1. New Recruits : 1.3 Women

21st Century Women

This two-year project, which started in July 2000, will increase the number of women undergraduates gaining jobs in IT Services and related careers, by improving the interaction between employers and HE. Women are severely under-represented in this sector, despite its tremendous growth and employers’ keenness to redress the gender imbalance.

The project will develop and deliver new, sector-wide ‘women appealing’ materials, will create alumni links between students and will run women-in-the-industry, and multi-employer workshops.

The partners include AGCAS (the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services), PricewaterhouseCoopers, Accenture (formerly Andersen Consulting), IBM, GTI, Cambridge University, Surrey University, Virtual University and Goldman Sachs.

As part of this project, a survey has been carried out, involving nearly 2500 students and Careers Advisers. Please click on Research Report to download a full copy of the document (in PDF format).

Contact: Liz Stroombergen on or

School Workshops – Girls Computer Clubs

On 18 April 2001, Employment Minister Tessa Jowell, E-Commerce Minister Patricia Hewitt and Learning and Technology Minister Michael Wills announced plans to set up all-girl computer clubs in schools. Jointly supported by the DfEE and DTI, the project will be developed in conjunction with the e-skills NTO and industry. The clubs will aim to encourage more young women to take up Information and Communications Technology (ICT) as a career.

The move came in response to a Government task force report which recommended that young women need to see careers in ICT as accessible, credible and enjoyable. MORI research for the e-skills NTO shows that despite high earnings potential the key barrier to girls entering the ICT profession is its unfashionable image.

The clubs will be aimed at girls aged between eight and 14 years old, and will create a virtual learning environment in which girls can develop both hard and soft skills.

Contact : Simon Le Jeune on or

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