What is YW Tech Lab?
As part of YWCA Allentown’s ongoing mission to eliminate racism and empower women, the YW Tech Lab program provides FREE education in digital skills to women and people of color, groups that have been historically underrepresented in technology fields, and vulnerable populations, such as those unemployed or displaced due to COVID-19, recent high school or GED graduates, returning or non-traditional students, and low-wage workers. YWCA Allentown couples this programming with referrals for supportive services and job coaching to ensure each participant’s success.
YWCA Allentown offers courses in:
- Basic Digital Skills Enrolling Now! Classes begin in September 2022
- Fundamentals of Web Design Enrolling Now! Classes begin in September 2022
- Introduction to Front-End Web Development Enrolling Now! Classes begin in September 2022
- Building and Maintaining Websites Using WordPress Enrolling Now! Classes begin in September 2022
- Introduction to Back-End Web Development Using Javascript Enrolling Now! Classes begin in September 2022
- Preparing for a Career In Tech Enrolling Now! Classes begin in September 2022
Students who complete 5 YW Tech Lab courses (must include “Preparing for a Career in Tech”) earn certification as Junior Front End Web Developers.
The program is part of a national partnership with Google.org and YWCA USA.
Our Spring/Summer 2022 sessions are full.
Now enrolling for Fall/Winter 2022. Classes begin in September 2022.
- Free to participants
- Courses include:
- Basic Digital Skills (4 weeks)
- Fundamentals of Web Design (2 weeks)
- Introduction to Front-End Web Development (4 weeks)
- CSS, HTML
- Building and Maintaining Websites Using WordPress (1 week)
- Introduction to Back-End Web Development (3 weeks)
- Javascript
- Preparing for a Career In Tech (2 weeks)
- Professional Development
- How to Launch Your First Gig on a Freelance Job Website
- Speaker Series
- Completely virtual, online learning experience
- Classes meet Monday through Thursday from 9 AM until 12 PM, with one-on-one check-ins on Fridays
- 15–20 students per cohort
- Personal laptop provided if needed
- Support services provided if needed
- Design
- HTML
- CSS
- Javascript
The program will include intensive technical training. Students are expected to complete job-related projects and work outside of class time and to be actively engaged in the learning process.
- Project management
- Interview practice
- Resume writing
Students will also receive soft skills training, including situational workplace judgment, active listening, communication skills, and problem-solving. Hard skills, such as technical training, are required to get a job but people skills will open future doors and assist in sustaining and building relationships.
Graduates of YW Tech Lab Programs will be prepared for entry level employment as a Front End UI Developer. All graduates will have the knowledge and skill sets needed to implement web design and practice development principles to create and maintain stable web based software. Program graduates will be able to:
- Implement web design and have confident and strong development principles to build stable web software.
- Bring mock-ups to life using HTML, CSS, JavaScript.
- Collaborate closely with teams to support projects during all phases of delivery.
- Build websites that are responsive and usable.
- Monitor website performance and rectify front-end-related issues.
- Communicate technical issues in an understandable manner to the team and clients.
- Identify innovative ideas and proof of concepts according to project requirements.
- Maintain an organized workflow using a project management tool (like GitHub).
- Test to identify bugs and technical issues before and after deploying.
- Document bug reports, tickets, and any code changes.
Check back soon for upcoming workshops!
Are You Eligible?
YW Tech Lab is open to all with preferred enrollment opportunities for women, people of color, those who have not completed a bachelor’s degree, and those who receive a referral through a partner agency. Participants must have a high school diploma or equivalent (or enrolled in a program that will result in a high school diploma or equivalent before completing the Certificate) and be interested in a career in the IT sector.
Interested in Learning More?
Watch the video below to learn what the program is all about!
Speakers Wanted
Are you interested in inspiring the next generation of web developers and designers? Sign up to join our YW Tech Lab Career Academy as a guest speaker. Guest speakers bring their wisdom and experience in their area(s) of expertise to our YWeb students. Some areas of interest to our students include:
- Project management
- Starting out as a front-end developer
- Career paths in web development and design
- Entrepreneurship
- How to navigate client meetings and expectations
- Self-care in the workplace
- Effective communication
- Emotional Intelligence
- Financial management
Sign up to support our YW Tech Lab students during our next cohort, March-July 2022