Tuesday, 21 January 2020
The first women from the TechUP Women programme are on the path to a new career after completing a new training initiative to provide them with skills and confidence to work in the technology sector.
The final residential of the first iteration of TechUp Womenwas hosted by the University of Nottingham. The diverse group of women took part in a special celebration ceremony hosted here in the city.
Funded by the Office for Students through the Institute of Coding, the TechUP Women programme is addressing the shortage of women in the technology sector, who only represent 17% of the workforce. Over 200 women applied for the 100 places and this first cohort are women who want to start a career in the tech sector, particularly from Black, Asian and other minority or under-represented communities.
The six-month programme has been spearheaded by Professor Sue Black, a pioneer of women in technology from Durham University and has been developed alongside the University of Nottingham, York and Edge Hill Universities and 16 industry partners from the tech industry, including local businesses Captial One and Experian.
Course participants have learned about software development, data science, project management and public speaking, amongst other skills, and have been paired with industry mentors who have supported and guided their learning.
They can now use these new skills to undertake a number of key roles that were identified as gaps in the tech industry that needed to be filled, these include: Data Scientist, Software Developer, Business Analyst and Agile Project Manager.
Edna Corredor is one of the women who has completed the course, she is a doctor in Physics who has taken a career break to become a mum and on her return to work she wants to take her career in a new direction. Talking about her experience of taking part in TechUp she said: “I feel that being part of TechUp Women has opened up a huge window of new job opportunities. Within the programme we have had the option to choose a preferred pathway according to our own interests. As a result of the TechUp Women programme and all the new skills that I have gained during this process, my confidence on moving into the industrial sector has been reinforced. Now I have a clearer idea on how my previous experiences as a Doctor in Physics together with my TechUp Women training can lead me to a successful career return in the area I would like to dedicate my future, which is project management. It has been an amazing journey and the project has created a very friendly, supported environment for all of the women taking part.”
At a special event over the weekend the group finished the final residential of the course and celebrated their success with a special celebration ceremony. They heard from female figureheads in the the tech industry including: Jacqueline de Rojas CBE who is President of tech UK and Chair of the Board of Digital Leaders; inspirational coach and leader Veroncia Pickering; Sarah Walker-Smith from Shakespeare Martineau LLP and Dr Margo Thomas, who is Founder and President of the Women's Economic Imperative.
The University Of Nottingham has been a key partner in the TechUP programme with the School of Computer Science, Engineering and Arts working together to deliver and support the project.
It’s been amazing to see this group of women grow and flourish on this course. They come from a huge range of backgrounds and have embraced the course and resdentials wholeheartedly to arm themselves with the tech skills necessary to take them to the next stage of their career or in a completely new direction. The University of Nottingham has a strong commitment to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion and this project has reflected this with a project that will have a positive impact on the lives of the women involved.
We are hugely proud of all of the women who have taken part in TechUP Women, they are superheroes and we hope this will be the start of many more women following in their footsteps.
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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