Role models can give young people that 'light bulb' moment

As summer closes and we enter the next quarter packed with a whole range of award ceremonies and conferences, the vibe is very much focused on all things tech, writes Deb Leary.

Heading our way are the Women in Tech Awards, Tech Week and the Innovation Awards, all of which seek to showcase the vibrancy of the sector and the region's outstanding capabilities.

However, a recent article by Dana Leigh from Tech Round has highlighted the number of women in UK tech is declining despite overall hiring growth.

The report is based on newly-released data from the Office for National Statistics, which reveals a sharp decline in the number of women employed in the tech sector.

The ONS data shows a reduction of 3,000 women in the first and second quarters of the year, whilst in the same period there was an overall increase of 85,000 workers, taking the figure to 1.73 million.

Clearly there is a significant issue, with the growth in workforce having a minimal impact on gender imbalance, truly highlighting the need to take an uncompromising stance on promoting gender diversity and inclusivity within the tech sector to avoid the under-representation of women.

Whilst the number of women in the technology sector has slowly increased over the past 10 years, figures show that women represent just 26 per cent of the tech workforce.

As recently stated by Debbie Assinder, West Midlands Enterprise Champion at Enterprise Nation: “With only 6 pe cent of young girls taking GCSE Computer Science, approximately 20 per cent of women in tech and only 3 per cent of girls seeing their future in tech what needs to be done?

“For me a key part is about achievable role models. This is why I helped set up the Midlands Women in Tech Awards. You have to see it to aspire to it!”

However, it isn't only the lack of women employed in the tech that is the issue. There is a major disparity when it comes to funding for women-led tech businesses. Highlighting this fact is Kim Leary, founder of Squibble and chair of the board for TechWM.

Kim states: “Every year, Tech WM organises the Birmingham Tech Week event, and in 2022, we proudly announced that over half of our speakers, precisely 52 per cent, were women. This achievement didn't come easy. Through consistent and deliberate efforts, we took conscious decisions to promote gender diversity at our event.

“Our commitment to inclusivity has not gone unnoticed. The tech community has widely praised us for our strides in promoting diversity. Furthermore, in a strategic partnership with the Chamber of Commerce, we awarded ten deserving women in tech with memberships to Future Faces.

“These individuals were not only recognised for their contributions but were also paired with mentors to prepare them for investment opportunities.

“However, there's still a long way to go for the tech industry at large. Presently, there's a glaring disparity in funding. Women founders typically receive around £150,000 in funding, whereas their male counterparts often receive upwards of £500,000. We at Tech WM continue to advocate for equality and fairness in all aspects of the tech world.”

Clearly the West Midlands is taking a significant lead in addressing the balance and Birmingham Tech Week is a fantastic platform to shine a light on both the opportunities and the challenges.

In truth, action needs to come from all sides and it needs to start early. It is about representation.

It is about role models who are accessible and about people who will champion those who are underrepresented within their industry and their organisations.

It's about seeing the art of the possible and having opportunity reflected back at you and educational opportunity from nursery onwards shining a light on where things fit together.

Maths doesn't sit on its own, computer science isn't just a series of zeros and ones - it's all about communication, connectivity, impact, collaboration, things that effect our everyday world. Put tech and science in everyday context and you give children the 'light bulb' moment.

Ultimately this shouldn't be a gender issue, it should be a people issue. Why wouldn't you want the best in your company bearing in mind that the best isn't always the person who agrees with you or looks like you?

Why wouldn't you want to invest in a company that has potential to grow and ensure a return on investment?

And we need to change the narrative. The word 'barrier' needs to be struck from the dictionary.

If we use negative language against ourselves, what chance do we have, what mindset do we create?

Replace that word with 'challenge' then we are as one.

Everyone has challenges and with challenge comes opportunity. It's a small shift but a powerful one.

Deb Leary is president of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce and CEO of Forensic Pathways

This column first appeared in the Birmingham Post