Girls consistently outperform boys in IT-related subjects at school, but too rarely continue their studies to pursue a career in IT.
Every year the IT & Telecoms professional workforce requires almost 21,000 new entrants directly from education.
At present, only 17% of IT professionals are women and only 15% of students on IT-related degrees in the UK are female. We’ve found that many female students don’t realise what an IT career can involve and see the sector as male-dominated (which it is), geeky and complex.
e-skills UK aims to change girls' perception of IT and increase the number of girls in IT-related jobs with:
- clubs for 10-14-year-olds that bring the IT sector to life using fashion, music, celebrity and design
- careers information for teenagers showcasing women who are successful technologists in rewarding careers
- exclusive insights from real women in IT-related jobs who are passionate about what they do
- the employer-supported Information Technology Management for Business degree course
- exposure to IT employers through events for students of all ages
- undergraduate internships
IT for girls: the difference we’re making
Our initiatives have had some great results so far:
- 84% of the girls on our CC4G programme for 10-14 year olds say they’re more likely to consider further education or a career in technology. That’s 105,000 girls.
Find out more about the CC4G programme
- 73% of registered users on our BigAmbition website are girls. The site is aimed at teenage students and features profiles of over 60 companies.
Find out more about BigAmbition
- our Information Technology Management for Business degree, offered by 12 UK universities, has more than double the national average of girls enrolled on other IT-related degrees.
Find out more about the ITMB degree
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