Mina, a young female developer is breaking gender stereotypes in the IT industry
A secondary school graduate from Niksic has participated in a support programme that helps teenagers choose their future profession
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Podgorica, 21 October 2021 - Mina Kontic loves graphic design and programming. This 17-year-old girl from Niksic dreams of becoming a web designer after she finishes secondary school. Thanks to the “Prilike” (Opportunities) programme, implemented by the NGO ADP-Zid, with the support of UNICEF and the TUI Care Foundation, Mina has had the opportunity to learn the basics of digital marketing and programming through work experience at a digital agency.
I've had the chance to meet people who were already doing a job that I would like to do in the future, and thanks to this experience, I have realised that what I was learning at school can be applied in practice.
The practical training has allowed her to see how a company works and the challenges that IT professionals face.
Although designers mostly work for clients who have their own wishes and requirements, we can still be authentic and show our creativity in this industry.
In addition to graphic design, which she is studying at the "Petar Lubarda" Secondary School for Art in Cetinje, Mina is also interested in programming. "It's particularly interesting for me because we all use smartphones, but we're not aware that there are hours and hours of someone's work and coding behind every application that allow us to use all those programs."
It’s not just in Montenegro that women are underrepresented in the IT industry. At the beginning of 2021, the UN announced that globally, only 26% of women work in one of the areas of IT which are increasingly popular and in demand.
However, Mina’s experience is helping to show that girls are interested in the field of information technology and will succeed in the industry if they receive the right support and can undertake work experience.
80% of those who study graphic design in my school are girls, and girls are increasingly interested in this field of work. That’s why we are striving to break down the stereotype that jobs in the IT industry are only for men.
Milutin Pavicevic from the agency Alicorn, also says that whilst men are generally more interested in programming as a profession, women are increasingly interested in it too.
It’s important for us to build long term engagement with young people and to find out what they’re interested in, what their vision is, and how they see the workplace of the future, so that we can adjust to that.
UNICEF's and TUI Care Foundation’s joint "Prilike" programme is giving young people from Montenegro the opportunity to gain work experience and new skills and to try out the occupations they want to pursue.
Through this programme, we’re empowering girls who want to see what a job science or information technology is like, especially those who haven’t had the opportunity to try it out so far.
All interested secondary school students from Montenegro can apply for work experience through the "Prilike" programme using the following link >>>
https://www.zid.org.me/component/k2/item/1707-ne-propusti-priliku
The programme will be used to continue to draw attention to the need for programmes and services that help young people acquire and improve knowledge and skills for the labour market and to make decisions regarding their further education and future occupation. The goal is to empower young people to decide on their future careers independently. The programme's long-term goal is to contribute to the successful transition of adolescents from education to the labour market and ultimately reduce youth unemployment.
