InnovateHer will look to establish a national network of school-based academies aimed at improving the digital skills and employability of girls aged between 11 and 17. Tony McDonough reports

A successful Liverpool city region drive to encourage girls aged 11-17 to pursue careers in technology is to be rolled out nationwide.

InnovateHer is a new UK-wide initiative run by social enterprise Liverpool Girl Geeks (LGG) and is based on work it has been doing locally since 2013.

LGG will work partnership with national policy makers, local government and industry leaders and establish a network of school-based academies.

Click here to see the InnovateHer launch video

In the last year alone, LGG has raised more than £100,000 in private and public funding, grown a thriving community of individuals and businesses and engaged with more than 15,000 people across the North West.

The InnovateHer academies will look to tackle the tech skills gap which is estimated to cost the UK economy £63bn in lost GDP. They will encourage a new generation to enable the UK to compete on a world stage by improving their digital skills and employability

In line with the initial goal set out by LGG, InnovateHer will also focus on encouraging greater equality and diversity in technical roles and pass that way of thinking onto the next generation of innovators.

Jo Morfee is co-founder of InnovateHer and has also been asked by the Government in recent weeks to help improve the standard technical education across the country.

She said: “All children have the potential to be innovators, to create change and improve their lives and the lives of their peers.

“By encouraging young people to think differently, we’re investing in the innovators and entrepreneurs of tomorrow.”

InnovateHer officially launches in January 2018, has already seen The Belvedere Academy in Toxteth sign up and had support from partners including Wranx, Coop Digital, Bafta and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.