The UK government has announced a new package of initiatives designed to boost female participation in the technology sector, including a £4 million programme to support hundreds of women into tech jobs and inspire thousands of schoolgirls to pursue digital careers.
The measures form part of a broader strategy aimed at addressing the persistent gender imbalance across the technology industry, where women remain significantly underrepresented despite the sector’s rapid growth and importance to the UK economy.
Ministers say the initiatives are intended to help women enter, remain in and return to technology roles, while also encouraging more girls to consider technology careers earlier in their education.
At the centre of the announcement is the new TechFirst Women’s Programme, backed by £4 million of government funding. The scheme aims to create at least 300 paid placements in technology roles across the UK.
The programme will work with businesses, including small and medium-sized enterprises, to identify opportunities for women to gain experience in fields such as software development, digital engineering, data science and artificial intelligence.
Participants will receive career coaching, interview preparation and technical support to help them secure roles and progress within the sector.
The government hopes the initiative will not only help individuals advance their careers but also support companies looking to adopt new technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, by giving them access to skilled workers.
Ministers say the programme addresses a significant economic issue. Research suggests the UK loses between £2 billion and £3.5 billion each year due to women leaving the technology sector.
Alongside the placement programme, the government is launching a pilot returnship scheme aimed at helping experienced developers re-enter the workforce after career breaks.
The initiative will initially operate within government departments including the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice.
The programme will target skilled software developers who have been out of work for at least 18 months, a group that includes many women who have taken time away from employment to care for children or family members.
Participants will be supported in returning to senior technology roles within the public sector, with the aim of tackling what many professionals refer to as the “CV gap” barrier that can prevent experienced workers from returning to their careers.
Officials say the scheme could later be expanded across other departments or into the private sector if successful.
The government is also attempting to address the gender gap earlier in the talent pipeline through a new national technology competition aimed at schoolgirls.
Later this year, thousands of girls aged 12 and 13 will be invited to take part in the TechFirst Girls Competition, a nationwide initiative designed to introduce students to coding, artificial intelligence and digital problem-solving.
The competition will challenge participants to develop creative solutions to real-world problems using technology, while also offering insight into how digital skills translate into future careers.
Technology company IBM will partner with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to deliver the programme.
The initiative builds on previous efforts such as the CyberFirst Girls Competition, which has already involved more than 10,000 students across the UK.
As part of the wider policy drive, the government’s Women in Tech Taskforce has launched a call for evidence to better understand the challenges women face when entering or progressing in the technology industry.
The consultation will gather insights from workers, businesses and industry organisations about issues ranging from recruitment practices to workplace culture and career progression.
The taskforce will also examine how emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence may be reinforcing existing inequalities.
Research has already shown that AI systems trained on historical employment data can replicate past biases. For example, some recruitment algorithms have been found to favour male candidates over female applicants when evaluating job applications.
Officials say gathering real-world experiences will help shape future policy designed to make the technology sector more inclusive.
Announcing the programme, Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said women continue to face significant barriers within the industry.
“I am very aware of the reality women face in tech: women aren’t being given a fair shot, whether that’s getting into the sector, staying in it, or returning after time away,” she said.
“If we don’t address these biases and barriers now, we’ll still be having this conversation in ten years’ time.”
Kendall said the government wanted to ensure women were not only entering the industry but also shaping its future.
“These aren’t warm words, they’re real jobs, real placements and real routes back in through a door that has been too hard to open for too long.”
Industry figures welcomed the announcement but emphasised that long-term structural change would be needed to close the gender gap in technology.
Anna Brailsford, chief executive of Code First Girls and a member of the Women in Tech Taskforce, said improving access to training and career opportunities could transform lives.
“Many women who have moved into tech started their journeys unsure if they belonged in the industry and are now thriving in high-impact roles,” she said.
“The UK’s ambition to lead in technology will only be realised if more women can see a clear and supported pathway into the sector from non-tech backgrounds.”
The government hopes the new measures will help strengthen the UK’s technology workforce at a time when demand for digital skills continues to grow rapidly across industries ranging from finance and healthcare to manufacturing and artificial intelligence development.
Read more:
Government launches new programme to help more women and girls enter the UK tech sector