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Number of Women Studying Computer Skills in ­.K. Falls by a Third


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A young woman studies coding.

The number of female students in the U.K. who took the General Certificate of Secondary Education exam in computing or information and communications technology fell from 2014 to 2018, mirroring a decline of in the number of women working as professional

Credit: Information Age

The number of female students in the U.K. who took the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) in computing or information and communications technology (ICT) fell from 52,835 in 2014 to 35,103 in 2018, according to an analysis by the Joint Council for Qualifications, an organization representing the seven largest educational qualification providers in the U.K.

This decline in female students mirrors the decline of women as professional software developers in the U.K., which fell in number for the first time this decade from 308,000 in 2016 to 292,000 in 2017.

In response to these declines, coding training provider Makers launched a new apprenticeship program designed to be as inclusive as possible, aiming to train hundreds of women in the coming months.

Makers' COO Ruben Kostucki says, "Diversity can't be an afterthought in the digital economy, and it is never too late to learn to code and consider a career switch."

From Information Age (U.K.)
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Abstracts Copyright © 2018 Information Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, USA


 

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