Bridging the Technology Skills Gap: A four-step approach to empowering Women in Tech

The Strategic Imperative

In recent years, the tech industry has made strides toward becoming more inclusive, but significant challenges remain. Women in technology continue to be underrepresented, comprising only about 25% of the workforce, with just 11% holding executive roles.

The economic implications of closing this gender gap are immense; McKinsey & Company estimates that achieving gender parity could add $12 trillion to global GDP by 2025. Addressing this issue is not just a matter of fairness, but a strategic necessity for innovation and growth.

As the Head of Operations & Talent at _nology, I’ve witnessed firsthand the transformative power of giving opportunities for women and underrepresented groups in tech. My journey from being a dancer to joining the _nology programme is a testament to the potential of career changers who bring diverse perspectives and skills to the tech industry.

Part of the Opus Talent Solutions group, we are committed to driving positive global change and providing those skills needed most in markets at the forefront of industrial and economic change. _nology was founded to help address the technology skills gap through a robust model to attract, assess, train, and support a diverse pipeline of tech professionals, focusing on women and talent from non-traditional backgrounds.

Our approach provides a more inclusive, sustainable and cost-effective solution to address the needs of organisations who are increasingly looking towards training programmes and outsourced support to address their evolving talent needs. A recent survey showed that 34% of businesses invested in internal training programmes, giving their people new skills. Moreover, 31% outsource their projects to tap into external expertise and 28% collaborate with educational institutions.

_nology’s four-step model touches on all of these factors. The IT industry needs individuals who know how to identify and solve problems; we help individuals, especially women and career changers become those problem solvers.

Attracting Diverse Talent

At _nology, 61% of our _nologists are women and non-binary, 79% are career changers, 76% belong to ethnic minorities, 71% are over 25, and 13% identify as LGBTQIA+. In comparison, only 29% of employees in the tech industry in the UK are women or non-binary, and only 25% are ethnic minorities.

We focus on connecting with passionate career changers who may have a different tech background but possess the drive and potential to excel. In addition to leveraging our strategic partnerships and extensive talent networks to reach a broader audience, we think carefully about how our marketing campaigns can be more inclusive and attract a diverse range of applications.

For example, organisations looking to attract more women can use gender-neutral language as well as imagery that reflects diversity and includes people of all genders. It is also helpful to include information about your company culture and share real stories from current employees, especially women.

Disclosing the salary range in job adverts is also integral in a candidate’s decision-making process, and including available benefits which highlight flexible working opportunities and maternity policies. Equally important, is carefully selecting where to advertise; for example, Glassdoor has earned the trust of many women.

Lastly, organisations need to support returners to come back into the workplace. Many women go through career breaks, especially before, during, and after childbirth. When you support talent to re-enter the workforce, you open up your talent pool to a broader and more diverse range of individuals.

By attracting more women and non-binary applicants and putting a support structure in place to encourage career changers and individuals re-entering the workforce, _nology is able to find vibrant, diverse thinkers who can bring fresh perspectives to organisations.

Assessing Potential Over Experience

The second step of our four-step model is assessment. Our assessment process involves competency-based aptitude testing that evaluates logic, pattern recognition, adaptive learning, perseverance, initiative, and creative problem-solving.

Research shows that problem-solving is the most valued soft skill for IT professionals to possess, according to employers, at 55%, with adaptability and teamwork & collaboration a close joint second at 52%. Other soft skills that were rated highly were effective communication (40%) and leadership (28%).

By focusing on these power skills and removing prior technical experience from the assessment criteria, we can broaden the talent pool and identify individuals with the potential to thrive in a tech role, regardless of their background.

Comprehensive Training

It is through our immersive, full-time, training programmes, tailored to meet in-demand industry skills, that our _nologist graduates gain the technical proficiency and interpersonal skills needed to succeed in diverse tech teams.

Our software development curriculum covers a range of both front-end and back-end technologies, preparing our trainees for a broad range of client environments and roles to land into. We introduce our _nologists to a range of concepts and skills, including web fundamentals (HTML/CSS), JavaScript & TypeScript (front-end), API intro and testing and React, with all _nologists becoming Java OCA certified before landing on client site. Having taught the key fundamentals of the course we then focus on the specific requirements of the role they will go into on a client site and are able adapt modules to fit with specific client demands, creating bespoke curriculums where necessary.

Ongoing Support

Besides nurturing women’s potential in tech, there is also a greater need to provide continued support and address the factors contributing to low retention rates.

Women are twice as likely to leave the tech industry than men, with 56% of women leaving after 10 to 20 years. The reasons for this include a lack of career progression opportunities, with women holding less than 11% of the top spots – as is reflected in the tech industry’s gender pay gap, which is 4.4% higher than the national average, at 16%. A lack of flexible working opportunities and poor maternity leave policies are also a contributing factor, along with company culture, with 76% of women in tech saying they have experienced gender discrimination in the workplace.

Imposter syndrome and a lack of role models and mentors are also key reasons why retention rates are so much lower for women technology professionals than for men. That is why our support continues after training and throughout a _nologist’s placement.

Our _nology Talent Success team provides continuous mentorship and technical assistance during the placement with our hiring partners, helping to boost the _nologists confidence and address any concerns at the earliest stage. This support helps our _nologists integrate seamlessly into technology teams, while reducing the reliance on on-site line managers.

Our goal is to set both the _nologist and organisation up for long-term success that can contribute to job satisfaction and, ultimately, a more inclusive and thriving workforce.

Future-Proofing Teams

_nology’s four-step approach has proven effective in helping clients diversify their teams and build a strong pipeline of technology professionals. For decision-makers looking to future-proof their business through diverse tech talent, _nology also offers several solutions:

_nologists on Demand: A ready-to-work talent pool of entry-level Software, Cloud, Data, and QA engineers
Bespoke Training: Tailored training programs to meet specific tech stack, project needs, and company culture
Staff Retraining: Upskilling existing employees to be redeployed into digital teams
Junior & Senior Pods: Supply of highly skilled senior tech talent alongside _nologists for additional support

By addressing the technology skills gap and fostering diversity and inclusion, _nology is transforming careers and driving innovation and growth on a global scale. Learn more about how we can help you power a more sustainable and inclusive future.