Girls Explore Future Careers in Robotics, AI, and More at St George’s Women in Computing Event

Tech for All: Women in Computing Event Encourages Female Students to Pursue Careers in STEM

St George’s School hosted the Women in Computing event on 11 December, inviting girls from 12 schools across Edinburgh. Aimed at inspiring and empowering female students from Primary 6 onwards to pursue careers in technology, the event was inaugurated by Jenny Gilruth MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills. The event brought together business leaders, St George’s alumni, and educators to provide a hands-on learning experience. It featured keynote speeches, live panels, Q&A sessions, and interactive workshops, allowing students to engage with advanced technologies in robotics, programming, AI, virtual reality, and cybersecurity.

By showcasing diverse career opportunities in technology, from leadership to coding, the event inspired and empowered girls. Attendees had the chance to witness firsthand the possibilities within the field, as successful women from the tech industry shared their experiences. Industry leaders from companies such as i-confidential, AND Digital, Storm ID, Smart Data Foundry, Global Logic, MoneyMatiX, FreeAgent, Skyscanner, and Turing Fest engaged with students, offering insights into the future of tech. Additionally, attendees participated in interactive robot demonstrations from the Robotics Lab at the University of Edinburgh and the National Robotarium, as well as coding sessions led by Rewriting the Code, Amazon, and dressCode.

Fields like computing science, traditionally underrepresented by women, continue to face significant challenges in Scotland. A recent Reform Scotland report revealed that 66 secondary schools lack a dedicated computing science teacher, and only one in five girls pursue higher-level computing science. Data from dressCode, a charity addressing the gender gap, highlighted a 25% decline in computing science teachers over the past 15 years. Additionally, 50% of girls would consider studying computing science if they had more role models and encouragement. This underscores the urgent need to inspire and support young women to enter this critical field.

Toni Scullion, Founder of dressCode and Computing Science Scotland, expressed pride in partnering with St George’s for the event, alongside the Scottish Teachers Advancing Computing Science (STACS) group, which also supported the initiative. It was noted that Computing Science has the largest gender gap among STEM subjects, a challenge that has persisted for over a decade. While there has been some progress in female participation, it remains minimal, and complacency must be avoided.

Students from St George’s found the event engaging, particularly enjoying learning about robotics and new areas of technology. They also valued the opportunity to meet students from other schools and networks. Furthermore, the students were inspired by female role models in tech and learned that success often involves trial and error. Jenny Gilruth, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, emphasized that initiatives like Women in Computing inspire girls to pursue tech careers, traditionally dominated by men. She highlighted the importance of role models and announced funding for the Scottish Teachers Advancing Computing Science (STACS) program to support teachers in nurturing future talent.

Carol Chandler-Thompson, Head of St George’s School, emphasized the importance of opening the event to girls across Edinburgh in addressing the gender gap in computing. She noted that over 32,000 students in Scottish secondary schools lack a qualified computing science teacher, particularly in deprived areas. He reiterated St George’s commitment to reversing these trends by fostering girls' interest in technology and expressed pride in welcoming speakers, exhibitors, and students from across Edinburgh. Blessing Adogame, UK Community Development Manager at Rewriting the Code, expressed excitement about supporting the event. She highlighted that only one in five entries to Higher Computing Science in Scotland are female and reaffirmed their commitment to closing the gender gap. Adogame emphasized the importance of role models in inspiring young women to pursue careers in tech. This event underscores the growing need to inspire and support young women in the tech industry. By providing practical experience and insights from successful women, attendees are motivated to pursue careers in computing science and other technology fields.

Editor's Note:

In an industry where women remain underrepresented, the initiative by St George’s School is a vital step in inspiring the next generation of female tech leaders. By offering young girls direct access to industry role models and hands-on experiences with cutting-edge technologies, this event highlighted the vast career opportunities in computing and empower girls to envision themselves achieving success in the field.
The event underscored the importance of inclusive education and the need to address the gender imbalance in tech.

Skoobuzz believes that the Women in Computing event is an important milestone in ensuring that young women not only imagine a future in technology but also pursue it with confidence and determination.