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Friday 26 Sep 2014

Technology broadcaster Maggie Philbin and Network Rail team up to show girls how tech and trains can lead to a great career

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BBC Tomorrow's World presenter and technology broadcaster and TeenTech founder Maggie Philbin has joined forces with Network Rail to help dispel myths about working in IT and encourage more girls to pursue a tech-related career.

Maggie is helping Network Rail launch the second year of its award-winning Could IT Be You? competition for girls, which was set up in 2013 by the company’s chief information officer, Susan Cooklin, after she raised concerns about the rapid slide in the number of women entering the UK's IT sector.

According to the employer body e-skills UK, the number of women working in the IT industry in Britain is falling dramatically. In the 1980s it was as high as 38% but by 2011 has fallen to just 17%. Every year the IT and telecoms professional workforce requires almost 21,000 new entrants directly from education, but at present, only 15% of students on IT-related degrees in the UK are female.


Commenting on why girls aren’t choosing the technology path given how much it impacts on our lives, Maggie Philbin said: "With the world of technology, and the opportunities within it, hurtling forward at lightning speed – it is so important that we support girls getting into IT careers and show how they too can help drive this industry forward. Projects like this are a fantastic way of getting young women excited about the opportunities that are out there and showcasing exactly how they can turn their passion into a valuable, exciting career.

"With the launch of our own awards calendar on the horizon, it’s a really exciting time to be linking up with Network Rail and I look forward to seeing the competition entries in a few months’ time."

Susan Cooklin, Network Rail's chief information officer and founder of Could IT Be You?, said: "Popular culture has helped create a perception among young women that a career in IT is all about writing code in basement offices – the reality couldn't be further from the truth. The winners from last year’s competition all showed a creative mind for solving problems and good communications, and these are the skills that business leaders are after. Technology plays an absolutely crucial role in moving 4m people by rail in Britain, safely and reliably, every day. This competition is a great way to help young women realise what a career in IT is really about and the fantastic career opportunities that a company like Network Rail can offer."

The Could IT Be You? competition is open to girls aged 16-18 and asks them to explain how technology can improve their lives and make things better. The winner gets their first year of university fees paid for by Network Rail, and with three runners up, two weeks paid work experience and mentoring with the company’s IT team.

Network Rail will also take part in events organised by TeenTech, founded by Maggie in 2008, which runs lively one-day events to help the 'X Factor' generation understand their true potential and the technology opportunities available in the modern workplace.