Professional services firm PwC is launching the skills programme for school children, Tech She Can, in the Welsh language for the first time.
Tech She Can was launched by PwC and 17 other organisations in 2018 to address a lack of female representation in the field of technology. It developed an award-winning schools programme to inspire children, especially girls, about careers in technology. PwC now delivers a broad range of programmes to children aged 5 – 14.
At Ysgol Gymraeg Pwll Coch in Leckwith, Cardiff, PwC manager Geraint Worgan will lead a session exploring how technology is used to help people, with examples such as the emergency services used. This lesson will be delivered to three Year 5 and 6 classes totalling approximately 80 children.
PwC recently announced the creation of 1,000 roles in Cardiff over the next five years, with a strong focus on social mobility and inclusion. As part of the programme, which is supported by the Welsh Government, PwC is investing heavily in its inclusion programme in Wales, which includes its outreach programmes for schoolchildren and refugees, in addition to broader community engagements across South Wales.
John-Paul Barker, PwC’s Regional Market Leader for Wales and the West of England, said:
“We’ve got an ambitious recruitment agenda here in Cardiff, and to support that we are finding ways to increase the breadth, and the diversity, of the communities we reach through our social mobility programmes, whether they are in schools, religious centres, youth centres or anywhere else.
“PwC has delivered this programme in English across the UK since 2018; and I’m proud that we’re now able to deliver them to children in Welsh-medium schools too. These programmes are fundamentally about increasing inclusion, so it is fitting and important that we are now able to include children who learn in the Welsh language.”
Geraint Worgan, who led the programme at Ysgol Gymraeg Pwll Coch, said:
“It’s so exciting to be able to stand in front of a class of children and speak to them in Welsh about the world of technology and professional services. By delivering these courses in Welsh, we’re demonstrating that a career in technology is a possibility for these children too.”
Samantha Sampson, Deputy Headteacher at Ysgol Gymraeg Pwll Coch, said:
“As a school, we are very excited to begin our partnership with PwC. In an ever-changing world where technology plays an important part in our pupils’ everyday lives, it is crucial for them to gain an understanding of its benefits. With an emphasis placed on Careers in the Curriculum for Wales, this project provides an insight into how Technology is used across many sectors.”
