When did IT techs jobs, stop becoming male dominated?

[Pottsey]

There seem to be a lot of females about in recent years and it got me thinking when did the job of IT tech stop being male dominated and what changed to get females interested?

 

Now I have nothing against female IT techs as the ones I have met are just as good as the males and know their stuff. Just curious as why in the past few years the balance between male and female is so much better. What’s changed?

 

What got me thinking was the last job I left a lady took over form me, the school I am at now had a lady before me and the last training course I went to had me as the only male there. Now that was a shocker. That and I bumped into some female IT techs while horse riding.

 

Gone are the days of computers being male only toys.

[SpuffMonkey]

Funny - I've found it the other way round - always had women in my teams through the 1990s (though in other industries), don't think we even had an application from a woman in the last couple of rounds of vacancies for techies here.

[Ueline]

I think your experience is very unusual. I have been a female IT for 5yrs now and I am always the only woman on courses etc. Maybe it's a regional thing?

[torledo]

I think your experience is very unusual. I have been a female IT for 5yrs now and I am always the only woman on courses etc. Maybe it's a regional thing?

 

I was under the impression that IT support was still very much a male dominated area, with women vastly underrepresented. It surprises me and gives me optimisim that there quite a few female contributors on the forum. But I still think there should be more opportunities for women in IT support, beyond the helpdesk in more technical troubleshooting and managerial roles.

[ChrisC]

I think the situation could just be random and more balanced than we thought.

 

I would just put it down to peoples interests in computing etc, if you're good at it why not?

 

Then again, there has always been a stigma on being in IT anyway, maybe that puts people off?

 

Chris

[localzuk]

When I was at lancaster uni, there were about a dozen girls out of the 200 or so people on the course. In ISS, the it support dept, there were maybe half a dozen out of the 100 staff - and about half a dozen in the part time staff (there were about 20 total).

 

So my experience is that it is very much male dominated still.

 

I think one of the things that causes this is that women who are capable of working in ICT are generally smart enough to spot that it is a moderately boring career in the long run and look for something more interesting

[Halfmad]

our local council has women in the minority by a long way but oddly enough every single one of them is in a promoted post of some kind. I wouldn't mind but you could tell some were promoted over more capable men because of gender.

[ChrisC]

that's where the whole situation gets a bit messy....

 

Chris

[Ueline]

...and you have to ask why there are not many women in ICT? ...you probably think every woman has to sleep with someone to get a decent job..

[Joanne]

i want out of IT... it is very dull!

 

{Merged - Please use the edit button - Z}

 

i want to be on radio or tv.... however IT pays the bills...

[ZeroHour]

I think that in *general* woman dont have the same interest as men in IT. I am not saying there are not any, or that they dont have the skills to do it, more just that most women dont see it as the job for them. After all men and women are significantly different in many ways so its understandable that we don't find the same jobs appealing. I just get annoyed at things that actively state that we MUST get more woman in IT. I ask why?

Whats suddenly wrong with men in IT?

Why try to push woman down at path that generally they dont seem to find appealing. Its one thing to inform but another to push.

Also where is the push to get men into nursing or any other female dominated industry?

It just seems like sexism reversed.

[torledo]

I think that in *general* woman dont have the same interest as men in IT. I am not saying there are not any, or that they dont have the skills to do it, more just that most women dont see it as the job for them. After all men and women are significantly different in many ways so its understandable that we don't find the same jobs appealing. I just get annoyed at things that actively state that we MUST get more woman in IT. I ask why?

Whats suddenly wrong with men in IT?

Why try to push woman down at path that generally they dont seem to find appealing. Its one thing to inform but another to push.

Also where is the push to get men into nursing or any other female dominated industry?

It just seems like sexism reversed.

 

What's wrong with pursuing the goal of attracting people who are underrepresented, how do you know there ISN'T a push for men in nursing from the NHS and government, just as certain councils are lacking ethnic minorities or woman in certain key areas - so they welcome applications from those people. Plus who the hell is 'pushing' women to become IT professionals ? Do you see advertising campaigns extolling the virtues of being an IT tech (like that bs teacher recruitment ads) ?

Do we have celeberity IT professionals (like the glamourous worlds of cooking or property development) , or is it councils and schools careers advisers hatching an insideous plot to undermine all-male IT departments

by forcing young women who'd rather do something less boring into the world of the basement dwelling IT techs....btw my job is the least boring thing i've ever done (maybe that's a male thing but women can have the same ambitions and interests as men so it's not totally alien to think that there are a lot of women who'd enjoy the role if they worked in the right environment and had the right mentors.)

