Minister says all departments will sign Tech Talent Charter to promote more employment for women in public sector technology
All of the UK Government is to get behind the cause of bringing more women into the technology industry by signing up to the Tech Talent Charter.
Digital and Culture Secretary Matt Hancock said that other departments have agreed to follow the path set by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). Speaking at a reception held by the All Party Parliamentary Group on the Fourth Industrial Revolution, he said it would be part of “using the talents of the whole nation”.
The charter involves a number of pledges aimed at dealing with the gender imbalance in technology, including the adoption of an inclusive recruitment process, ensuring it has relevant employment policies and practices in place, and contributing employment diversity data to a central database.
In a further move, Minister for Digital and Creative Industries Margot James will write to major tech firms asking them to sign up to the charter.
125 sign-ups
Hancock said: “We recently launched the Tech Talent Charter and more than 125 companies have signed a pledge to take concrete measures to improve the gender diversity of their tech workforce.
“It is essential the public sector leads the way in driving this change and today I can announce every Government department will be signing the charter.
“Cracking the challenge is in part about changing the education system but it's also about changing the culture and opening up.
“So the minister for digital will also be writing to major tech firms asking them to sign up. This will help galvanise support for the charter so everyone has the opportunity to fill the fantastic jobs available.”
Image from Garry Knight, CC BY 2.0 through flickr
