It’s no secret that there is a major gender gap when it comes to women working in technology which is why events like Women In Technology Nottingham are so important.
It’s no secret that there’s a major gender gap when it comes to women working in technology. While 57% of occupations in the workforce are held by women, in the science, tech, engineering or maths industries, that figure stands at a very low and static 14% (IB Times). This number has remained roughly unchanged for the past 12 years, even though the uptake of a computer related course at university by women has increased (The Guardian).
79% of IT professionals feel that the profession could benefit from more women working within IT and technology roles (BCS), and yet women make up a very small percentage of software developers: 11.2% to be precise (The Guardian).
At Google women make up 30% of the company’s overall workforce but only 17% of the company’s tech jobs, while only 15% of tech roles at Facebook are filled by women. (Huffington Post)
So what can be done?
Diversity is crucial for innovation
In a global survey, it was found that 85% of corporate diversity and talent leaders agreed that diverse and inclusive workforces are crucial to encouraging different perspectives and ideas that drive innovation (Forbes).
As innovation is one of the key values that drive and underpin our organisation, we were thrilled to sponsor the first Women In Tech Nottingham event, which debuted last night at The National Videogame Arcade.
The monthly meetup, which is aimed at women in all areas of technology, from developers and testers through to project managers and those with an emerging interest in tech, was a roaring success with no empty chairs by the close of the event.
Left: Jessica Rose, Right: Sarah Waters
Speakers included our very own Business Analyst, Sarah Waters, who gave attendees an insight into her professional journey.
Sarah was followed by Dream Factory’s Jessica Rose, who gave a hilariously insightful and animated speech which delved into the feelings associated with imposter syndrome and individual competence. It was the perfect launchpad for attendees to start questioning their role as a female in technology.
Everyone was then invited to network with pizza from Nottingham’s very own Oscar & Rosie’s.
Events such as these create a solid platform for diversity and in turn innovation; by continuing to support Women In Technology we hope to drive further interest in careers associated with technology.
Organiser and tech enthusiast, Jessica White is always on the hunt for key industry leaders to speak, present or lead workshops. Contact Jessica if you’re interested in attending or presenting at Women In Tech Nottingham.
The next event takes place on May 4th 2016 at 6.30pm. If you’re interested in a career in tech, take a look at any of our current vacancies.
