According to a report by Australia’s Chief Scientist, women comprise just 16% of the total STEM workforce, a glaring statistic that has resulted in an increased focus to improve gender parity from leaders and organisations across society.
However, reports also show that female students who choose to study STEM subjects are markedly successful in getting into the workforce.
According to Mastercard’s Girls in Tech research, four-in-five Australian female STEM graduates take less than six months to land their first job. The message here for schools is simple: successfully engage girls in STEM education and see long-term benefits.
A key challenge for principals in helping girls realise this success is bridging the disadvantage gap and ensuring that socio-economic factors don’t get in the way of these opportunities.
Recognising this, technology startup Code Like a Girl recently launched a pop-up classroom that will provide coding workshops to girls from all socio-economic backgrounds.
Roaming Classroom for Rebel Girls aims to increase diversity in Australia’s future tech industry amid reports that female engagement in STEM education has been declining over time.
Code Like a Girl founders Ally Watson and Vanessa Doake created the pop-up as a way of taking their workshops beyond the CBD, allowing girls from the outer suburbs and regional areas to be exposed the possibility of a lucrative career in tech.
“We believe tech is for everyone – we’re not just about equipping the top 10% of female coders,” Code Like a Girl Co-Founder, Vanessa Doake, said.
“But when you run workshops exclusively in the CBD you do have a limited pool of girls who can attend.”
Doake said this “goes to the core” of the organisation’s beliefs to ensure it is exposing as many girls as possible to the benefits of a career in tech.
“The best way for us to do this is to take our workshops to those who otherwise would have difficulty attending,” she said.
Doake and Watson believe privilege within the tech industry affects more than just its workforce – it also has an impact on the products being built.
“You only have to take a quick glance at the apps being released to understand that modern day technology is being created by privileged people to help privilege; food delivery, cleaning services, etc,” Code Like a Girl Co-Founder, Ally Watson, explained.
“And let’s not forget that when Apple’s predominantly-male team released its HealthKit they completely forgot to include menstruation tracking; something that was relevant to around half its intended users.”
Watson said the organisation’s mission is not just about getting more women in tech, but about getting more women building tech.
“Unless we start really diversifying the tech industry – not just to include females but people from all walks of life – technology is never going to reach its full potential,” she said.