women in IT article

[torledo]

Way to go, Torledo!!

 

But how to we get it across to the girls? I think there are more going into software and such than before (my husband is a computer systems analyst and there seems to be a lot of women in his office!), but there aren't many doing the nuts and bolts stuff.

Personally I love what I do and I love computers but even among my many female friends, all of whom are very intelligent and most of whom have degrees, I am regarded as a bit odd because of my choice of career..(at least I think it's that......)

 

I think it's up to career advisers, teachers, colleges to offer the option of IT.......one of the problems i think is the lack of former IT professionals teaching IT in schools. I don't see that chaging anytime soon, i know if someone were to offer me a lot of money to go into teaching i sure as hell wouldn't be wanting to cover any other subjects such as science and maths (i was crap at science at school), and i'd demand a lot of money to set up a cisco academy or similar project working with an industry name......and neither of those things are likely to happen in an avergae comp.

 

i think you're right, there are very few young women doing the nuts and bolts work, a fair number go into systems analysis or are taken on by blue chips after graduation. I think if young women are to enter into the bolier room i.e school ict dept, they have to be encouraged to seek improvement, so that means developing their skills and offering a route to promoion. Both are difficult in school because of the lack of structured training and minimal career progression options within the same school.

 

BTW what dhicks said about girls at school and english is spot on.......

when i did my engliish lit a-level (biiiig mistake) at college i was one of only two guys in a group of about 14 female english lit students......

 

and yes, it was an absolute nightmare. Looking back i should have done a-level IT, instead i ended up studying shakespeare and books by toni morrison -(although there were one or two girls in the group who were very nice, and easy to get along with).