Tech-Moms, founded in 2020, is an organization focused on helping women transition into technology careers to, ideally, find successful employment. The foundational program is an introductory course that covers basic technical skills as well as front-end web development skills and prepares women to seek additional opportunities in the tech field.

While the organization has been running programs in Lehi, West Jordan and Ogden, this will be Tech-Mom’s first cohort in the Orem area. The Orem program will be run in partnership with Utah Valley University.

“Provo and Utah County and Salt Lake County have been ranked some of the top places to work in the country, our tech field is growing faster than ever, and there’s so much opportunity and so much need, especially for women,” said Robbyn Scribner, director of outreach for Tech-Moms. “It just seemed like a natural place for us to create workforce development opportunities.”

Like many others, Scribner, a Utah County native, was encouraged to become a stay-at-home mom growing up. When she ultimately decided it was time to rejoin the workforce, she had a hard time finding a place to start in her quest to find a new career.

Courtesy Robbyn Scribner

“I kind of grew up hearing ‘you don’t need to worry about your career you’re going to be a mom,’ and I am a mom, I have 6 kids I’ve lived this kind of traditional life that we were expecting,” she said. “But throughout my life, I saw so many women, myself included, get to a point where we needed to go back to work, we wanted to go to work, and we didn’t really have any idea how to do it.”

According to Scribner, a career in the tech industry can be ideal for mothers seeking work due to the industry’s flexibility and financial benefits.

“Our Tech-Moms come to us for three reasons. The one I hear most of all is that they’re looking for more flexibility in their jobs, or if they want to go back to work they need a job that will offer flexibility, and tech is a great place for that,” she said. “They also are looking for more money and better pay, also a great thing, and then the third is opportunity.”

Scribner and the team at Tech-Moms want women to know that regardless of their past work experience, there is a place for them in the workforce, if they so choose.

“Whether or not you went to college, whether or not you got a bachelor’s degree, whether or not you’ve ever worked in an area where you are able to provide for yourselves and your family, there are still opportunities for you,” Scribner said.

Applications are currently open for Tech-Moms’ fall programs, including the Orem cohort. Classes will be held on Saturdays beginning in mid-September at Utah Valley University, and onsite childcare options will be available. More information is available at http://tech-moms.org.