WISE launches tech landscape survey to close the digital skills

With women representing just 17% of IT professionals, a figure that has remained stubbornly low for the last decade, WISE, the campaign for greater gender balance in STEM, is launching an investigation into the routes into technology careers. The organisation is inviting people working at all levels of the technology sector to tell them about their experiences in a new survey.

This UK-wide survey aims to quantify the different routes into tech-based on age, gender, nationality, and other characteristics. It will examine the current landscape including what qualifications tech employees hold as well as employers training requirements and best practices.

Kay Hussain, WISE’s Chief Executive says: “The ongoing lack of women in tech is a real concern given that we have an enormous skills gap in these roles across all organisations, not just in the tech sector. Our project will help to shine a spotlight on what is going on in tech, the barriers, and enablers for women, and provide the first step in supporting employers to close their digital skills gap.”

In WISE’s recent annual conference on the topic of skills for climate change, the organisation highlighted the opportunity and need for more women to play their part in tackling climate change. Kay adds: “”It is essential that we encourage game-changing female talent into STEM roles, and in particular tech roles. A diverse workforce will help deliver the creativity and innovation required to address the climate crisis – one of the most challenging issues of our lifetime.”

WISE will report its findings at the WISE Tech Roundtable in June 2021.

Further information about the survey, which takes just 15 minutes, can be found at: WISE Researching the Tech Landscape 2021