RAF latest to join Tech She Can
More than 50 major organisations have now signed up to the Tech She Can Charter, a commitment to take action together to increase the number of females taking up technology roles in the UK.
The RAF is one of the latest signatories and publicly announced their commitment to Tech She Can at the Royal International Air Tattoo today, part of the international celebrations marking the Royal Air Force centenary.
Carol Vorderman (above), the first female honorary Ambassador for the RAF Air Cadets, also publicly added her backing to Tech She Can and the coordinated drive to inspire more females to pursue technology careers.
Air Vice-Marshal Susan Gray CB OBE MSc CEng FIET RAF, said: “Through our collaboration with Tech She Can, we are continuing to promote engagement with young women, to consider the entire spectrum of STEM careers available in the RAF, and Aviation more broadly. I am always impressed with the innovation and passion with which young women are approaching STEM subjects today, and as the RAF’s Senior Female Engineer, I look forward to sharing my enjoyment and the experiences I have gained through my time in the RAF, with these inspirational young women.”
Hon Group Captain Carol Vorderman M.A.(Cantab) MBE, Ambassador for RAF Air Cadets, said: “When I studied engineering at Cambridge in the 1970s there was a sea of men with just a handful of women, the RAF didn’t accept women as pilots and the world was very different. Fast forward 40 years and progress has been made, but the numbers of young women who want to study technology is still depressingly low.
“To make a difference, the change needs to start in schools and in the media. I’m supporting Tech She Can as it’s only if organisations join forces that we can make a real difference and reach more young females to show them how technology and maths can have a positive impact on both their worlds and the wider world too. As is demonstrated every week in the RAF Air Cadets, our young women are every bit as good in all areas as our young men. Outside of that, we need to give girls who aren’t part of a great organisation like this the confidence and the tools to take part in the bigger picture.”
The Tech She Can Charter was launched in February, with the initial backing of 19 organisations, to tackle the reasons behind the shortfall of women in technology roles. Only 19% of the UK technology workforce is currently female. PwC’s research Women in Tech: Time to Close the Gender Pay Gap reveals that the pipeline of women looking to pursue technology roles remains stubbornly low - only 27% of female A-level and university students surveyed say they would consider a career in technology, compared to 62% of males. And only 3% of females say it is their first choice.
The research shows that the reasons why females aren’t considering technology roles include: because no one is putting it forward as an option to them, they aren’t given enough information at school about what working in technology involves, including its ability to change the world, and a lack of female role models working in the sector.
The Tech She Can signatories strongly believe that it is only through coordinated action targeted at school-aged level that the pipeline of females coming through to technology roles will start to improve. The signatories are focussing their action on three main areas: collaborating on creating female-friendly education material aligned to the curriculum available for all schools, improving the image of technology careers for females, and influencing policy.
Sheridan Ash, women in tech leader at PwC and Tech She Can founder, said: “I am delighted we have the backing of so many major organisations to use our collective power, passion and skills to really make a difference and inspire more girls and young women to consider technology careers.
“It is great to have the backing of The RAF and all our new signatories. The diversity of the Tech She Can signatories shows just how much of a significant issue the lack of diversity in technology is, and how exciting, varied and important technology roles are. We now just need to ensure that girls and young women hear this message loud and clear.
“Improving the diversity of the technology sector makes more than just business sense. It is vital for the future success of the UK economy and wider society that technology careers are open, accessible and attractive to all.”
Some of PwC’s own women in tech demonstrate how RAF careers can lead to broader technology roles. Jo Salter, Britain’s first female fast jet pilot for the RAF, now works as a director in PwC’s technology and investments team, and PwC’s drones leader, Elaine Whyte, spent 20 years in the RAF as a safety and airworthiness engineer.
The Tech She Can signatories are: Amble, AMS, AND digital, Apps for Good, Autumn Live, Barclays, Baltic Training, British Science Association, Business three zero, Caterham School, Colt Data Centre Services, Credit Suisse, The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Digital Jam, everywoman, Exate Technology, Fdisruptors, Featurespace, Geeky Girl Reality, Girlguiding, Humanity X, InnovateHer, JP Morgan, Just Eat, Lewis, Makers Academy, MBDA, Missive, Modern Muse, Morgan Mckinley, NatWest Markets, Onecom, PlayConsult, PwC, RAF, Royal Air Force Charitable Trust, Reading room, Redington, REED Specialist Recruitment, Sanctuary Housing Group, Smoothwall, Sophos, Tesco, Tech Girls, Tech Talent Charter, Technojobs, TSC, Totally money, T Systems, Wayfinderwoman Trust, WeAreTheCity, Xero and ZPG.
