FDM Group hosts event to encourage more women to pursue a career in IT

FDM Group hosts event to encourage more women to pursue a career in IT
By: Naomi Chow, FDM Group
 
April 18, 2012 - PRLog -- The event, held in Manchester for the first time, was led by FDM’s Chief Operating Officer, Sheila Flavell, who opened the session by speaking about the concerning lack of women in the IT industry. She said, “It’s no secret that this is an extremely male dominated industry, with women only making up 18 percent of the workforce in this sector. As an IT firm and leading graduate employer, we are concerned with the lack of females pursuing IT careers.”

Representatives from Salford University, RECLAIM and Manchester Girl Geeks delivered presentations at the highly successful event, which covered topics such as the importance of networking, mentoring and being persistent and positive in order to succeed. Attendees included a wide range of students, graduates and careers advisors.

An attendee said of the event, “It was great to gain an insight into what women are doing in IT.  It also inspires me to know there are companies out there who employ more women, as it’s a very male dominated sector.  The speakers were fantastic, and are a great example of how far women can progress today.”

A Q&A session then created a platform for attendees to ask direct questions and gather advice relevant to their own personal situations.

The event closed with a highly enjoyable round of networking, which gave guests the opportunity to forge relationships that could support them throughout their careers. On the success of the event, Flavell commented, “I am delighted that so many women have taken an active approach towards pursuing an IT career by coming along to our networking event. The speakers were top notch and really passionate in their chosen field. They are all a real inspiration in their own right and I can honestly say I enjoyed the presentations enormously. We are honoured to have hosted the session, as networking events are so important in our quest to attract more women into the industry.”

FDM is continuing to hold these Advantage Sessions as part of its ongoing “Women in IT” campaign, which aims to contribute to a change in these industry figures by showcasing the diverse opportunities available within IT. Flavell said, “The apparent shortage in IT skills and scarcity of women within the sector will inevitably lead to the industry and eventually the economy suffering.”

This comes at a time when TotalJobs, a leading jobs website, released new research which revealed that the average number of applicants for every job has increased from 15 to 20 throughout the UK, with the North region being the hardest hit with an average of 23 applications per job vacancy.

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FDM Group is an international IT services provider specialising in six core service areas: Project Management Office, Application Support, Development, Testing, Infrastructure and Training. Renowned for service excellence, FDM supplies effective and innovative IT solutions to over 200 blue-chip clients worldwide. With offices in the UK, Europe, Asia and the USA, FDM has shown exponential growth throughout the years and has firmly established itself as an award winning IT services provider.

FDM Academy is a division of FDM Group, responsible for launching the IT careers of 3,000 graduates worldwide, for over 21 years. FDM’s award-winning graduate programme consists of approximately 12-16 weeks of skills development followed by a minimum of two years employment and is designed to provide both the practical skills and business awareness required in today’s demanding workplace.
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Source:Naomi Chow, FDM Group
Email:***@fdmgroup.com Email Verified
Tags:Fdm Group, Women In It, Graduates
Industry:It services
Location:Brighton - East Sussex - England
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