Skills, not talent<\/strong><\/p>\n Our first discussant called on the group to stop referring to \u2018talent shortages\u2019. Talent is innate \u2013 skills can be learned, and should be taught to a diverse workforce in the immediate area where skills are needed. However, not enough women think that the tech workplace is for them, and of those who have an aspiration to succeed, many have found themselves cast out by culture (one attendee was an engineer who was not allowed to follow the route she wanted in the forces).<\/p>\n There is a perception that girls don\u2019t do tech \u2013 perhaps the women of Bletchley Park would take exception to this. This is a recent UK cultural issue. An example was cited of an Iranian academic in the region who was astonished that there were no other women in her department, coming as she did from a country where women were in the majority in the tech sector.<\/p>\n The assembled company took stock of their own experiences. Many were \u2018accidental techies\u2019, and we represented so many diverse areas of \u2018digital\u2019 that it was immediately evident that the career path to \u2018tech\u2019 is not clear. Digital embraces so many environments: it is vital to communicate this variety to girls, and to show that it\u2019s not just \u2018computer science\u2019!<\/p>\n Breaking the glass ceiling<\/strong><\/p>\n Oh the clich\u00e9 we thought we\u2019d left behind! Our second discussant related how, despite an engineering background and simultaneous study of CIMA and Fortran, it ultimately took a Masters degree for her to push back successfully against the obfuscation and smoke and mirrors that protected the black art of IT from an invasion of the fairer sex.<\/p>\n The link between finance and IT has historically been a strong one, with the company\u2019s accountant expected also to display a working knowledge of server management, multiple operating systems, and fixing printer jams. This is one route that attendees reported following on their journey into the world of tech. However, routes into STEM are not always clear, and many women have set up their own businesses because they cannot find an access point in established organisations. This is depriving industry of the unique contribution of women in tech, who bring soft skills and good communication to the table alongside solid technical capability. There is an even greater challenge for women who have taken a career break in such a fast-moving industry: by the time they are ready to return, they have fallen behind, and the majority do not have the confidence to step up and reskill.<\/p>\n Digital has to be demystified to deliver cultural change. It is, bluntly, a tool, and one which pervades all sectors: it is not a sector in itself. An accountant is still an accountant despite using cloud software, digital signing, online filing. A lawyer is still a lawyer. How then did marketing suddenly spawn \u2018digital marketing\u2019, for instance? Putting the emphasis on \u2018digital\u2019 is often inappropriate, and can be scary. A \u2018digital business\u2019 is just a business using today\u2019s tools. The perception of \u2018digital\u2019 as a man\u2019s world has sadly been reinforced by an element of lad culture. We need more gender-neutral workplaces with a pool table and a cr\u00e8che!<\/p>\n So how can we move towards a solution? You have two challenges above, and we offer a third:<\/p>\n <\/p>\nOur second challenge to you: Build awareness of the availability of opportunity, and in doing so change the culture.<\/em><\/h5>\n
What have you<\/u> done today to inspire cultural change?<\/em><\/h5>\n
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