 

Please enlighten me with other crackpot theories like 'sexism reversed'

[Joanne]

all the dust and air con plays havoc with my skin

 

Or maybe it's just that any woman who is good at stuff like maths, science and computers goes into the better paid proffessions... or becomes a teacher...

 

or maybe we should just not care and get on with it!

[ZeroHour]

torledo your post is very confrontational to say the least.

But I still think there should be more opportunities for women in IT support, beyond the helpdesk in more technical troubleshooting and managerial roles.

So are you saying they cant hack helpdesks?

how do you know there ISN'T a push for men in nursing from the NHS and government

They dont appear to be pushing it hard in our school at least. Anyway it was a EXAMPLE!

just as certain councils are lacking ethnic minorities or woman in certain key areas - so they welcome applications from those people

That I think is wrong. Sex/Race should not be considered as any factor for a job. If they apply then its good but I hate this hiring to meet the numbers stuff (and it does happen, funnily its not a perfect world). It should be the right PERSON for the job and the other factors should be ignored!

Plus who the hell is 'pushing' women to become IT professionals ?

Our school is trying to get more into IT (using things like CC4G - and where is CC4B then!) and if you read magazines such as IT Week etc you will regularly see articles stating about how we *MUST* get more woman in IT. Just because there are not a huge amount of woman in IT is it such a problem.

Do you see advertising campaigns extolling the virtues of being an IT tech

There are ad's on the tv promoting training in IT at least.

maybe that's a male thing but women can have the same ambitions and interests as men so it's not totally alien to think that there are a lot of women who'd enjoy the role if they worked in the right environment and had the right mentors.

I said "Generally" not ALL.

 

I dont have any problems with woman in IT, the more the merrier. I just hate the push to ensure they choose it as a job.

[witch]

What they are actually doing is trying to SHOW girls about IT and explain what it is and how much fun it can be! You can't make someone follow a career they don't want to but there is an issue about how some subjects 'look' to young people today. It is the same in such subjects as fabric and food, the boys tend not to even consider them and the schools are trying to show them how they can be interesting.

I am pleased to see more women on this forum - quite a few are self taught in primary schools. There is no way though that IT isnt still dominated by men.

I am one of the exceptions - I studied electronics a long time ago and had computers have been common then, I would have studied them too!

You should never employ someone on the basis of their sex, race, age or whatever but it is important to stress that the environment is conducive to all types - unlike the old engineering male environment which could be absolute HELL for women. And I know, I worked in several.

[Guest Guest]

What's wrong with pursuing the goal of attracting people who are underrepresented, how do you know there ISN'T a push for men in nursing from the NHS and government, just as certain councils are lacking ethnic minorities or woman in certain key areas - so they welcome applications from those people. Plus who the hell is 'pushing' women to become IT professionals ? Do you see advertising campaigns extolling the virtues of being an IT tech (like that bs teacher recruitment ads) ?

Do we have celeberity IT professionals (like the glamourous worlds of cooking or property development) , or is it councils and schools careers advisers hatching an insideous plot to undermine all-male IT departments

by forcing young women who'd rather do something less boring into the world of the basement dwelling IT techs....btw my job is the least boring thing i've ever done (maybe that's a male thing but women can have the same ambitions and interests as men so it's not totally alien to think that there are a lot of women who'd enjoy the role if they worked in the right environment and had the right mentors.)

 

Please enlighten me with other crackpot theories like 'sexism reversed'

 

Howay, dont be so pedantic.

 

An ex girlfriend of mine was "pushed" into the electrician trade. She openly admitted that she knew her gender give her a massive head start in a male demonated trade. Her dad knew it too and pushed her into it. Shes since quit as it wasnt for her, especially as it involved LOTS of heavy lifting etc which she, as a averagely built female, couldnt hack. Surerly her employer knew this when they took her on, so that begs the question "why did they take her on?"

Theres plenty more examples but i think that will surfice. So does that enlighten you on "sexism reversed"?

 

Its just the same as racism reversed. In companies with few ethnics they actively look for people of ethnic desent to forfill equality statistics. Now im not saying ethnics or females or ethnic females shouldnt get jobs, all im saying is it shouldnt matter who you are, if you are good enough for the job your good enough for the job. Employers shouldnt feel compeled to employ people based on equality "quotas".

[elsiegee40]

Like WITCH I've been in this business for years. I got my BSc Computer computing degree from Lancaster Uni in the early 80s - yes we did use punch cards. The first PC - no Windows - came in during my last year there.

