To celebrate Safer Internet Day 2024, we’re launching a brand new live lesson exploring Tech for AI, in collaboration with Accenture.

NEW Live lesson launch 🚀: Tech for AI

We’re excited to be launching the first of our new interactive live lessons on Tech for AI, in collaboration with Accenture. AI is rapidly advancing and this lesson will help students and teachers understand the impact of AI on all aspects of our lives. It will also highlight the many exciting careers and jobs available working with and developing AI. There are two lessons, which you can access using the videos above:&nbsp; Key Stage 2 / P4 - P7 in Scotland (Age 7-11) Key Stage 3 / S1 - S2 in Scotland (Age 11 - 14) &nbsp;During the lesson our experienced teacher delivers a virtual 60 minute interactive session, which includes lots of opportunity for partner talks, tasks, quizzes and videos. Pupils will be guided to complete paper-based tasks and partner discussions - they therefore need to be based at a table with a piece of paper and pen/pencil. This session is being delivered to complement Safer Internet Day 2024. Safer Internet Day takes place in February of each year to raise awareness of a safer and better internet for all, and especially for children and young people. However, it can be used at anytime during the school year as the content is relevant to many parts of the curriculum. Remember to check out our upcoming Live Lessons where you can join thousands of other pupils on Microsoft Teams and enjoy the virtual lessons together: <a href="https://techshecan.org/live-assemblies">Assemblies &amp; Lessons - TechSheCan</a>&nbsp;You can <a href="https://techshecan.org/tech-we-can#subscribe">sign up to our newsletter</a> and follow us on social media for updates on our next session: <a href="https://x.com/Tech_She_Can/status/1715035796674097563?s=20">X/Twitter </a><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7120801454092611584">LinkedIn </a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/TechSheCan/posts/pfbid0Uy1huoEZjaxCkqvYkc8ZR2Cu47cBqBwbZZPGrUS9WMLZThXJpC98FAE2Q8r7QVwQl">Facebook</a>

Careers education should start in primary school so that more children – and especially girls – have better chances of careers in tech.

