Matsercard Launches Its First Digital South African Girls4Tech Connect Programme!
Matsercard Launches Its First Digital South African Girls4Tech Connect Programme! Mastercard has launched its first digital South African Girls4Tech (G4T) Connect programme. The programme has been rolled out and it is hosted at Rose-Act Saturday School located in Alexandra Township in Johannesburg.
Suzanne Morel, Country Manager for Mastercard, South Africa explains to Venture Burn that the programme aims to empower young girls and bridge the gap in the number of females in the STEM industry, “STEM skills are still the most in-demand jobs in the South African job market, yet only 13% of graduates in STEM fields are women. At Mastercard, we are committed to tackling this challenge head-on to see women succeed and thrive in domains where they have historically been overlooked. Through Girls4Tech Connect, we want to develop a strong pipeline of talent by encouraging girls to embrace the subjects that will prepare them for the workforce of the future, while helping to reduce the shortage of STEM skills that are needed to boost South Africa’s economy.”
This year’s digital programme will be partially hosted at Rose-Act Saturday School which offers extra classes on Saturdays to students that are enrolled at local schools in and around the township area. Bafana Mohale from Rose-Act Saturday School told Venture Burn about the importance of the programme and its offering, “STEM skills are so important in today’s digital world. We are excited to partner with Mastercard to enable our learners to explore, create, and learn in a fun and immersive online environment like Girls4Tech.”
G4T connects the foundations of Mastercard’s business to STEM principles through inquiry-based activities and real-world challenges. Through G4T Connect, children will have the opportunity to play the role of several Mastercard STEM professionals: Cryptologist, Fraud Detective, Data Scientist and Design Engineer etc. It takes all kinds of interests and skills to pursue a career in STEM. The programme hopes children will enjoy learning how their skills might lead them to a STEM career. Today many schools and educators are looking for remote learning opportunities for their students. The programme is pleased to provide teachers with online access to selected activities from Mastercard’s signature STEM curriculum, Girls4Tech.
