You may have read something on technology today.
Perhaps you read about Amazon investing in large language models (LLMs) and generative AI. Or maybe about how engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) produced fuel from greenhouse gas.
Or, bad news for some, is how developers at OpenAI are working on a “classifier” that predicts if a piece of writing is human or machine-generated. It seems that the tech sector is always ahead in innovation.
Yet, in all of these advancements, one thing the industry lack is gender diversity.
Tech is the Future
Only 26.7% of the workforce in the tech field are women. This means girls are very much underrepresented in the tech field.
Girls should be encouraged to be involved in tech because it is the future. The tech industry offers many opportunities for socioeconomic development, and it can contribute to the equality of professions.
Tech Knowledge Help Break Down Barriers
Remote work and flexible work arrangements are becoming a norm in tech. With the involvement of more girls in this sector, they will have access to quality education, employment and entrepreneurship prospects. By means of online platforms, girls can learn to code or dabble in other IT skills. And they can do this from wherever they are in this world.
With technology and the tools this sector offers, girls are empowered with the right knowledge and skills to compete in a digital economy. This can lead to more girls overcoming gender-related barriers.
Inclusiveness Affects the Future
By encouraging girls to pursue a career in the tech sector, we help open doors to their brighter future. And the future of generations after them. Girls in the tech sector can become role models and are able to inspire others while contributing to the advancement of the sector. They can help shape the future of society and the economy.
This creates the ripple effect of positive change in society.
Many Careers to Choose From
One of the most exciting aspects of the tech industry is its versatility. Tech skills are transferable and applicable in many domains. A tech qualification gives you the choice of several career paths – software development, data analysis, and cyber security, to name a few.
It also offers opportunities for entrepreneurship. You can create your own start-ups, from which you can contribute to many more significant impacts in the world.
It’s A Great Time to be Tech-Savvy
But despite how much we have progressed in this sector, girls are still very much underrepresented in the industry. This lack of gender diversity limits the talent pool. Because of this, there is very little creativity and human-centric innovation in the sector.
Only by breaking the stereotypes and biasness that exist in this sector will we be able to give girls a rewarding career in tech.
Swinburne is Meeting the Demand for Tech Talents
Swinburne Sarawak is helping to connect the need for skilled tech workers with the needs of businesses. Our ICT students continue to develop products and services that improve lives. Their technical skills have also enabled them to provide solutions to businesses.
The School of Information & Communication Technologies offers several diploma and undergraduate ICT programmes. The Australian Computer Society (ACS) accredits these programs and many of our academics are Certified Professionals by ACS.
Our students are trained in various programming languages, at any level of study they’re at. These trainings are in Python, C, C#, C++, Java, and assembly language. With the right combination of units of study, our students may also be eligible for industry certifications. These certifications may be from CISCO, TecForte, SAS, Keysight Technologies, or even Huawei.
Find out more at https://www.swinburne.edu.my/courses/ict
This article was written in conjunction with International Girls in ICT Day, which is celebrated annually on the fourth Thursday in April.