How can we support women working in academic computing roles?
Rachel Pattinson explores how the School of Computing at Newcastle University is supporting women working in academic computing roles
Rachel Pattinson, TechWomen100 winner, manages digital research programmes at Open Lab. Image: Newcastle University
Rachel Pattinson
The under-representation of women working in the digital sector is a wicked problem. The WISE campaign s statistics show that women only make up around 16 per cent of the UK s technology workforce, while studies suggest that 30 per cent is the point at which the representation will reach a critical mass. And there s a related issue with the tech talent pipeline, with a recent PwC report highlighting that only three per cent of the young women they surveyed said a career in technology was their first choice.
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Today at its first UK Black Game Pros Mixer event, Ubisoft has unveiled the Ubisoft Scholarship for Black UK Students, a new scholarship initiative to support Black students seeking careers in game development.
The scholarship will award two students pursuing computer science degrees £11,250 toward fees and living expenses at Newcastle University s School of Computing in 2021.
The publisher will also offer mentorship from Ubisoft developers, and the program will culminate in a three-month paid internships for both students at Ubisoft Reflections. Over the last few years we ve been proud to support educational programmes in the UK, such as Digital Schoolhouse as well as BAFTA s Young Games Designers scheme, said Giselle Stewart, director of UK corporate affairs, commented.