Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges: Women As Catalysts For Closing Tech-Skills Gap

Despite constituting half of the world's population, women remain significantly underrepresented in the tech industry.

The technology skills gap is a pressing concern as it hampers employment prospects, economic growth, and innovation potential.

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The rapid advancement of technology has brought forth an ever-increasing demand for skilled professionals in the tech industry. But there is a significant gap between the skills required and the available workforce, commonly known as the technology skills gap. To address this critical issue and ensure future readiness for emerging technologies, it is crucial to tap into the vast potential of women in technology. By encouraging and empowering women to pursue careers in tech, we could help bridge the technology skills gap and unlock a multitude of benefits for individuals, companies, and society at large.

Current Gap And Future Implications

The technology skills gap is a pressing concern as it hampers employment prospects, economic growth, and innovation potential. According to a report by The World Economic Forum, 150 million new technology jobs will be created globally over the next five years, with 77 per cent of all jobs requiring digital skills by 2030. Currently, only 33 per cent of technology jobs worldwide are being filled by skilled labour.  

This gap has severe implications for the readiness to adopt and utilise emerging technologies. Technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and data analytics require a skilled workforce capable of understanding, implementing, and driving innovation. Failing to bridge the skills gap could lead to missed opportunities for companies and hinder technological advancements on a global scale.

Untapped Potential Of Women In Technology

Despite constituting half of the world's population, women remain significantly underrepresented in the tech industry. This untapped pool of talent could play a pivotal role in closing the skills gap. According to recent findings by Deloitte, women comprise only 33 per cent of technology professionals, and while this proportion is gradually rising, there is a concerning trend of women leaving the technology sector more frequently than their male counterparts. If we actively tackle this attrition issue in both education and workplace environments, we have the potential to achieve gender parity in the technology sector. Ideally, this would mean aligning the representation of women with the global ratio of approximately 52 per cent. Such a transformation could result in a significant increase in the pool of skilled technology workers. 

Encouragingly, numerous studies have shown that companies with gender-diverse teams tend to outperform in terms of financial performance, innovation, and problem-solving. By fostering a more inclusive environment and actively promoting the participation of women in technology, we can tap into their unique perspectives, skills, and experiences. Women bring diverse approaches to problem-solving, collaboration, and creativity, enriching the industry holistically. Empowering women in tech will not only enhance gender equality but also bolster the industry's ability to address complex challenges and drive future growth.

Barriers Hindering Women's Participation In Tech

Despite the progress made in recent years, several barriers continue to impede women's entry and advancement in the tech industry. These include the lack of role models, hostile environment in some companies or teams (aka “brogrammer” tech culture), conscious and unconscious bias, and cultural stereotypes that discourage girls from pursuing STEM subjects. Societal norms and expectations that perpetuate the notion that "girls don't do maths" further discourage women from pursuing tech studies and careers.

Addressing these barriers requires a multi-faceted approach. 

Enabling Change: Steps Towards Bridging The Gap

To close the global skills gap in technology and increase female representation in the industry, governments and corporations can take proactive measures. First, hiring practices should focus on skills rather than formal degrees, as this allows for a more diverse pool of candidates with relevant competencies. Upskilling and reskilling programs have successfully been implemented by some companies to help women start a career in tech, sometimes mid-career. Creating and enforcing codes of conduct and anti-discriminatory policies is essential in fostering an inclusive culture that values diversity. Companies should strive to offer flexibility in work arrangements, accommodating the varying needs of individuals. Parental support for both genders such as affordable child care and parental leave policies can also help achieve a better gender balance. Governments can also implement legislation and regulations to address discrimination and pay gaps.

Supporting girls in STEM studies is crucial for cultivating interest and capability from a young age. A recent report by NLB Services and NTT DATA revealed that 54 per cent of employers in India believe that STEM-based educational programs hold great potential in narrowing the skill gap. Comprehensive initiatives must be planned and implemented to strengthen women's representation in STEM. Initiatives such as the Girls4Tech program by Mastercard enable an ecosystem that engages and educates girls about the possibilities in technology, providing them with role models and mentorship opportunities. 

To foster success in science among girls, it is crucial to offer them role models and mentors who exemplify what is achievable. Encouraging girls to engage in STEM activities from a young age is equally important. By introducing them to STEM-related initiatives such as coding clubs or robotics clubs, we can spark their interest and demonstrate that they have the potential to thrive in these fields.

Collecting and analyzing diversity and inclusion metrics is essential to measure progress and identify any blockages hindering gender equality. Additionally, culture, representation, and language play a significant role. It is important to showcase women in tech jobs, feminise job titles in countries with gendered languages, and shift the focus from appearance to intelligence when complimenting young girls.

In a nutshell, the global skills gap in technology poses significant challenges for economic growth, innovation, and employment. By harnessing the potential of women in technology, we can bridge this gap and unlock a wealth of benefits. Taking even one small step by encouraging girls around you to follow their passion in technology will create a lasting impact to the global landscape. While there has been an increase in female participation in STEM fields across the world, a lot more needs to be done, and we all need to contribute in order to achieve gender parity in the coming years.

(The author is the Global Head (R&D) at Giesecke + Devrient)

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