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Monday 11 Nov 2013

Could IT be a Milton Keynes girl? – Win first year's university fee in new Network Rail competition to encourage more women into technology sector

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Network Rail's chief information officer is so concerned about the rapid slide in the number of women entering the UK's IT sector, she has launched a new competition for girls where the company will pay for the winner's first year of university fees.

The competition – Could IT Be You – has been designed by six women in the 500-strong IT team led by Group CIO Susan Cooklin, including a project manager from Milton Keynes, Network Rail’s IT headquarters, and aims to show girls what working in IT is really about and the career opportunities open to them.

The latest figures from E-Skills shows the proportion of women working in technology roles in the UK has more than halved since the 1980s* despite technology becoming an increasingly integral part of our every-day lives.

Katherine Thomas, a 23 year-old Network Rail IT project manager from Milton Keynes, Network Rail’s headquarters, who helped develop the competition said, “The IT industry is one of the most far reaching and fast moving industries out there. Every major company relies on technology to keep running; whether it be a high street retailer who manage their supply chain, website and finances through IT, or Network Rail who manages trains, assets and their corporate services. Working in IT means that the types of companies you can work for is not limited and the experience you can gain is massive. It’s exciting, creative and fast paced and it’s also one of the only industry that has thrived despite the economic challenges.

“My advice would be for girls not to close any doors. When I was 17, I didn’t imagine I would be working in the IT industry, but I kept my options open. I completed my studies in subjects I enjoyed and looked at every option once these were complete.”

** MEDIA INVITE** Katherine will be visiting schools in the region to share her experience and is available for interview throughout the week. Please contact Dayle Sellars on the details below to arrange.

BA History graduate Katherine is currently working on a programme to improve Network Rail’s approach to safety by developing a new app which assesses and locates railway assets such as bridges and tunnels, stores data from previous inspections and helps to identify when an asset needs work or maintenance before engineers even get to site. Helping to save time and money and enhance safety procedures.

Ms Cooklin said: "Popular culture has helped create a perception amongst young women that a career in IT is something for 'geeks' and all about writing code in basement offices – the reality couldn't be further from the truth.

"Could IT Be You aims to break down those myths and help young women realise how the skills and behaviours they already have – such as good communications, problem solving and working creatively are exactly what business leaders are after. While there are people in my team who are technical experts with IT-related qualifications, there are just as many whose skills lie in other important areas and do a critical job delivering the IT projects that make our railway run better."

A new survey for Network Rail of 16-24 year old women in the South East revealed:

- 76% of women have not considered a career in IT

- 20% had but were not currently working in the industry

- Negative stereotypes put 12% off pursuing a career with 49% saying it was a lack of technical skill. A further 45% said it was inadequate career advice or little insight into the industry.

- 60% believe that a high level of technical expertise in computer programming or code is the most important skill for a successful career in IT. 23% thought a degree or college qualification in a technology subject was most important.

- Only 4% thought good project management skills were the most important with only 4% citing good communication skills as the most valuable.

From 2008-12 the percentage of women in IT roles at Network Rail has grown from 26 to 28% but only 20% of those applying for the company’s information management graduate scheme were female.

To enter the competition, girls aged 16-18 years are asked to visit a new website www.couldITbu.co.uk to answer five simple questions and provide a short essay. The website includes inspiring video diaries from the six women who devised the competition who talk about their career path, skills and interests.

50 entrants will be invited to a networking day at Network Rail's national centre in Milton Keynes in February. Here they will have the opportunity to meet influential business women from various industries, learn valuable skills such as CV writing and interview techniques. They will be asked to record a minute-long film about their experience of the day. Those who record the top four films will win two weeks work experience at Network Rail during the summer of 2014 and continued mentoring with the best winning all this as well as the first prize of having their first year of university fees paid.