The rise of women in tech: Shrinking the Skills Gap

The technology industry has been making steady progress in terms of gender diversity. Women's representation in the industry is gradually improving, narrowing the gender gap. This development is a positive indicator of the industry's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

In fact, according to Deloitte , by 2022, large global tech firms are predicted to have nearly 33% women representation in their workforce, an increase of over 2 percentage points from 2019.

While women in technical and leadership roles still have a bit of catching up to do compared to the overall proportion of women in the industry, they are actually progressing at a faster rate.?

Deloitte estimates that women's share in the global tech workforce has increased by 6.9% from 2019 to 2022, with an impressive 11.7% growth in their share of technical roles. And here's the exciting part: the proportion of women in leadership roles has seen the fastest growth, with an estimated gain of nearly 20%.

Even in North America, the tech, media, and telecommunications industries are making strides. It currently has one of the highest percentages of women occupying seats on the board, second only to the consumer industry. In 2018, 17.4% of board seats were held by women, but now it's 25%. California and Washington have played a big part in this progress, thanks to board diversity legislation in states with lots of tech companies.

Companies like HP aim for 50% gender equality in director-level roles and above by 2030, while 英特尔 wants to double the number of women and underrepresented minorities in senior leadership positions by the same year.

While progress is being made, there's still work to be done. Around 67% of tech workers in the UK believe women are the answer to bridging the tech talent gap, yet only 40% stated their company has a plan to improve the gender split in their IT teams, according to HRNEWS .

According to a report by World Economic Forum , 150 million new technology jobs will be created globally over the next five years, with 77% of all jobs requiring digital skills by 2030.

To address the skills gap and ensure future readiness for emerging technologies, it’s crucial to tap into the vast potential of women in technology. By encouraging and empowering women to pursue careers in tech, we could help bridge the skills gap and unlock benefits for individuals, companies, and society at large.

Enabling change: Steps toward bridging the gap

Tech companies must commit to a holistic diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategy. Creating an inclusive culture is crucial for attracting and retaining a diverse workforce.?

Metrics, transparency, and accountability are also important. Companies should identify diversity goals, track their progress, and be transparent about the results. This way, they can learn from what's working and what's not and make improvements.

Tech companies can establish various programs to hire, retain, and promote women. Apprenticeships and training programs can help upskill individuals without traditional tech backgrounds. Mentorship and development opportunities, along with gender targets for promotions, can also support the advancement of women in the industry.

Companies should offer flexible work arrangements to accommodate individual needs. Parental support, including affordable child care and parental leave policies, can help achieve gender balance.

Recommended reading: Bridging talent gaps: How skills management platforms are shaping modern businesses

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Written by: Alexandra Paasch