Why Digital Roles?

Technology and financial and professional services employers are experiencing significant vacancies in digital roles, which could potentially be filled by hiring more women at the mid-career level. Through attracting and reskilling women to meet the needs of this growing job market, there is an opportunity to support greater UK growth and innovation, providing a tangible benefit for employers.  

Digital talent shortages are widespread across all sectors of the economy. However, women are still frequently overlooked for these roles, even as the demand for skilled professionals grows. Data from DCMS indicates that there are over 400,000 specialist roles vacant within the financial and professional services sectors alone. These unfilled positions result in a loss of £6.3 billion annually for the UK, as reported by techUK.

Despite the high vacancy rates, in the artificial intelligence and data science fields, less than 25% of employees are women, according to the Alan Turing Institute. Additionally, women are more likely to be in lower wage and less technical roles compared to men.

According to Makers, a training provider for digital roles, if we wait for girls to come through traditional university pathways, it would take 50 years to achieve gender equity in the digital workforce.

For years, organisations have recognised the need to address the lack of equity in technology and digital sectors. Despite efforts to close this gap, significant challenges remain, particularly concerning skills shortages and the underrepresentation of women. Reskilling women and underrepresented groups is a cost-effective solution to the current digital skills shortage. Businesses that invest in this talent pool see long-term returns in productivity, innovation, and employee retention.

Watch this clip from our Co-Chair Sheridan Ash to see why change is needed.