Liz Delaney, Tecman Director on her mission to inspire girls to be the female tech leaders of the future.

Did you know that according to a study by NatWest Group, by 2025 the UK’s tech market is predicted to be six times larger than it is today and will be worth £30 billion? Yet the UK already has a large skills gap when it comes to tech roles. 

For every 115 new roles in 2025 there will only be one qualified woman – this needs to change and we want to help!

Tecman are a Microsoft partner specialising in providing business software solutions (Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM) to manufacturers and distributors established over 30 years ago. 

We’ve always strived for a diverse workforce, creating an environment that our team thrive in. It’s why we’ve been recognised as a UK Best Workplace for several years and last year we were also recognised as one of the UK’s Best Workplaces for Women by Great Place to Work. We recognise the need to grow the tech workforce and especially focus on attracting women into the industry – one that’s currently seen as being male-dominated. 

But there’s little point just moaning about the lack of women. Instead, we want to take action and inspire the next generation, educating girls about the roles out there and the options they have. Tech jobs aren’t limited to being part of IT support asking “have you tried turning it on and off again?” There is so much more to it than this and IT roles can open the door to an exciting and rewarding career.

The lack of understanding and a lack of confidence can make paths to these career options feel closed off for teenage girls. In the study by NatWest Group, 88% of girls achieved A* - C in STEM subjects (4% higher than boys), yet only 35% of STEM students in higher education are female, and this number drops to just 19% when looking at those studying computer science.

That’s why we are organising a dedicated day at our office in Wolverhampton for girls from local secondary schools. Our aim is to involve role models from our team to lead sessions and workshops to show:

- What we do here at Tecman and the different roles our female staff fulfil across the organisation.

- The exciting options available when it comes to tech careers.

- How not every tech job consists of coding.

- How tech roles are ideal for logical thinkers and problem solvers.

- Why a career in tech can bring instant rewards.

If you are a school interested in bringing pupils or a parent wanting to bring your child to attend, please let us know how many spaces you would like. Additionally, we’d love to hear from you to help build the agenda for the day. What do you think would be beneficial for us as a business technology company to include? How can we help build the female technology leaders of the future? 

Any input you would like to provide is welcome. 

I’m happy to answer any questions you have and I’m looking forward to hearing whether you would like to join us on Tuesday 3rd October.

We will provide additional information if you’re interested in taking part!

Liz Delaney, Tecman Director.