce by reskilling and upskilling women in tech.”
Van Buren continues, “Our mission at Equals is to create a diverse and inclusive space where women, non-binary individuals, and gender non-conforming people can thrive in tech and entrepreneurship. By recognising the challenges, such as the underrepresentation of women in the tech ecosystem, every year we highlight more than 100 women that are working in tech, leadership or entrepreneurship through our Role Model Campaign.”
“Through our three pillars—Visibility, Academy, and Memberclub—we aim to create visibility for inspiring women, provide education and career opportunities, and build a supportive community. Together, we can bridge the gender gap, empower each other, and shape a future of limitless possibilities. By becoming a member you can be part of a movement that celebrates equality, diversity, and the collective strength of ambitious individuals to bring change in the tech ecosystem,” she adds.
To gain deeper insights into Equals’ Academy and its impact on women, we interviewed Chesca Foe-a-man, the Head of Academy & Operations at Equals.
In our conversation, Foe-a-man shed light on the invaluable role played by the Equals Tech Academy in supporting women. She also shared key aspects of their programme, success stories and future plans.
To advance equality and diversity in the workforce
When discussing the inception of the Academy, Chesca Foe-a-man shares, “We initiated the Tech Academy to advance equality and diversity in the workforce, particularly in the tech industry, by upskilling and reskilling women in tech.”
Quoting a recent report, she continues “We found out that while tech is one of the fastest-growing industries in the Netherlands, only 18 per cent of people are women.”
“Our motivation stems from recognising the need to dismantle the status quo and address women’s underrepresentation in tech. Our Tech Academy serves as a catalyst for change, providing comprehensive training programs that equip women with the skills and confidence needed to thrive in the tech world,” she tells Silicon Canals.
No IT background required
When asked about the curriculum design process for Equals’ programmes, Chesca Foe-a-man elaborates on the careful considerations and collaborative efforts involved.
She explains “We collaborate with exceptional local tech schools to design our curriculum and ensure that it aligns with the needs of our students and prospective employers. Several factors guided our curriculum development process. First and foremost, we wanted to make sure that an IT background is not required, enabling individuals from diverse backgrounds to participate.”
“Our curriculum is accessible, comprehensive, and engaging, covering fundamental coding languages, tools, and frameworks relevant to each program. Additionally, we have incorporated hands-on projects, real-world scenarios, and mentorship opportunities to foster practical skills and industry-relevant experiences,” adds Foe-a-man.
Addressing the importance of tailoring the programme’s content to the specific needs of partner companies, she adds “We prioritise regular and clear communication and feedback from all parties involved, including current and former students. This collaborative approach allows us to identify technical skills, industry trends, and job requirements sought by companies.”
From Nurse to software developer
Chesca Foe-a-man says Equals has witnessed over 50 successful matches between their students and companies in the last year.
Sharing success stories, she reveals, “One of the students without a non-technical background was a nurse. She used her skills and transformed them and successfully transitioned into a software development position and is excelling in her new career.”
“Another graduate, who initially had limited exposure to tech and grew up in a country where mostly men get to go to tech schools now holds a position as a UX designer. They are making a significant impact through their creative problem-solving skills,” she continues.
“These testimonials underscore the transformative impact of our training program on individuals’ careers and highlight the diverse range of opportunities our graduates have achieved in the tech industry,” she tells Silicon Canals.
Partnerships with tech academies and companies
Since its inception, Equals has partnered with local tech academies such as Le Wagon, Salt, Techgrounds, and Techmongers. In addition, Equals has partnered with forward-thinking companies such as Adyen, Capgemini, Brunel, and Sogeti.
Through these partnerships, Equals can provide students with access to job placements, internships, and networking events.
“By highlighting the value of women in the tech workforce, we inspire companies to partner with us, further advancing our mission of equality and diversity,” states Foe-a-man.
Criteria to apply
Equals adopts a meticulous approach for candidate selection to the Academy, taking into account various criteria that contribute to the potential success of individuals.
“While IT experience is valuable, we believe that qualities such as passion, problem-solving skills, adaptability, and a growth mindset are equally critical. We seek women who demonstrate a genuine interest in technology, have an HBO+ degree, and a commitment to our mission of promoting equality and diversity in the workforce,” explains Foe-a-man.
“By employing a comprehensive approach, we ensure that our candidates possess the necessary technical and soft skills to excel in the tech industry, regardless of their background or prior experience,” she states.
Measuring success
The Dutch firm employs a range of methods to evaluate the overall success and impact of the Tech Academy, according to Foe-a-man.
She elaborates “One way is through our membership to our clubhouse, which allows our graduates to stay connected with our community of women in tech. This membership introduces them to exciting events and workshops, advocating continuous personal and professional growth.”
She further adds, “Additionally, we closely track our students’ progress and outcomes during and after the program. We monitor their employment rates, job satisfaction, career growth, and collect feedback from both students and partner companies. This ongoing evaluation ensures that we continually enhance our programs and support our graduates’ long-term success in the tech industry.”
Roadmap
Equals Amsterdam has made a firm commitment to the continued growth and advancement of the Tech Academy, affirms Foe-a-man.
“Our plans include scaling our programme to reach an even larger audience and extending our partnerships with tech academies and companies. We aim to offer specialised tracks in emerging technologies, expanding our curriculum to reflect the evolving needs of the tech industry,” she reveals.
Additionally, we strive to establish collaborations with international organisations to create a global network of opportunities for our students. Most excitingly, we are currently setting up a Tech Academy location in The Hague, further expanding our reach and impact. The expansion in The Hague is because of the growth opportunity for tech jobs,” she adds.
“On this basis, everything leads back to creating an equal workforce where 50% of tech teams should be women. On the 1st of July our next cohorts Full stack development and Cyber security will start. In the month of August our ICT beheer engineer. After the summer, all of our other programs will begin. We still have spots open so we hope to inspire more women to apply and start a new exciting career in Tech!,” she concludes.
