Empowering Girls in STEM for International Women’s Day 2024

March 8 marks International Women’s Day, a yearly celebration recognising the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. At Tier 2 Consulting, we are proud to sponsor initiatives that promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects to empower and guide young girls towards rewarding STEM careers.

Written by Charlotte Tyrer, Marketing Officer, Tier 2 Consulting.

Throughout the UK (and internationally), there is widespread and ongoing concern regarding the inadequate uptake of young women in STEM-related subjects. In the tech industry alone, women are the minority, and this follows suit for every STEM sector, with women making up only 29.4% of the workforce. Factors contributing to this trend include a lack of visible role models and support, misconceptions about the nature of STEM careers, and the perception of STEM fields as male-dominated. Additionally, girls can often feel like they don’t belong in certain fields, so they tend to choose subjects traditionally associated with their gender. As a result, a skills gap is emerging in the workforce. However, it’s not just about missing out on talent – industries are also suffering from the lack of a diverse workforce.

One effective way to address this issue is by sparking interest in STEM subjects early on, especially during critical stages of education. An organisation which does this brilliantly is educational charity STEMPOINT, of which Tier 2 is a proud partner. I recently attended an exciting initiative organised by STEMPOINT, ‘Computing For Girls’, sponsored by Tier 2. The event welcomed girls in Year 8 and 9 from 14 local schools interested in computing and science, aiming to inspire and encourage them in making their GCSE choices.

During the event, the students experimented with coding, VEX robotics and website building. They explored hands-on with Micro:bit computers and crafted code in Microsoft MakeCode to safeguard a precious diamond within a high-tech safe. In a VEX robotics programming workshop, they honed their skills in manoeuvring robots along designated paths using Scratch. They also received a cloud computing lesson in website construction from Dauda Barry, STEM ambassador and founder of Adama Robotics.

Throughout the session, students had the opportunity to interact with inspirational STEM ambassadors, many of whom were women – including myself. These ambassadors shared firsthand insights into diverse STEM careers and pathways.

The feedback from the participants was highly positive, with students expressing their enjoyment in learning about the real-world problems software developers solve, highlighting how friendly the organisers and STEM ambassadors were. A few even expressed newfound interest in pursuing Computer Science for their GCSEs, with 8% of the students saying they were more likely to choose Computer Science as a GCSE than before they took part in the event.

Teachers from the schools shared similar thoughts, noting how the event played a significant role in inspiring students to consider STEM subjects for their future academic endeavours.

Through Tier 2’s sponsorship of the ‘Computing for Girls’ event, STEMPOINT were able to engage 143 female students, providing hands-on computing activities and introducing them to inspiring role models in the STEM field. The charity also tracks student progress to assess the impact of these activities on their educational choices.

The success of these events highlights the importance of dedicated outreach activities within schools from charities such as STEMPOINT and the need for more opportunities to encourage girls to pursue STEM subjects. Closing the gender gap will bolster STEM-enabled growth and innovation while improving the economy as vacancies can become filled from a wider pool of female talent. Although there has been recent improvement, with girls now comprising half of science A-level entries in biology, chemistry, and physics, there is still work to be done to narrow the gender gap, particularly as girls go into higher education and beyond.

Tier 2 Consulting is delighted to extend its support to STEMPOINT throughout the upcoming year, including continued involvement in events and the sponsorship of workshops aimed at inspiring the next generation to explore the world of STEM.

Note: It is important to note that International Women’s Day also advocates for enhancing gender parity.