Diversifying the tech sector starts with early careers

Having worked in the early careers space for over a decade, I’ve always loved working with young people and supporting them in taking the first step of what is hopefully a long and fulfilling career. 

My prior work experience has spanned placing graduates into digital roles across London to working with enterprise employers on how to achieve their diversity and inclusion initiatives, with a particular focus on junior talent. 

Especially during the latter years of my experience, one thing has become clear – the need for better representation across the workforce; one that is truly representative of the society we live in. And in no sector is this more stark than technology, with just 10% of tech professionals female and 4% from a minority ethnic background. Whilst this is something that most businesses strive to achieve across their organisations, the reality of how to do so on a fair basis remains challenging. 

It is exactly this that sits at the heart of the Digital Futures mission, and why I am so excited to be joining the team. The business was founded as a direct response to the need for greater diversity, opportunity for all and digital skills within tech teams across the UK. We are passionate about bridging the technical skills gap by giving our clients access to top early careers talent, and doing so by optimising our recruitment process to ensure we are attracting more women and those from minority backgrounds to our Academy programmes, with the objective of creating greater parity and equal opportunity for all. 

From a personal perspective, my role at Digital Futures will allow me to combine my previous experience to date by working with employers to engage the qualified, diverse talent needed for their tech teams, in addition to supporting young professionals into fulfilling and future-focused careers – especially those for whom a pathway into technology may have previously seemed inaccessible. 

If you’re interested to learn more about what we are doing at Digital Futures and how we are working with employers, don’t hesitate in reaching out.