In Spain, women make up only 12% of the labor force in the field of engineering and technology*. Although there is a great demand for professionals in this field, the gender gap remains high. Breaking the barriers through technology education can improve the employability of young women and spur economic growth.

An opportunity to learn technology

Rocío is one of the participants who signed up for Samsung Innovation Campus. This course provides AI and software education for women who are interested in learning more about the field and, perhaps, become professionals in the Information and Communication Technology sector. Originally a fine arts specialist, Rocío devoted her whole working life to arts but decided to step outside her comfort zone. “I have always loved art, science, and technology. I chose Samsung Innovation Campus, knowing that it would deepen my knowledge in other fields.”

Along with her teammates, Rocío attended a 240-hour training in statistics, programming, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. The fact that the program did not require previous knowledge or formal training requirements opened up the opportunity for students like her.

Becoming a COVID-fighting developer

“As we advanced, it became more difficult,” said Rocío. “I had to get on my feet, do research, and refer to official sources where everything related to programming languages was updated. This was the most interesting part for me - knowing where to go.”

During the training, Rocío focused on full-stack web development, artificial intelligence, and big data. Applying her knowledge into practice, she has joined the X-COV project at the Complutense University of Madrid, where a team of investigators and researchers detect diseases via artificial intelligence. Today, Rocío is developing tools for analyzing X-rays with AI to detect COVID-19.

Breaking the gender gap

Samsung Innovation Campus brought a substantial change in Rocío’s life. To enable this life change for other women, she has recently become a teacher for one of the course modules at the next batch of the program. She has decided to take part in the initiative to help close the gender gap in the industry.

“Samsung Innovation Campus has given me a strong foundation to learn on my own and I am extremely grateful,” Rocío admits that if she could have signed up earlier to the program, she would have without a doubt.

To Rocío and all other participants, Samsung Innovation Campus has formed the groundwork for them to embark on the road to new opportunities. “As a woman, we have all experienced some time in our lives, that what you say and what you do are undermined just because you are a woman. Now, we are out of our comfort zone, in a golden moment to grow in this field. Samsung Innovation Campus will help us open many doors.”

*The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation (Spain)