A recent article from McKinsey "Women in tech: The best bet to solve Europe’s talent shortage" is another stark reminder of the gender inequalities that the future digital workforce faces.
The article not only highlights the current state of this inequality but also goes on to document that due to the falling graduation rate of women in STEM disciplines during higher education, the problem will get worse.
There are multiple factors at play here. An historic gender imbalance in STEM subjects throughout education, a dumbing down (or at worse complete removal) of the positive impact women have made in the advancements of science and technology, and the gender pay gap which has existed in many professions. All elements, and more, now see many in the 'workforce' staring over a digital skills abyss.
"This is a tough problem to solve. However, although there are no silver bullets, four interventions—redressing bias in the workforce, improving retention rates, reskilling women into tech roles, and bolstering girls in STEM classes earlier in their educational process—can have a significant impact." McKinsey
This is why we're so passionate about teaching coding from such a young age and by using positive role models which include diverse abilities and backgrounds, not just gender, we're helping to reinforce the message that there is a place for everyone in the digital tech future. Being the inspiration to spark a passion in STEM subjects is essential to help bridge the digital skills gap.
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Read the McKinsey article here