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Published April 12, 2023 | Version v1
Conference paper Open

Women in Information and Communication Technology: Creating Opportunities for Career Changers Towards IT and IT-Mixed Professions

  • 1. University of Bremen

Description

Context: Women are underrepresented in IT at all professional levels. This fact stands contrary to the growing capacity shortage within the whole sector. Different factors hinder women to enter IT professions, such as a lack of qualification, care and family tasks or a kind of clichés that hinder the industry being attractive. A high percentage of part-time employments or a significant gender-pay gap are one aspect of the disadvantage, another comes from missing digital-confidence and, through that, a lack of participation opportunities for women. A way to challenge the future skills shortage is to encourage and enable marginalised women to take up careers in the IT sector. This research aims to identify relevant factors that support this process.

Approach: In focus groups with IT companies and regional employment agencies were carried out. Moreover, women from the target group at two different stages of professional development were inquired. The data was analysed following the social area approach in order to identify relevant factors in the lining and potential learning environment of the target group.

Findings: Results show a number of hindering factors, such as a lack of structures within companies or public organisations to either professionally involve newbies in IT or counseling for women interested in the sector. Women are both, afraid of and highly engaged in trying. Other promising factors are the will of companies to involve more women and the readiness of public bodies to contribute.

Conclusions: Solutions to reach more women for IT can be seen in creating networks including economic and public sector, organised exchange, expansion of counseling and specific transition education offers and transparency of pathways and joint promotion campaigns. The research is limited by a small sample.

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Kühn CB 2023 Women in ICT.pdf

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