The rapid pace of technological change and innovation in the UK’s IT and computing industry has shifted the talent landscape. It’s created thousands of new job opportunities, especially for talent with a range of digital skillsets. However, while the technology remains one step ahead, the sector’s diversity significantly lags behind.
Dr Mohammed Rehman, Head of School of Computing at Arden University, unpicks the diversity challenges facing IT and computing in the UK, while exploring the critical role education must play to restore balance.
Gender imbalance
Women are fundamentally underrepresented in the IT and computing industry. Presently, just 27% of technology roles are filled by women, and only 27.1% of managers and leaders in tech are female. What’s even more concerning, however, is that these figures are downward trending; pre pandemic, women held almost 29% of tech roles.
Inevitably, getting the right qualifications to join the IT and computing industry’s talent pool starts with education. However, females remain outnumbered throughout STEM education – with only 35% of students choosing to study STEM subjects beyond GCSE level, and only 25% of graduates in the field being female.
Traditionally, STEM subjects have long been male-dominated, which can be off-putting for females leaving secondary school. Alongside this, traditional career routes into the tech industry can sometimes reinforce stereotypes, whether that be around gender, age, or personality, for example. However, in truth, anyone can join the industry – they just need access to gain the relevant qualifications, skills or experience.
Underrepresentation for ethnic minorities
Another of the sector’s most prominent diversity issues lies with its lack of representation for ethnic minorities. Although this has improved significantly in recent years, from just 3% in 2015 to 19%, there’s still a way to go.
When looking earlier in the talent chain at education, in the academic year 2021/2022, only 12.9% of undergraduate entrants were from an Asian background, 8.5% were Black, 4.5% from a mixed ethnic background, and 2.3% from other minority ethnic groups. When looking at postgraduate entrants, those percentages fall to 10.2%, 6.6%, 3.7% and 2% respectively.
One key reason behind this disparity is that those from underrepresented or disadvantaged backgrounds will often choose to go to university later in life. This may be as a result of them having other commitments, such as a need to care for their family (financially or otherwise), and therefore choose to focus on these above higher education. Or, alternatively, they may be first generation students, and as a result, have less support and guidance to continue their education journey. This means that it is often only later in life, when they have the time, money and experience, that they will consider working towards a degree.
What needs to change?
Change must start with educational institutions. To broaden diversity in the sector’s talent pool, education institutions offering courses relating to IT and computing need to focus on appealing to a wider range of students, including mature students. Considering how to embed flexibility into learning is key. For example, that could be by enabling students to learn at times that suit them, such as weekends or evenings, or by allowing them to pause their education journey and pick it up again without having to wait until the start of the next academic year.
Ultimately, higher education systems need to develop courses that are more welcoming to underrepresented demographics. Offering grants and scholarships is all well and good, but flexibility and a willingness to evolve traditional forms of teaching and assessments to meet different learner requirements and showcase different learner skillsets is key.
With IT and computing’s diversity issues being long-standing, it can be difficult for women and ethnic minorities to find examples of people who look like them, or share a similar background, who are succeeding in the industry. As such, educators also need to showcase a wider range of student success stories to help those from underrepresented backgrounds to visualise and truly believe in their career path through the industry.
Additionally, partnering with organisations to offer more work experience opportunities to women or ethnic minorities, or encouraging them to participate in STEM lectures or events, will help to strengthen awareness and open mindsets to the possibility of a career in tech.
Although businesses still have a critical role to play, tackling gender and ethnic disparities in IT and computing has to start with education. Only by attracting a wider range of students and ensuring they have a strong foundational skillset, and by exposing them to the amazing career possibilities IT and computing has to offer, will we start to close the sector’s long-standing diversity gap.
