What have I been up to?
If you remember from my last blog post, I got accepted into a coding program by a nonprofit organization called Npower.
I have been learning so much in my coding courses. Currently, I am only getting 3 to 4 hours of sleep per night because I am still working nightshift full time at Presybeterian Night Shelter, the women’s homeless shelter in Fort Worth, TX. I’m literally using my weekends to catch up on sleep.
What have I learned about the IT field?
The tech field is a male dominated industry. (Shocker!)
Minority woman are even less likely to be in the tech field. Honestly, that really was shocking to me . Check out these info flyers that were posted in October on the npower social media sites.
Women In Tech Stats
Women In Tech Stats
Women In Tech Stats
Of the nearly 6million jobs expected to require tech skills by 2020, labor statistics project a candidate pool of only 3.2 million. Even today, the number of US companies reporting difficulty filling positions because of technology skill deficits grew from 14% to 40% in just three years. -US Bureau of Labor Statistics
Npower is a nonprofit organization that is truly changing lives (especially mine), with their investments in minority women, veterans, and veteran spouses.
One pamphlet stated that; “Npower helps those who most need npower. We serve those who can most benefit from our program and who are qualified to complete the program: Highly motivated young adults ages 18-25 and veterans and military spouses with low-moderate incomes and education.”
Is IT challenging?
I believe IT is challenging. Especially if you’re coming into it from a different industry or field like I am. I truly love what Npower is doing to impact the lives of veterans, military spouses, and especially women of color.
They saw the big deficit in the IT field, and found a solution that would include helping impact the lives of so many people who might not otherwise come up and out of economic hardship.
I am thankful for what they are doing…..for veterans, and military spouses, but mostly for what they are doing to seek out women of color for their program. This training is a “game changer”, as my instructor put it, when I told him about the impact this program will have on my life.
What are Npower’s goals?
Npower has a goal to be all of these 3 things by 2023:
💻 The go-to leader for employers to recruit diverse, entry-level technology talent.
💻 An innovator in training content and delivery for overlooked populations.
💻 A national thought-leader in middle-skills technology and digital workforce development.
What are my personal goals in the tech field?
My own goals are to inspire more women to pursue careers in the tech field. I am super excited about transitioning into a tech career. And it was all divinely orchestrated, not a personal strategy on my behalf at all. When GOD blesses me like this, in such massive ways, I don’t dare doubt HIM, HIS direction, or HIS ways.
How am I doing in coding class?
IT (Information Technology)
Coding/WebDesign
The information and creativity/design part of the IT field is actually coming natural to me since I already love collecting information (something I learned about myself from aptitude tests like Strenghtsfinder 2.0 and Myers Briggs type tests), it’s the technical part that is a little more challenging.
But I’m loving every minute of the stress. That’s that “good stress/eustress” that you learn about in Psychology. This training was the challenge that I needed at this time of my life. It has given me lots to look forward to. I will keep you all posted with updates about my progress. –Deanna Guadalupe Montalvo
Works Cited
Candid Chicana Chronicles 