Co-founder of VR game studio Simulacrum Interactive and Lethbridge College instructor Allyson Cikor says she’s thrilled to have an opportunity to offer her hard-learned lessons in tech to other women starting out in STEM-related fields.

STEM sectors are science, technology, engineering, and math.

“I’m seeing a lot of women, especially during the pandemic when we’re spending more time at home, pick up pet projects or take coding courses online or join these communities and just get involved in the discussion,” she added.

These entrepreneurial women in southern Alberta are getting a boost thanks to Economic Development Lethbridge and Tecconnect, which are offering Women Entrepreneurs in STEM or “WESTEM” courses led by women in STEM to teach complementary technologies that are crucial to business.

“[It’s] everything from artificial intelligence to machine learning, block chain, VR, augmented reality,” VP of Entrepreneurship and Innovation for Economic Development Lethbridge Renae Barlow said.

The program is completely free to any women looking to start a business or up their game and will be offered through March 2022 thanks to funding from Western Economic Diversification Canada.

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“If you’re in Calgary or Edmonton, you have ready access to almost anything,” Barlow said.

“So the geographic disadvantage that we had was one that we felt was really hurting women’s opportunity to engage in these fields, which is why we brought this programming down.”

TheCurrentTimes