With an investment of US＄ 100 thousand, Cargill bets on the inclusion of women in technology in Latin America

The growth of the technology sector has been observed by the market for decades, but the Laboratória organization points to the following data: less than 20% of vacancies in the technology sector are occupied by women. Faced with this challenge, Cargill decided to invest US＄ 100 thousand (around R＄ 510 thousand) in Latin America in partnership with the NGO so that this scenario continues to change towards total gender equality.

Created in 2014, the Laboratory provides training focused on IT and resource management aimed at women in several Latin countries, including Brazil. Called bootcamps, these trainings last just over 5 months and have already reached more than 2.400 women. Cargill's investment will support training in technological skills, expand employment opportunities and contribute to the construction of a more diverse and inclusive digital economy.

Last year, the company participated in Talent Fest, a recruitment event that creates bridges between employers and candidates for technology jobs. In that edition, Cargill's Brazilian unit hired 2 women trained by Laboratória. The partnership with the NGO also contributes to virtual bootcamp initiatives in Colombia and Peru, countries where training is carried out to strengthen technical and social skills. The bootcamp in these two countries trained 142 women in topics such as web language, UX design and financial management.

In the opinion of Cargill's director of Corporate Responsibility in Brazil, Flavia Tayama, the investment makes sense because it has a positive social impact and leaves a great legacy for each of the women trained by the Laboratory. “In our work with the communities where Cargill is present, we have sought to go beyond the obvious and the transitory. And this can be seen in the bootcamps, as these women will use this training to enter a sector where female participation is still very low, it is knowledge that now belongs to them”, comments Flavia.

According to the Laboratory, 85% of trained women got jobs in 2020/2021. Countries such as Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru are the main operating markets and, in total, partnerships have already been made with more than 950 companies.

“At Laboratória we are excited to work with allied companies like Cargill, committed to investing in female talent in Latin America, opening up opportunities for their growth in the technology sector. We hope that this collaboration will result in the beginning of a new career for hundreds of women in the region”, comments Mariana Costa, CEO of Laboratória.