Read our research report

PRESS RELEASE: Gender Stereotypes Threatening Digital Revolution

<div>Careers education should start in primary school so that more children – and especially girls – have better chances of careers in tech, according to a new survey. </div><div>The survey of primary school teachers, carried out for Tech She Can – a charity campaigning for an increase in the number of women in tech careers – was launched today at Bett, the leading edtech conference being held at the ExCel, London. </div><div>Three key themes emerge from the research,&nbsp; each with major implications for future efforts to close the gender gap in STEM.&nbsp; </div><div>STEM stereotypes start early and are putting girls off tech careers. 71% of teachers believe that gender stereotypes around STEM careers start before the age of 11. Teachers say there are too few inclusive and diverse role models in career materials, with only half of respondents saying the careers materials they have access to are inclusive and diverse.&nbsp; </div><div>The STEM aspiration gap - gender and social mobility have a multiplying effect, with girls' who experience disadvantages more likely to perceive that a tech career is not for them. Despite 25% of girls enjoying STEM subjects more than boys, girls in state school are 69% less likely to aspire to STEM careers than boys. </div><div>Teachers need better career resources - the majority of primary school teachers believe that careers education is important, but only a small minority can access sufficient careers experiences for their students. 75% of primary teachers believe that careers education is important in primary schools, but only 15% of primary teachers felt that the career experiences they had access to were sufficient for their students. </div><div>The survey was carried out for Tech She Can by Templeton &amp; Partners, the tech recruitment agency.&nbsp; It surveyed 287 primary school teachers about the barriers in delivering STEM education and how government, businesses and charities can help schools to support female students into STEM careers. </div><div>Tech She Can commissioned the report because while <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5cfe713fed915d097daca4b5/No_Longer_Optional_Employer_Demand_for_Digital_Skills.pdf">80% of jobs in the UK</a> require at least some digital skills, females remain chronically under-represented in tech jobs.&nbsp; This means not only is the country missing out on wide pools of potential talent, but girls are excluded from rewarding career paths and lifetimes of opportunities.&nbsp; </div><div>Tech She Can says the survey shows why starting awareness of STEM careers at an early age is vital to preventing stereotypes and perceptions that STEM is not for girls.&nbsp; </div>Sheridan Ash, founder and Co-CEO of Tech She Can, said: “Today’s report finds that the saying, ‘You can’t be what you can’t see’ has never been more pertinent. Teachers overwhelmingly believe that children need real-life examples of&nbsp; relatable role models and information on career paths.“Girls are more likely to enjoy STEM subjects, but boys are more likely to believe in a tech career. The findings of the report show that gender and social mobility have a multiplying effect on gender stereotypes surrounding careers. Education must focus on widening inclusion in both areas to understand, identify, and address all barriers preventing girls from getting into STEM, and government and business must play their part too.”<div>Tech She Can is calling for STEM Careers education to: &nbsp; </div><ul><li>Start in Primary Schools, supporting teachers with easy-to-access resources, showing how technology links to multiple areas of the curriculum.</li><li>Bridge the gap between education and industry by showcasing diverse, relatable real life role models, the breadth and depth of careers and the different pathways into employment.</li><li>Play to children’s passions and interests with engaging and interactive lessons and materials such as animations, digital lessons, videos, games and detailed lesson packs.</li></ul>Tech She Can’s education programme ‘Tech We Can’ is launching a series of Live Lessons to help pupils explore technology and inspire pupils, created by qualified teachers in collaboration with industry. Their upcoming LIVES take pupils age 7 to 14 on a journey to demystify AI, explore outer space, and delve into the world of wearable tech in sport and are aimed at pupils. Registration is now open: <a href="https://techshecan.org/live-assemblies">https://techshecan.org/live-assemblies</a>&nbsp; ---ends--- <div>Notes to editors </div><ul><li><a href="https://techshecan.org/">Tech She Can</a> is on a mission to change the ratio of women in technology. The charity inspires girls and boys about careers in technology through <a href="https://techshecan.org/tech-we-can">Tech We Can</a>, a programme of free and inclusive resources and experiences for schools, created by qualified teachers in collaboration with industry. It provides resources and experiences free of charge to primary and secondary schools, including <a href="https://techshecan.org/on-demand-lessons">Lessons</a>, <a href="https://techshecan.org/live-assemblies">Assemblies</a> and <a href="https://techshecan.org/animated-lessons">Animations</a>.</li><li>Tech She Can is industry backed and receives core funding from its strategic partners: Accenture, Barclays, Centrica, Computeam, Credit Suisse, Develop, Deutsche Bank, Discover, eduthing, Google, Houseful - the home of Zoopla, Kyndryl, Morgan Stanley, NatWest Group, PwC UK, Savannah, TEKSystems, Tesco, The Hut Group, Unilever, University of Birmingham and UST.&nbsp;</li><li>Since it launched in 2021 the charity provided lessons to 63,000 children and a further 325,000 have enjoyed its online resources.&nbsp;</li><li>The full Tech She Can 2023 Impact Report can be accessed <a href="https://api.techshecan.org/storage/files/Tech-She-Can-2023-Impact-Report.pdf">here</a> and a video of its impact can be found <a href="https://techshecan.org/our-impact">here</a>.&nbsp;</li></ul>

PRESS RELEASE: Gender Stereotypes Threatening the Digital Revolution

Our Co CEO Dr Claire Thorne is a passionate believer in small moments making a big difference.

"What did you do today?" Why every adult should practice active careers inspiration with young people in their lives

