Women make up less than 13 percent of the tech workforce – and that number is shrinking. To take on the widening talent gap, CompTIA developed a new awards program – the CompTIA AWIT Spotlight Awards – to honor women who are working hard to reverse those trends and give the industry real-life case studies of those deserving recognition for their technical, leadership and community-building skills.
“We’re championing those who are making a difference,” said Nancy Hammervik, executive vice president for industry relations at CompTIA. “The AWIT Executive Council said, ‘We need to shine a spotlight on women who are mentors and who are excelling in their careers,’ so we’re trying to call out successful women in tech who inspire and motivate others.”
Four new CompTIA AWIT Spotlight Awards give people visible examples of women who shine bright in technology. One of the awards even comes with a cash scholarship to encourage a budding technologist to explore IT as a career.
Based on the principles of CompTIA’s Advancing Women in Technology Community, the Spotlight Awards honor women who are making big changes in diversity, community and tech innovation.
If You Can See It, You Can Be It
Know someone who excels in big data or backend development? Maybe you have a friend who is known for raising up other women and developing young people to do good work. If you’re thinking about nominating someone for a CompTIA AWIT Spotlight Award, consider the skills they bring, the experience they have and where their expertise lies.
Here are the four CompTIA AWIT Spotlight Awards you can nominate people for:
The Technical Pacesetter Award recognizes an individual with superior technical skills who also is known in her organization and the innovation industry for exceptional customer or community service.
The Mentorship Guide Award recognizes an individual who is lifting up and promoting other women leadership in technology. Nominees mentor others and lead the technology community in one-to-one network building.
The Industry Leadership Award will be given to someone who is seen as a leader in her company, community and the technology industry. Nominate a leader in the technology industry who is active in the IT community, as well as her personal community. This award recognizes an individual who is leading the technology community through her innovative ideas, technology community participation and engagement, and is active in her local community as well.
The CompTIA/ChannelPro Cecilia Galvin Scholarship Award comes with a cash scholarship and will be presented to an aspiring technology professional. A $2,500 scholarship will be offered to a female high school student who is a leader in her school and community and has demonstrated an early interest in technology. The scholarship can be applied to a four-year college, trade school or CompTIA certifications.
Investing in the Next Generation
CompTIA partnered with ChannelPro to create the Cecilia Galvin Scholarship Award because its namesake, the late Cecilia Galvin, spent a lot of her career supporting, mentoring and bringing up the next generation.
“She’s a great example of being selfless and caring about other people’s successes,” said Hammervik. “We were really excited to name this award after her and to keep her legacy alive, and it marries well with the other spotlight awards. Here’s a woman we should all aspire to be like.”
The $2,500 scholarship that comes with the award is meant to give the winner a personal and financial boost. “We’re willing to support the next generation financially and with confidence that we will see a return on that investment through great contributions to our industry,” Hammervik said.
Think about the great women you work with and their contributions and nominate one or several of them for the CompTIA AWIT Spotlight Awards. You can even nominate yourself!
Award winners will be recognized at ChannelCon 2018 in the AWIT Community meeting on Tuesday, July 31.
Michelle Lange is a writer and designer living in Chicago.
