A free flagship event, which will support women in South Wales into roles in tech, will be held at the DVLA in Swansea later this week.  

The New Futures Women in Tech event, which is organised by gender equality charity Chwarae Teg, will be hosted by the DVLA on Thursday 20 April. It will bring a whole host of employers, training providers and inspirational speakers together and deliver interactive workshops which will enable women to explore career opportunities in technology.

The event forms part of Chwarae Teg’s New Futures pilot which provides free technical training, career development support and links with employers for women wanting to switch careers into the tech industry in Cardiff, Swansea, Bridgend, and the Vale.

The initiative will see Chwarae Teg working with FinTech Wales and in partnership with Code First Girls and the Open University in Wales to address the under-representation of women specifically in tech and digital roles. Currently women dominate in sectors and occupations that are at high risk of digitalisation and the demand for digital innovation has increased since the pandemic. Without active interventions, the sector is likely to embed the same structural inequalities as others dominated by men – locking women out of one of the fastest growing industries in the 21st Century.

Women need no major qualifications to sign up for the event, just a keenness to switch their career to one in technology. Support can even be provided with transport and childcare costs.

Interested women can find out more and book a place at the event at https://kont.ly/2cc49da3 

New Futures is led by Learning and Work Institute and funded by the Covid-19 Support Fund.

Bethan Baldwin, New Futures Project Manager, Chwarae Teg, said:

“Careers in tech exist in fast growing industries, they are careers of the future, and they are well paid roles. We don’t want women missing out on these opportunities and there is a demand there from employers in tech to have more women within their workforces. Therefore, this event is specifically designed to link all parties together so that women can access career pathways in the digital sectors and employers are drawn to a wide pool of potential talent. Having the DVLA as hosts is fantastic as they already work hard to attract women into their technical roles.”

Amy Taaffe-Evans – Head of IT Controls at DVLA, said:

“We are delighted to be hosting the New Futures event alongside Chwarae Teg to support women in South Wales into the Digital and Technology Sector. Roles within this sector offer women excellent opportunities with higher-than-average remuneration packages and the ability to gain sought after skills in a dynamic and exciting industry.

“As a major employer in the region, DVLA is committed to growing our digital, data and technology talent to ensure we have the skills and capability to continue delivering our innovative digital services. A diverse workforce is essential for this, which is why we are actively encouraging women in the region to come along to the event to learn more about the skills and knowledge required in the Digital and Technology Sector.”

Emily Jones, Deputy Director, Learning and Work Institute, said:

“We’re really pleased to be working with Chwarae Teg on this exciting pilot, funded by the Covid-19 Support Fund. Support to reskill is so important to ensure that women don’t miss out on careers in tech and employers benefit from their talent. This inspiring event hosted by DVLA is a great opportunity for women in South Wales to hear about the types of jobs available, the skills that local tech employers are looking for, and how they can access support.”