College launches new drive to encourage girls to consider digital careers
Ahead of International Women’s Day on Friday, March 8, the college is hosting a ‘Digital Open Day for Girls’, to encourage more girl to apply for its range of digital courses. Tony McDonough reports
City of Liverpool College is launching a new drive to address the gender imbalance in the digital sector.
Ahead of International Women’s Day on Friday, March 8, the college is hosting a ‘Digital Open Day for Girls’, to encourage more girl to apply for its range of digital courses.
Taking place on Friday, February 22, at college’s Digital Academy, the event will also see female leading lights from the Liverpool city region digital sector offering their expertise and advice.
They will include Chelsea Slater, founder of InnovateHer and co-founder of social enterprise Liverpool Girl Geeks, and Zoe Wallace, director of Agent Academy, the training arm of PR and marketing firm Agent.
Entries shortfall
Currently, girls make up just 20% of computer science entries at GCSE, and 10% at A-level, with 30,000 fewer girls taking any computing qualification at GCSE or above now, compared with 2014.
Elaine Bowker, principal of The City of Liverpool College, said: “Having been the first college in the country to create a dedicated digital academy, offering young people coding, software development and a range of digital skills, we are passionate about ensuring that anyone who has an interest in the digital sector has the opportunity to pursue it as a career.
“There can often be a misconception that digitally-focused courses and qualifications are targeted towards male students, however our courses are carefully designed to ensure that whatever aspect of the digital sector you are interested in, there will be something to suit your skills.”
Digital Academy
The City of Liverpool College has Microsoft Associate College status with its digital academy – the country’s first dedicated academy of its kind – offering young people coding, software development and a range of digital skills including online marketing and games design.
Chelsea Slater added: “Traditionally, there has been a perception that girls aren’t suited to technology-based roles. Gender-bias is instilled in girls from school age in many ways.
“For example, pioneering female technology innovators are rarely discussed and most technology roles are already dominated by men, which perpetuates the myth that women aren’t suited to these roles.
“However, nowadays, digital skills are needed in every business, whatever the sector. Whether it’s building websites, graphic design, or computer games design, there are a huge range of careers and so many opportunities that gaining a qualification in digital can bring.