Digital business advocate Manchester Digital has launched a roadshow to complement its Digital Her campaign, aimed at encouraging more women to pursue careers in tech.
The roadshow, entitled Inspire & Empower, is part of Digital Her, which engages with GCSE and A-level STEM subjects, and aims to give young women the confidence to explore careers in digital and tech across the North West.
The first roadshow event took place earlier this week (12 February) at Queen Elizabeth Hall in Oldham, where attendees met Digital Her ambassadors, attended skills-based workshops, and had the chance to enrol in ring-fenced work placements with local employers.
Katie Gallagher, managing director at Manchester Digital said: “The only way we can solve the current skills shortage is by connecting industry to education, and part of that is about inspiring young women to take up careers in digital and tech.
“We are lucky to be home to a number of progressive and forward-thinking companies who are committed to working with us to make a difference and ensure that our industry is inclusive and diverse.”
The only way we can solve the current skills shortage is by connecting industry to education, and part of that is about inspiring young women to take up careers in digital and tech.
– Katie Gallagher, Manchester Digital
Digital Her was created as a result of Manchester Digital’s 2018 Digital Skills Audit, which revealed that just over a third of the North West’s tech sector are women, and that only 19% of these women are in technical roles. This rose to 20% of women in technical roles in 2019.
Despite this meagre increase, girls are still less likely than boys to take STEM subjects at GCSE and A-level. Studies from the Wise Campaign show that despite girls outperforming boys overall in STEM, numbers of enrolment are still considerably uneven.
In 2018, 66% of girls who took STEM subjects received A*–C (9–4) grades, compared to 62% of boys. However, only 38% of A level maths students were girls, with physics and computing seeing even lower numbers, at 22% and 12% respectively.
The Inspire & Empower Roadshow will visit each of Manchester’s ten boroughs, as part of Digital Her’s 2019 programme.
For more information, see https://www.manchesterdigital.com/digital-futures/digital-her