Digital firms back careers event to give students a taste of the tech world

Female students from nine schools across Birmingham have been introduced to opportunities within the tech industry, with help from volunteers from digital firms across the West Midlands.

The #GirlTechBrum event is aimed at raising aspirations and helping women aged 12 – 13 years old explore careers in the digital and tech sectors, through a series of interactive careers panels, workshops and guest speakers, supported by a range of businesses.

The event was funded by the Millennium Point Charitable Trust and supported by social enterprise Ahead Partnership. #GirlTechBrum is part of Ahead Partnership’s Make the Grade programme, which has supported more than 150,000 young people to date with real-life, hands-on experiences, delivered by local employers.

More than 120 pupils attended the event at the Millennium Point building, with guest speeches from Melissa Snover, MD of the world’s first 3D sweet printer Magic Candy, and Faye Pressly, COO at technology solutions provider Vanti.

Students also participated in a range of workshops from Codemasters, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, Legal & General, InMoment, Lander Automotive and PwC, covering a range of topics including financial crime, UX and customer intelligence, before posing their own questions to a panel of female role models in STEM.

Stephanie Burras, CEO of Ahead Partnership, said: “We’re delighted to have been able to support students in Birmingham through this event, which is really helping to deliver the skills needed in such a thriving sector. We worked closely with the Millennium Point Charitable Trust and business community to design activities that will have tangible impact for students and help demonstrate what it’s like to work in tech to young females and demonstrate the wide range of career paths available.

“The tech industry is already one of the most important for the UK and the outcome of events such as #GirltechBrum has been fantastic to date – it is important that businesses continue to support these initiatives, so we can reach further young people and continue to make a difference across Birmingham and the surrounding areas.”