Our CO CEO Dr Claire Thorne provided some thoughts on simple ways that you can have a big impact on young people’s aspirations. Here she gives her top tips on where to start: “Do you practice active careers inspiration? When children start to be curious about your job and ask you, “What did you do today?” don't just shut the conversation down and say ‘I do lots of emails’, or ‘I give presentations’. Instead, think about what interactions you’re having, who you’re working with, and why. What’s the goal? What tools are you using? Where are you working? What’s the environment, and your team, really like? And how do you know that you’ve done a good job, and how did it make you feel? Was there some place, something or someone that really inspired you today?&nbsp;“This could be around the breakfast table with a young person in your life, or it could be with a family friend. Anywhere really! And it’s never too early to start - especially as harmful gender stereotypes start to become embedded at such a young age. &nbsp;“Little and often is the key. If we wait to age 14, 15, 16 - when many children engage in formal work experience placements - to start discussing careers and pathways, and linking their passions to opportunities, it’s already too late.&nbsp;“So many of us ask children ‘what do you want to BE when you grow up?’ Children may not know the name of a particular role. Especially if they haven’t seen it themselves - in their everyday - or if it doesn’t have a uniform. Instead, try asking ‘what do you want to DO, change or build?’. Suddenly it’s not about a particular role or job title. It all feels less abstract. You will be amazed by their response and ignite their imagination!”“If you want to take active careers inspiration to the next level, you can become a Tech We Can Champion. It’s free. And it’s a great way to spend your CSR / volunteer days you may get at work. It’s fulfilling, and enlightening! The programme is open to everyone. We provide full training and packs to deliver lessons to primary and secondary children across the UK virtually or in-person. Since we became a charity, more than 500 men and women Champions have completed the training and delivered lessons to over 33,000 pupils. It’s incredible. These are real-life role models reaching and inspiring children in classrooms. They’re opening their eyes to the opportunities and benefits of tech careers, and so often they plant a seed - helping to set them on a path.“Our ambition is for our school’s programme, Tech We Can, to reach every child across the UK, at multiple times, at the moments that&nbsp; matter. We know that repeated and sustained interactions have the biggest impact. &nbsp;If you would like to support us, email us at <a href="mailto:info@techshecan.org">info@techshecan.org</a> we’d love to hear from you.&nbsp;Follow us on social media for further updates.&nbsp;Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TechSheCan">https://www.facebook.com/TechSheCan</a>LinkedIn <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/techshecan/">https://www.linkedin.com/company/techshecan/</a>Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/techshecan/">https://www.instagram.com/techshecan/</a>X/Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/Tech_She_Can">https://twitter.com/Tech_She_Can</a>&nbsp;

"What did you do today?" Why every adult should practice active careers inspiration with the young people in their lives

Take a look at our first virtual CPD session for primary school teachers

NEW Primary Teacher CPD on demand session

"Attended some great CLPL from <a href="https://twitter.com/Tech_She_Can">@Tech_She_Can</a> today. So many fantastic resources available for teachers to get learners thinking about careers in STEM!" Julia, Primary School Teacher&nbsp;Becky Patel, our Head of Education and Learning, recently held a CPD session where she explained how to use the freely available Tech We Can educational resources to inspire children aged 5-14 to consider a future career in technology. She also covered: - Why careers education in primary schools is so important - Research about how to best engage more girls in STEM subjects - Example of technology jobs of the present and future - How teachers can implement the Tech We Can resources into their curriculum Remember to <a href="https://techshecan.org/tech-we-can#subscribe">sign up to our newsletter</a> and follow us on social media for updates on our next session: <a href="https://x.com/Tech_She_Can/status/1715035796674097563?s=20">X/Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7120801454092611584">LinkedIn</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TechSheCan/posts/pfbid0Uy1huoEZjaxCkqvYkc8ZR2Cu47cBqBwbZZPGrUS9WMLZThXJpC98FAE2Q8r7QVwQl">Facebook</a>

Our innovative partnership with EdTech provider MCC Digital focuses on bringing tech to social mobility coldspots.

"It was best day because now I know what I'm going to be when I grow up."

