Increasing Diversity: Cloud Study Jam for Women Techmakers in Europe

In an effort to increase diversity in the tech industry, particularly in cloud technologies, Google has implemented Cloud Study Jams through Google Developer Groups and the Women Techmakers program across Europe. These study sessions offer participants free access to Qwiklabs credits for hands-on courses in Google Cloud, aiming to engage more women and diverse individuals, especially those from front-end development backgrounds. The initiative, which saw over 450 attendees—80% of whom were women—has been well-received, with many participants expressing aspirations to pursue Google Cloud Certification as a career goal. The jamming sessions are designed to be flexible and self-directed, allowing organizers to focus on facilitating rather than instructing, and have successfully attracted a mix of front-end developers, data scientists, and back-end developers, furthering their engagement in cloud technology.