The trending hashtag on social media at the moment is sparking thousands of funny videos of women doing things typically associated with men. But some are reclaiming more than just men’s habits and hobbies, and are instead making their mark in male-dominated fields of work.
At The Optimist we want to share some of these programmes so that young girls know that they really can be anything they want, and give them the resources to make it happen.
Girl Tech
One programme dedicated to inspiring young girls is Girl Tech. It was established in 2018 after a lack of female representation was noticed in the tech and digital work sector.
It gives young people of underrepresented genders in these sectors a chance to meet successful women and those who have defied all odds to work where they do.
Over 115 businesses are represented in the 21 events that have been held since its launch.
The purpose of these events is to show young girls between 12 and 14 that there is a wide range of jobs within the digital world, and that they can be exciting and fun.
A volunteer at these events told the Girl Tech organisers: “It was good to have the opportunity to tell young women about the career options available to them, and especially the different routes into those industries since I was unaware of it at their age but have been able to get my current position without a computer science degree.”
After last year’s event 90% of students said they were interested in a career in the digital sector, and this success has allowed Girl tech to plan to expand to the North East, London, Leeds and Manchester later this year.
Code First Girls
Another programme is Code First Girls, dedicated to closing the gender gap in tech by providing employment through free education.
They provide free courses for people of underrepresented genders, with different levels based on their skill level.
They have already helped more than 200,000 women and have taught three times as many women how to code as the UK university graduate scheme.
With over 100 university partners, 130 partner companies and boasting over 200,000 members in their community, the programme is hailed as a great success.
Their mission for the future is to provide 1 million opportunities for women to learn to code and participate in the industry within the next five years.
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Next Tech Girls
The final programme is Next Tech Girls, set up in 2016 by the tech recruitment agency Empiric.
Its aim is to tackle the skill and gender gaps in the UK tech industry at a grassroot level.
They achieve this with online and in-person events, insight days and work experience placements to inspire young girls to pursue careers in tech.
They also offer a Role Model programme for women working in tech who want to get involved and inspire the next generation, opening up opportunities to learn about lots of different roles and companies.
Alongside this they have a section on current jobs available to apply for in the tech sector, with advice on how to apply and what they are looking for.
So if you are wanting to break into the tech and digital world, but didn’t know how or were scared to enter a male-dominated industry, hopefully these sites can help you find your confidence and make your splash.
