Now in its third year, Eastern Iowa Community Colleges’ annual “Women in Information Technology” (WIT) conference just continues to grow.
This year’s event will be held from 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., April 20, at the college’s new Urban Campus, 101 W. Third Street, downtown Davenport.
“There are really two target audiences for the conference,” said college Information Technology Instructor and Conference Chair Roberta Osmers. “First are those women who are already employed in an IT field, or a related field. The second are women, of any age, who are interested in possibly pursuing a career in computers and IT. The conference is really open to anyone who has an interest.”
One of the great parts of the conference is that it is absolutely free. However, registration is required so conference planners can accommodate all who wish to attend and make appropriate arrangements for the free lunch. Registration can be made at www.eicc.edu/wit
Serving as keynote speaker will be Laurie Johnson, Senior Learning and Development Manager at MRA. Her presentation, “Emotional Intelligence or Hot Mess? You Choose!” will explore the necessary skills to understand and use emotion constructively in the workplace.
Johnson has a wide range of management experience in business information systems, human resources, industrial relations, organizational development, training and development, management coaching, mediation and communication disciplines.
For more than 25 years, she has helped companies elevate employee performance and improve productivity. A graduate of the Leadership Iowa program, she has helped hundreds of organizations identify, cultivate and develop future leaders, managers and supervisors.
“There are many women working in the profession, but those numbers are not nearly what they could be,” Osmers said. “These are great jobs women are especially well suited for. This conference is one way we are attempting to draw more attention to the profession and the role women can play in it.”
Among the conference sessions during the day will be:
- Chasing Unicorns: Recognition and Team Building in the Real World
- User Experience Jobs: Never Stop Never Stopping
- Tech Compensation Trends, Negotiation and Career Tips for Women
- Your Computer vs. Your Body
- Data Analysis & Big Data: From Penalties to Patients
- Occulus, Hololens, Vive… Oh My! Getting Hands-on with Virtual and Augmented Reality
“The conference is also a great way for women in computer careers to just get together and share information and stories about what they are doing in their workplace,” Osmers added.
EICC’s Information Technology Department delivers training in a wide area including computer networking and programming, security and forensics, virtual and augmented reality, and web development. That training is available at all three of its Clinton, Muscatine and Scott Community Colleges. More information about the program is available at www.eicc.edu/computercareers
More information about the conference is available on the website, www.eicc.edu/wit or by calling 1-888-336-3907.
