Connect, the IT support company for small to medium-sized businesses, has today launched an initiative aimed at increasing the proportion of women IT engineers working at the company to 50% over the next two years ñ nicknamed Google Girls. The percentage of women working in IT in the UK is just 16 per cent, which Connect believes is partly caused by outdated perceptions of the role of the IT engineer and a lack of positive action by the IT industry.
Mark MacGregor, CEO of Connect, states, ìIf companies like Connect are to continue to provide first class IT services to our clients, we need to attract the brightest people to work in the technology sector. The key to success will be attracting the right calibre of skilled people into the industry ñ and by that we mean technical expertise, client liaison skills, creative potential and so on ñ not necessarily people with a penchant for weightlifting or a degree in Klingon. With the EU predicting a shortfall of 300,000 qualified IT staff within 3 years, it would be madness to ignore 50% of the potential target audience. Just as other sectors that used to be male dominated ñ like accountancy or medicine ñ have taken positive steps to persuade more women to work there, IT companies need to follow suit. The old image of the ëmachoí IT engineer has largely been overtaken by technological advances, particularly with hardware ñ 90% of Connectís IT support for instance is undertaken remotely over the internet or on the phone.î
MacGregor added: ìThat is why we have launched our own initiative ñ nicknamed Google Girls - to increase the proportion of women working at Connect. Partly this involves changing the internal culture of our company to make it more attractive for women with internal company events designed for male and female employees. In addition, we understand the challenges that mothers face when returning to work, so have designed a flexible working structure to incorporate job shares, flexible working hours and childcare vouchers. But we also have to reach out to the next generation of graduates to persuade them to consider IT as a career; that is why we have established partnerships with local schools and colleges and groups such as ëWomen in Technologyí and ëComputer Club for Girlsíî
Full details of Connectís new initiative can be found at:
IT industry needs Google Girls
Says Connect, as it announces drive to recruit female workers and tackle IT skills shortage