 

I'm old enough to be unfazed by the men v women thing and have been the one of few woman in a male environment for years with various employers. It was difficult at first, male bosses didn't have the slightest idea about concepts like maternity leave. Employment law and attitudes have changed and there really shouldn't need to be a debate like this.

 

I think the thing most likely to put women off IT is reading threads like this. Some PEOPLE enjoy technical stuff, some don't. Nobody enjoys be pointed out as different; whether that's their gender, race, creed, colour or age.

 

Come on guys don't scare off the newbies - of either gender.

[ChrisC]

I just stick with if you enjoy it and are good at it, then gender/race shouldn't be an issue.

 

Chris

[ZeroHour]

I think the thing most likely to put women off IT is reading threads like this. Some PEOPLE enjoy technical stuff, some don't. Nobody enjoys be pointed out as different; whether that's their gender, race, creed, colour or age.

 

Come on guys don't scare off the newbies - of either gender.

Eh? Weren't we all in agreement for more woman in IT and that we would welcome more?

 

I just dont see the point in dragging the horse to water and forcing it to drink. Its different from showing the horse how good water can be

[chrbb]

Some PEOPLE enjoy technical stuff, some don't. Nobody enjoys be pointed out as different; whether that's their gender, race, creed, colour or age.

 

Fully agree, though totally opposed to job adverts that aren't looking for a person capable of doing the job, but are looking to fufil ethnic, gender etc recruitment figures.

 

Where are all these jobs that you have to sleep with someone to get? I'm soooo disappointed I've never found one.

[torledo]

What's wrong with pursuing the goal of attracting people who are underrepresented, how do you know there ISN'T a push for men in nursing from the NHS and government, just as certain councils are lacking ethnic minorities or woman in certain key areas - so they welcome applications from those people. Plus who the hell is 'pushing' women to become IT professionals ? Do you see advertising campaigns extolling the virtues of being an IT tech (like that bs teacher recruitment ads) ?

Do we have celeberity IT professionals (like the glamourous worlds of cooking or property development) , or is it councils and schools careers advisers hatching an insideous plot to undermine all-male IT departments

by forcing young women who'd rather do something less boring into the world of the basement dwelling IT techs....btw my job is the least boring thing i've ever done (maybe that's a male thing but women can have the same ambitions and interests as men so it's not totally alien to think that there are a lot of women who'd enjoy the role if they worked in the right environment and had the right mentors.)

 

Please enlighten me with other crackpot theories like 'sexism reversed'

 

Howay, dont be so pedantic.

 

An ex girlfriend of mine was "pushed" into the electrician trade. She openly admitted that she knew her gender give her a massive head start in a male demonated trade. Her dad knew it too and pushed her into it. Shes since quit as it wasnt for her, especially as it involved LOTS of heavy lifting etc which she, as a averagely built female, couldnt hack. Surerly her employer knew this when they took her on, so that begs the question "why did they take her on?"

Theres plenty more examples but i think that will surfice. So does that enlighten you on "sexism reversed"?

 

Its just the same as racism reversed. In companies with few ethnics they actively look for people of ethnic desent to forfill equality statistics. Now im not saying ethnics or females or ethnic females shouldnt get jobs, all im saying is it shouldnt matter who you are, if you are good enough for the job your good enough for the job. Employers shouldnt feel compeled to employ people based on equality "quotas".

 

You just showed your ignorance by using the word 'ethnics',

 

Yeah, and thanks for the feel good equality statement. Funny how you've obviously bought into the Daily Mail angle of the victimised white male, (you know they pity the young white males 18-35 who are overlooked for jobs and housing becuase of quotas by nasty employers and immigrants getting all the good housing stock) what a complete load of bs.

 

For decades 'ethnics' as you refer to us and women and indeed 'ethnic females', the disabled and other minority groups have faced huge obstacles to achieve parity. The idea that we are now experience 'reversed sexism' or even reversed racism (which I know you're not suggesting becuase you couldn't be that stupid) is an insult to those who have exeprienced real life-or-death racism or women who've experienced trautmatizing cases of sexism. Be careful how you bandy about the use of the term 'sexism'.

 

And you talk a load of cobblers about women as electricians. You're friend wasn't suitable for the job simple as that, same as many men aren't suitable as gas fitters or plumbers even several months and several thousand pounds after jumping onto the bandwagon - not a physical or gender issue at all. So what if she took advantage of the opportunities offered as a female entrant, is that any different to the unemployed who are offered free entry-level training to lucrative trades or the ex-Longbridge employees who were offered free GAS service training because of the media attention and politicians falling over themselves to help those made redundant. What 'reverse' term can we coin for that.

