Mark Lester, Chief Partnerships Officer at FourthRev, explores how to get more women into tech and retain them

A more inclusive work environment will help employers retain female tech talent.

Every day, we see more women taking a seat at the table in the positions and sectors that have previously been dominated by men.

This progress is welcome, but there’s still a long way to go. This is particularly the case in technology and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) industries, with studies showing that only 35% of STEM students in higher education globally were women before the pandemic hit.

While this is concerning for the overarching picture of bringing greater inclusivity to the tech sector, arguably the most alarming repercussion is that women, who make up 50% of the workforce, are missing out on high-growth, high paid careers in the growing digital economy. As hiring in the computer and information technology fields has faster projected growth between 2020 and 2030 than all other fields, the implication is that people who would make a valuable contribution to the industry are not joining the sector.

So, why are we seeing fewer women move into, and stay, in the tech sector, and what solutions are available?

Is our education system fit for purpose?

Opportunities and pathways into tech begin with education, and there is a clear imbalance between the university degrees earned by men and women in STEM. According to Pew Research, while women now earn a majority of all undergraduate and advanced degrees overall, they remain a small share of degree earners in fields like engineering and computer science and unsurprisingly they are therefore also significantly underrepresented in the engineering and technology workforce.

A core issue is that these inequalities are being entrenched early in the education system. According to research from PwC, the gender gap in technology starts at school and carries on through every stage of girls and women’s lives. This is reinforced by researchers at Cornell University, who found that gender differences in high school students’ occupational plans — where they see themselves at age 30 – have a large effect on gender equality in STEM outcomes in college. Among high school senior boys, 26% planned to enter STEM or biomed occupations, compared with 13% of girls, while 15% of girls planned to enter nursing or similar health occupations, compared with 4% of boys.

Compounding this challenge is that, when moving the dial into the workplace, there is a clear lack of role models women and girls have to look up to. Research shows that women only have a small share of IT leadership jobs, accounting for only 16% of senior level tech jobs and 10% of executive positions. The direct consequence is an absence of prominent female figures, with more research showing that 22% of students can name a famous female working in technology, whereas two-thirds can name a famous man working in technology.

Nominations are now open for the <…….

Source: https://www.information-age.com/how-to-get-more-women-in-tech-and-retain-them-123497596/