We need more women in tech. Could apprenticeships bridge the gap?

[Kathleen Martin]

• There is a significant gender gap in STEM disciplines around the world, particularly in technology.
• Cutting-edge technology skills needed in the Fourth Industrial Revolution will increasingly be in demand.
• Apprenticeships are proving a successful alternative for women keen to work in tech.

“While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last.” When Kamala Harris spoke these words as US Vice-President elect, she continued a very welcome trend that has seen an explosion in phenomenal female role models in every walk of life. Women like Kamala are breaking glass ceilings across industries and inspiring young girls to ignore the limitations that many of us over the age of 40 would have repeatedly had reinforced throughout our childhoods.
But worryingly, STEM – particularly technology – continues to lag behind many industries when it comes to female representation. Just 17% of UK tech jobs are held by women and 19% of computer sciences and technology graduates are female. According to the UN, in cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence, only one in five professionals globally (22%) is a woman.

 
Continue reading: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/02/women-tech-science-apprenticeships-stem/