Our Education team regularly visit schools and deliver lessons to inspire girls and boys about tech careers. The lessons cover topics like how tech is used in cyber security, eSports and gaming, or to help the planet. We introduce children to new and emerging tech and help them to explore related careers.We tailor our lessons based on how much tech the school has access to. Some schools have limited resources, so we deliver ‘low tech’ lessons. Whereas in other schools every child has their own iPad. It’s therefore easier to integrate apps or online resources or even augmented reality into the lessons, making them more engaging and interactive.&nbsp;After each session we collect feedback from pupils and teachers to measure impact. Feedback on these sessions was overwhelmingly positive. When asked how we could improve the sessions, many pupils suggested that we could bring tech with us to use in the sessions, as many schools don’t have access to this.&nbsp;MCC Digital, an Apple authorised education specialist and reseller, approached us to partner on this project. They provided us with iPads and Sphero Indi robots, along with training on how to use them.&nbsp;Together we launched a pilot to explore the impact of taking tech into ‘low tech’ schools that are social mobility cold spots, or that have a high number of students receiving free school meals. We have been working together to improve access to this technology, and to educate students about tech careers.&nbsp;&nbsp;Poppy Patel, our Learning Design and Delivery Officer, explains what happens in each session:&nbsp;“I start each session by asking the children if they think they would like a career in technology in the future. The session then focuses on showing the children how technology is being used in areas relating to some of their hobbies and interests, including caring for the planet, sports, and entertainment and the arts. During the session, the children complete a range of fun and creative challenges linked to these areas using the iPads and Indi robots, and learn about related careers.&nbsp;“I love seeing the children enjoying using the tech and realising that the things that they love could lead them into a technology career one day. When I ask the children who might like a career in technology at the end of the session, it’s great to see the difference that the session has made in changing their perceptions and showing them what’s out there!”We have now visited five schools, and delivered our Tech Careers Inspiration session to over 250 Year 5 children in the West Midlands, and the results have been powerful. We’ve also had great feedback from teachers:“Year 5 had the most amazing time during the #TechSheCan sessions. They learnt about careers in technology, worked at some coding challenge and created augmented reality images.” Year 5 teacher&nbsp;“Highly engaging session which the children thoroughly enjoyed. It showed them a wide range of careers that they didn’t realise were out there and they were still talking about the car challenge days later.” Teacher&nbsp;Alex Langton, Head of Marketing at MCC Digital said:&nbsp;“We’re incredibly proud of the support we are providing for our first official charity partner Tech She Can. Ensuring they had the correct hardware was step one, but we wanted to maximise the impact of these sessions by providing key training to Poppy and her team, and we can already see some fantastic results! - we're looking forward to seeing what great things can be achieved with iPad and the incredible resources"We are looking forward to completing the pilot early next year and building on its success with phase two. Sign up to our <a href="https://techshecan.org/tech-we-can#subscribe">newsletter</a> and follow us on social media for further updates.&nbsp;Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TechSheCan">https://www.facebook.com/TechSheCan</a>LinkedIn <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/techshecan/">https://www.linkedin.com/company/techshecan/</a>Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/techshecan/">https://www.instagram.com/techshecan/</a>X/Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/Tech_She_Can">https://twitter.com/Tech_She_Can</a>

"It was the best day because now I know what I'm going to be when I grow up."

Tech She Can and Bett announce their partnership for the Bett Show 2024 in London and the Bett Awards.

Tech She Can & Bett 2024 - A Powerful Partnership

We are delighted to announce that we are officially a partner of the Bett Show, taking place at ExCeL London from 24 to 26 January 2024. We are also honoured to be the very first charity partner for the Bett Awards.&nbsp;Our relationship with the Bett Show goes back a few years, when our team attended the show as delegates. They were so impressed by the scale and professionalism of the event. Thanks to support from our Strategic Partners, we were then able to host our own stand in 2020. We returned in 2023 and made some amazing connections - both with pupils, teachers and other organisations who share our missions.&nbsp; Our Co CEO also took part in a panel discussion about diversity in tech.&nbsp;Taking part in the Bett Show has been one of the key factors in raising awareness of the work we do and in achieving 5x growth in our direct reach from 2022 to 2023. We are excited to see how our partnership will help this to grow even further!&nbsp;We are also honoured to be the charity partner for the Bett Awards, which celebrate creativity and innovation in technology education. We have previously been shortlisted for an award, so we know how incredibly high the standard is!&nbsp;We’d love to hear from you if you are attending. Please check out our <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/techshecan/">LinkedIn</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/Tech_She_Can">X</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TechSheCan">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/techshecan/">Instagram</a>, or drop us an email at <a href="mailto:info@techshecan.org">info@techshecan.org</a>&nbsp;