Beyond the Certificate: What It Means To Be A Women Techsters Fellow

Often times, a certificate can show that someone has completed a program, but it does not show what they can do with what they have learned, especially as building a career requires more than acquiring technical knowledge. It requires opportunities to apply that knowledge, work through problems, collaborate with others, and keep learning as the industry evolves.

This is what makes the graduation of over 1,000 women from the Women Techsters Fellowship Class of 2026 significant. Representing 33 countries across the world, these women just completed a year-long journey that combined six months of intensive technical training with six months of practical experience through internships, volunteering, freelancing, entrepreneurship, and mentorship.

They are also the first cohort to have Artificial Intelligence (AI) integrated across all eight learning tracks, including Data Science and Engineering, Cybersecurity, Product Design, Product Management, Frontend Development, Backend Development, DevOps, and Mobile Application Development.

For these women, being a Women Techsters Fellow goes beyond receiving a certificate at the end of the program. It means developing the ability to apply technology, pursue opportunities, work with others, and continue growing in an industry that is constantly changing.

Turning Technical Knowledge into Practical Skills

Learning a technical skill becomes more valuable when people have opportunities to use it. Projects, collaboration, mentorship, and practical experiences allow learners to move from understanding concepts to seeing how those concepts can be applied to real problems.

For example, Chisom Nwachukwu from Nigeria, who struggled to understand coding before joining the Mobile Application Development track, developed her programming skills after joining the Class of 2026. She went on to secure her first technology job and an internship, where she built a mobile application for managing and tracking tyres in the company’s Logistics department. The application addressed a long-standing operational problem, giving her an opportunity to apply what she learned to a practical business need.

And for other fellows, the experience also offered a route into a field they had not previously considered. Moureen Nabasiige, a Ugandan fellow in the Cybersecurity track, came from an administration background and had not imagined herself building a career in cybersecurity. Through the Fellowship, she gained practical knowledge of cybersecurity concepts and grew more confident about pursuing opportunities in the field.

Building Skills for an AI-Enabled Digital Economy

The Class of 2026 is also entering the technology ecosystem at a time when AI is becoming increasingly relevant in businesses. As such, its integration into the Fellowship meant that fellows were exposed to AI tools and concepts alongside the technical foundations of their respective learning tracks.

Anna Hafeni, a Namibian fellow in the Data Scientist track, developed skills in Excel, Power BI, SQL, Python, and AI through the Fellowship. She then applied these skills in her MSc research on hydrological variability and drought risk in Namibia, where she connected data analysis with environmental research and climate resilience.

This led to an expansion of professional opportunities for her, as Anna was shortlisted for the Africa CDC Public Health Emergency Management Fellowship and became better positioned to explore opportunities in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) advisory.

Her experience demonstrates how data and AI skills can complement existing expertise and help professionals approach challenges in their own fields, and it also reflects the significance of the Class of 2026’s AI-integrated training.

Preparing Fellows for the Workplace and Economic Empowerment

While technical knowledge is a huge part of preparing for a career in technology, there was also the need for fellows to understand how to navigate the workplace, identify opportunities, and turn their skills into economic opportunities. The Fellowship's six-month Economic Empowerment Phase (EEP) was designed to help them take these steps.

During the EEP, fellows learned about the three pathways to economic empowerment: employment, freelancing, and entrepreneurship. They explored how to pursue opportunities that aligned with their interests and career goals, while learning about workplace ethics and what professional environments expect from them.

The phase also provided avenues for practical experience through internships, jobs, volunteering, entrepreneurship, and freelancing. And with support and activities tailored to their goals, fellows applied their knowledge, built professional connections, and explored different ways to participate in the tech ecosystem.

More Than a Certificate

The Women Techsters Fellowship is designed to give women more than technical knowledge. It creates opportunities to learn, practice, collaborate, receive mentorship, and develop the confidence to pursue what comes next in their career paths.

The Class of 2026 has now completed that journey, but the experiences gained along the way will continue to shape how these women approach their careers and the opportunities ahead.

As they move into an increasingly AI-enabled digital economy, the value of their experience will be seen not only in the certificates they receive, but in the solutions they build, the careers they continue to build, the opportunities they pursue, and the communities they influence.

Congratulations to the Women Techsters Fellowship Class of 2026. As you begin this next chapter, we look forward to seeing where your skills, ideas, and determination take you and the impact you will make across the global technology ecosystem.