ANALYSIS & OPINION: FTTH IN EUROPE
ONLY 3 PER CENT OF FEMALES LIST TECH AS THEIR FIRST CAREER CHOICE AND A FURTHER 78 PER CENT COULDN’T NAME A FAMOUS FEMALE WORKING IN TECHNOLOGY
preconceived ideas too. At the Institute of Telecoms Professionals (ITP), we launched our #challengeperceptions campaign last year to highlight that IT and telecoms roles are open to everyone. We set out to prove you can hire based on personality and train the skills. Many people still have expectations of what an engineer ‘should’ look like, including the typical educational pathway required for the role. Vorboss removed the requirement for
previous industry experience, realising that a good atitude was a higher prerequisite. It wasn’t easy, more than 1,500 candidates were proactively contacted and for every successful hire, on average 43 CVs were reviewed. However, by removing these prerequisites we were able to reach out to a whole new demographic, many of whom have now completed their apprenticeships and are progressing within the business. What else should employers be doing?
Offering flexible working, closing the gender pay gap and giving more transparency about diversity within the business are key. Some of the stories we’ve heard from our Women in Tech Award winners in the past are disheartening. At some point during their careers, there have been moments where they have had to choose between having children and progressing up the career ladder. Tings are changing, however. High-profile campaigns by the likes of WISE
and STEMetes, along with employer-led initiatives are all paving the way. We showcase the amazing women in tech we work with across our social media channels and launched our award purely for this reason, but much work is still leſt to be done.
28 FiBRE SYSTEMS n SPRING 2022 n Issue 35
Retaining talent Another challenge is retaining the female talent in our industry, and mentoring can play an important role in achieving this. Many larger employers have found mentoring schemes have improved retention and helped to develop future leaders. Our Women in Tech winners tell us first-
hand about the positive impact mentoring has had on them. I am a case in point, owing much of my own career success to mentoring. I joined Te ITP in 2008 as Office Manager, but thanks to two female mentors my eyes were opened to the opportunities that lay ahead. For young women starting their careers it’s inspiring to work alongside a successful mentor who can help to shape and guide them. Finally, let’s not forget the pandemic has
opened new opportunities and forced employers to implement alternative flexible ways of working. Tis has resulted in employers making huge cultural shiſts, something which benefits everyone in the workplace and is arguably more atractive to women juggling commitments. Ultimately, careers in tech are well paid,
satisfying, world changing and accessible for everyone. We know the way to gain true diversity is for
employers to challenge perception. Believe in what you are doing, embrace differences and give an opportunity to someone you never would have before. Te tools are there for us to make tech an appealing career choice, now we need to work together as an industry to make it a priority. n
www.fibre-systems.com @fibresystemsmag
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