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| Version 6 | Version 7 |
|---|---|
| Coding: Female engineers deleting myth that tech is for men | Coding: Female engineers deleting myth that tech is for men |
| (3 months later) | |
| Growing up, Zoe Thomas never thought she could work in computing | Growing up, Zoe Thomas never thought she could work in computing |
| Growing up, Zoe Thomas never thought she could work in computing | Growing up, Zoe Thomas never thought she could work in computing |
| "I foolishly thought coding was for men good at maths." | "I foolishly thought coding was for men good at maths." |
| Zoe Thomas, 29, from Caerphilly, felt she needed a new challenge but never thought she could work with computers. | Zoe Thomas, 29, from Caerphilly, felt she needed a new challenge but never thought she could work with computers. |
| But after taking evening classes in coding she switched careers from customer service to software engineering for an insurance firm. | But after taking evening classes in coding she switched careers from customer service to software engineering for an insurance firm. |
| Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show that women make up 31% of staff in the wider technology industry. | Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show that women make up 31% of staff in the wider technology industry. |
| But for software developers, web design professionals and data analysts, the proportion is far lower at just 18%. | But for software developers, web design professionals and data analysts, the proportion is far lower at just 18%. |
| Brownies to learn coding to get girls into science | Brownies to learn coding to get girls into science |
| 100-year-old woman back in class learning IT | 100-year-old woman back in class learning IT |
| What can we do to get more women into coding? | What can we do to get more women into coding? |
| "I never thought I could do it, but it's honestly the best decision I've ever made," said Zoe. | "I never thought I could do it, but it's honestly the best decision I've ever made," said Zoe. |
| "Because I studied media, psychology and English at A-level I just didn't think I'd end up here," explained Zoe, who works for Veygo Insurance in Cardiff. | "Because I studied media, psychology and English at A-level I just didn't think I'd end up here," explained Zoe, who works for Veygo Insurance in Cardiff. |
| "I now help make the website function, adding features and sorting any problems that arise, and I really love it." | "I now help make the website function, adding features and sorting any problems that arise, and I really love it." |
| Zoe Thomas studied media, psychology and English at A-level so she did not expect to end up having a career in IT | Zoe Thomas studied media, psychology and English at A-level so she did not expect to end up having a career in IT |
| Companies across the UK want more women like Zoe to work in the technology sector. | Companies across the UK want more women like Zoe to work in the technology sector. |
| More than 7,500 people work for insurance firm Admiral, which is based in Cardiff, but most of its technology staff are men. | More than 7,500 people work for insurance firm Admiral, which is based in Cardiff, but most of its technology staff are men. |
| Admiral's director of IT, Christine Theodore, said the sector was so fast growing it was vital more women enter the industry. | Admiral's director of IT, Christine Theodore, said the sector was so fast growing it was vital more women enter the industry. |
| Christine Theodore, from Admiral Insurance, says women can and should be leaders in technology | Christine Theodore, from Admiral Insurance, says women can and should be leaders in technology |
| "These continue to be the skills of the future," she said. "People shouldn't shy away from it, these skills can be taught. | "These continue to be the skills of the future," she said. "People shouldn't shy away from it, these skills can be taught. |
| "I've been in IT for most of my professional life and I feel really passionate that women can definitely be in leadership positions." | "I've been in IT for most of my professional life and I feel really passionate that women can definitely be in leadership positions." |
| Admiral has been working with several companies to appeal to more women, including the social enterprise Code First Girls. | Admiral has been working with several companies to appeal to more women, including the social enterprise Code First Girls. |
| It works with more than 100 businesses across the UK to teach women to code, including Zoe. | It works with more than 100 businesses across the UK to teach women to code, including Zoe. |
| Zoe started to learn coding though a program called Code First Girls | Zoe started to learn coding though a program called Code First Girls |
| Code First Girls CEO Anna Brailsford said there was a danger "labelling" girls in school could have a detrimental effect on their confidence. | Code First Girls CEO Anna Brailsford said there was a danger "labelling" girls in school could have a detrimental effect on their confidence. |
| What is coding? | What is coding? |
| Coding is a set of instructions used to tell devices such as computers, mobile phones and even traffic lights and aeroplanes what to do. | Coding is a set of instructions used to tell devices such as computers, mobile phones and even traffic lights and aeroplanes what to do. |
| People who work in coding say it's like learning a language that tells the computer what you want it to do. | People who work in coding say it's like learning a language that tells the computer what you want it to do. |
| Coders, or programmers, are people who write the programs behind everything we see and do on a computer. | Coders, or programmers, are people who write the programs behind everything we see and do on a computer. |
| Girls outperform boys in IT at both A-level and GCSE, a Welsh government-commissioned report found, but far fewer girls choose to study the subject. | Girls outperform boys in IT at both A-level and GCSE, a Welsh government-commissioned report found, but far fewer girls choose to study the subject. |
| Aisha Arshad, 32, from Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, has always worked in IT and studied it at A-level at school. | Aisha Arshad, 32, from Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, has always worked in IT and studied it at A-level at school. |
| She now works in coding for Admiral, collating information so performance can be analysed. | She now works in coding for Admiral, collating information so performance can be analysed. |
| Aisha Arshad, a coder for Admiral insurance, says she loves IT despite often hearing how her job is "male-dominated" | Aisha Arshad, a coder for Admiral insurance, says she loves IT despite often hearing how her job is "male-dominated" |
| "When I tell people about my job I often hear 'oh, it's a very male-dominated career'," she said. | "When I tell people about my job I often hear 'oh, it's a very male-dominated career'," she said. |
| "But I love it. It's not the same boring thing day in day out," she explained. "I'm doing one thing one day, and then completely different problem-solving the next day." | "But I love it. It's not the same boring thing day in day out," she explained. "I'm doing one thing one day, and then completely different problem-solving the next day." |
| HOW THIS BLIND GIRL...: How will Ceri manage returning to the dating scene? | HOW THIS BLIND GIRL...: How will Ceri manage returning to the dating scene? |
| BAFTA CYMRU WINNERS: Celebrate the best television from Wales | BAFTA CYMRU WINNERS: Celebrate the best television from Wales |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Computing | Computing |
| Wales | |
| Cardiff | Cardiff |
| Women | Women |
| Computer programming | Computer programming |