 

There are loads of women now becoming electricians and who enjoy the job and are 'averagely built females' and can lift moderately heavy loads, there's less heavy lifting being an electrician than if you worked in a warehouse or as a removals person. I should know, my dad has been an electrician for over 30 years and the heaviest thing he has to lift are his ladders.

 

Also I don't think you know the meaning of the word pedantic.

[torledo]

torledo your post is very confrontational to say the least.

 

So are you saying they cant hack helpdesks?

how do you know there ISN'T a push for men in nursing from the NHS and government

 

Plus who the hell is 'pushing' women to become IT professionals ?

Our school is trying to get more into IT (using things like CC4G - and where is CC4B then!) and if you read magazines such as IT Week etc you will regularly see articles stating about how we *MUST* get more woman in IT. Just because there are not a huge amount of woman in IT is it such a problem.

Do you see advertising campaigns extolling the virtues of being an IT tech

There are ad's on the tv promoting training in IT at least.

maybe that's a male thing but women can have the same ambitions and interests as men so it's not totally alien to think that there are a lot of women who'd enjoy the role if they worked in the right environment and had the right mentors.

I said "Generally" not ALL.

 

I dont have any problems with woman in IT, the more the merrier. I just hate the push to ensure they choose it as a job.

 

I don't mind people generalising at all, there's a certain ring of truth to generalisations, but ofcourse individual situations vary greatly.

 

I'm not saying women can't handle the helpdesk, quite the opposite, that's traditionally thought of as THE role for a woman in IT... first-line support on the corporate helpdesk, answering the phone, resetting passwords, apologising to users...I'm saying a woman in IT could and should do more than that, and be afforded the opportunity to move beyond that. a lot of women have and they should be applauded for doing well in a male dominated arena. for every case of a woman getting a 'leg-up' becuase of quotas or targets or whatever there are a dozen cases of a women being overlooked or frozen out for a mangement position. Just ask my boss she's a highly paid manager with over 25 years teaching experience in a male dominated area.

 

At the end of the day there's enough job opportunities out there so that as a male IT professional you don't feel downhearted because you perceive you've been overlooked because of race and gender. The important positions of which there are many and varied will always look at ability, experience and how that individual can function as a team member above all else.

[Guest Guest]

You just showed your ignorance by using the word 'ethnics',

 

Yeah, and thanks for the feel good equality statement. Funny how you've bought into the Daily Mail angle of the victimised white male, what a complete load of bs. For decades 'ethnics' as you refer to us and women and indeed 'ethnic females', the disabled and other minority groups have faced huge obstacles to achieve parity. The idea that we are now experience 'reversed sexism' or even reversed racism (which I know you're not suggesting) is an insult to those who have exeprienced real life-or-death racism or women who've experienced trautmatizing cases of sexism. Be careful how you bandy about the use of the term 'sexism'.

 

And you talk a load of cobblers about women as electricians. You're friend wasn't suitable for the job simple as that, same as many men aren't suitable as gas fitters or plumbers several months and several thousand pounds after jumping onto the bandwagon - not a physical or gender issue at all. So what if she took advantage of the opportunities offered as a female entrant, is that any different to the unemployed who are offered free entry-level training to lucrative trades or the ex-Longbridge employees who were offered free GAS service training because of the media attention and politicians falling over themselves to help those made redundant.

 

There are loads of women now becoming electricians and who enjoy the job and are 'averagely built females' and can lift moderately heavy loads, there's less heavy lifting being an electrician than if you worked in a warehouse or as a removals person. I should know, my dad has been an electrician for over 30 years and the heaviest thing he has to lift are his ladders.

 

Also I don't think you know the meaning of the word pedantic.

 

What are you on?

 

Have a read back over mine and look at how many assumptions you have made, and god you arnt half good at reading whole statements which wernt even posted :? .

Oh and bravo on the "i dont agree with you so you obviously read the mail/sun" arguement, wish id got it in first!

 

What would you like me to call you? Whats the new PC term then, im obviously using last weeks term.

 

You really are abit of a freak fella, calm yourself down

[russdev]

ok calm down people before we have to tell santa not to come and visit you all for being bad edugeekers.. I have big red phone that goes direct to him I will use it

 

Russell

[elsiegee40]