Ericsson and Technovation partnership
Working together to inspire girls and empower them with the skills needed so they can fully participate in the digital economy.
Background
Ericsson is partnering with Technovation in a global mentorship program with the objective to inspire girls to be leaders and problem solvers in their lives and their communities using technology.
The challenge this partnership is seeking to solve
Technology plays a critical role in underpinning a digital economy and society today and into the future, but access to digital skills that can help build a more equitable future remains out of reach for many, with women and girls disproportionately impacted by the digital divide.
Societal equality and fairer economic prosperity across the globe will only be achieved if women and girls are able to fully engage with the changing digital economy.
Now, more than ever, public and private sector actors need to work together to empower women and girls with the technical skills and the confidence to become successful in a digital future.
Becoming part of the solution
Through our leadership and the expertise of our people, we believe we can help to inspire young women to explore technology - a step towards addressing equality, albeit just one contribution to a complex challenge.
One way we’re doing this is through our partnership with Technovation, a global tech education non-profit that empowers girls to become leaders, creators and problem-solvers.
Technovation enlists teams, with up to five members, who identify as female, trans, nonbinary or gender nonconforming and asks them to identify a challenge in their community and learn how to build a mobile app or an AI solution to help solve it.
Ericsson employees volunteer to support Technovation, acting as mentors to teams of girls all over the world, aiming to equip them with valuable digital skills and technological prowess.
Ericsson mentors show the girls how to solve real-world problems through technology, teaching them about programming, app development and AI. Together with Technovation, we’re creating innovators and potentially the leaders of tomorrow with lessons in not only technology, but business, collaboration and entrepreneurship too.
The partnership has proven to be highly rewarding for both mentors and mentees.
Two of our enthusiastic mentees, Laia and Paula, joined the Technovation Girls program this year and together developed a unique app to fill a very real need.
Laia and Paula recognised an opportunity to help teenagers gain work experience and earn money, while also making it easier for people in their communities to access lessons in things like languages, learning a musical instrument, dancing and so on.
- Laia and Paula
Impact
Thanks to Technovation’s mentorship program, Ericsson is one of the companies helping girls around the world discover the excitement of technology and how they can contribute to innovation. We will continue to invest in this meaningful initiative and support it with our Ericsson volunteers, with the hope of encouraging more girls and young women to study technology topics and pursue careers in related industries.
With much of our collective, global future set to rely on technology, programs like this will help ensure that girls and women can enjoy an equal role in society, and that we have enough appropriately skilled talent.
- Zohra Yermeche, Head of Connect To Learn at Ericsson
Supporting the Sustainable Development Goals
The highlighted Sustainable Development Goals are included in the project.
