February 27, 2012 | Ontario

Women have swiftly climbed the ladder of the technology industry in the past year. Now, code-writing camps have emerged that are geared specifically toward women in the hopes of attracting more females into the IT field.

Less than 29.9 per cent of university graduates in math, computer and information sciences are women, according to the most recent survey study from Statistics Canada 2007. In contrast to the statistic, founder Heather Payne's past Ladies Writing Code workshops sold out in less than two minutes.

Vicki Saunders, an entrepreneur and senior advisor the science and tech support organization MaRS, recently told the Toronto Star that a girl's interest in technology should typically start at a young age, particularly in middle school, if she is going to continue her interest in the long term. At this time, girls can begin to learn the fundamentals of networking training and IT support before diving into one particular area of study.

The Mozilla Foundation, most commonly known for its Firefox web browser, is serving as host for the workshops.

"We need a much more web literate planet," stated Mozilla's executive director Mark Surman to the Toronto Star.

Workshops like these and colleges such as CDI College are helping students minds to embrace the latest advancements in technology and hone their networking skills. Women and men considering potential career paths within the technology industry can enroll in a range of technology programs, including Programmer Analyst/Internet Solutions Developer. For more information, fill out the form on the right.