Women Needed To Meet IT Skills Demand

The gender imbalance in the ICT and computing sector must be addressed if the UK is to meet growing demands for professionals in the area, says new research.

The Chartered Institute for IT BCS and e-skills UK have published a Women in IT Scorecard that claims only 6.5% of those taking A-Level computing are female.

Despite this small percentage, the women who do opt for IT qualifications consistently outperform their male counterparts, according to the study.

“The continuing decline in women entering the IT profession is a real threat for the UK and an issue that clearly we need to address. This report helps to identify the areas where we need to focus our energy,” claimed Gillian Arnold, BCSWomen Chair.

“While there are some good indicators in the findings that suggest there is progress in some areas, it’s still not enough. We need to work together, as individuals, educators and businesses to tackle the issue.

“We know girls and women are good at computing and we need to translate that ability into action, ad inspire them to see IT as a career option that offers them great career opportunities,” she added.

The Scorecard compares participation rates and trends by gender from secondary education to the IT workforce.

UK “Slightly Below The Norm”

It also uses international data to examine whether the low number of female IT workers is a problem that occurs only in the UK.

The research revealed that the country is slightly below the norm for the tech gender imbalance when compared with other European countries.

“Women have a significant contribution to make to the IT sector and it is vital for the economy that we ensure they have the opportunity,” claimed Karen Price, e-skills UK CEO.

“Employers care deeply about the gender imbalance and are committed to taking action to improve it,” she added.

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