An IT services and support company says big corporations
need to do more to attract greater numbers ofwomen into IT.
Mark MacGregor, CEO at Connect, which provides technology
support for businesses, said there is no reason for women not to
decide on an IT career, and also said corporations need to do more
to change IT culture.
Connect has just started a scheme - "Googlegirls" - aimed at
driving cultural change and attracting more women into the IT
profession.
The company holds special events for women, and has introduced a
raft of measures to make returning to work after having children
easier.
They also work in the community, talking to local schoolchildren
and getting involved with government's national Computer Clubs for
Girls scheme.
"If a lot of the bigger companies adopted the same approach, the
results could be pretty dramatic," MacGregor said.
"Companies in other sectors like accountancy and law have taken
a different approach, and are targeting women in their recruitment.
Women now make up between 50% and 60% of their workforce, whereas
in IT it is only around 15%."
He said women are just as capable of doing the job as men are,
and that companies need to work harder to redress the balance.
"One thing that strikes me is the IT cultural image, because the
idea of it being 'male' is outdated. None of the things we do here
are things that women cannot do. It is a cultural problem,"
MacGregor said.
"It can be difficult for us to recruit technologically competent
IT people, and we have got to look at what we can do about it. If
you are only attempting to tap into 50% of the population, the
shortage is going to be an ongoing one."