Education and Training Awards 2020

Jun20476 Most EmpoweringWomen’s Tech Entrepreneurship Support NPO - UK The glass ceiling is a barrier that affects many industries, the technology sector more than most. For the team who are behind Code First Girls, the aim has been to supply the support that can allow women to flourish and transform the industry into a fairer place for all. Following success in 2020’s Education and Training Awards, we take a closer look to see what the team has to offer. For women entering the tech industry, Code First Girls is a major step forward, offering the skills, the space and the inspiration for them to achieve the truly exceptional. The team has brought together a large team of coders, trainers and coaches to facilitate women who want to break into, and excel, within the industry. Since being launched in 2015, the team have made some astonishing achievements. They are about to hit their 2020 target early through teaching 20k women how to code for free and have connected them with over 50 top employers. At Code First Girls, the opportunity for education is only the first step, with the community that has been built around the organisation providing the natural position on which to affect real and genuine change for all. The team are not slowing down either, with plans for exciting new events this year. September will see the launch of Code Fest 2020, a flagship learning experience and skills exchange to connect start-ups, scale-ups, and enterprise level companies with an amazing community of female coders. With so many different people involved, this is the best place for graduates to find a place to work, particularly a place that has an eye and passion for diversity in every respect. Running over the entire month, the first week will see a mix of open panels, skills sessions and interactive events that will inspire people within the community. The second week will see a select group of women, all of whom actively pursuing a career in technology, having the chance to meet with recruitment experts and hiring managers. This incredible opportunity is one that is designed to help educate and coach women to find the best position possible and the perfect role for them. For the rest of the month, Code First Girls will be running a series of bespoke events in conjunction with clients from the community. These interactive sessions and hackathons to give the community the opportunity to not only practice, but demonstrate the skills which they have learned from the Code First Girls team. The need for familiarity with coding has never been more important, as the world stands on the brink of a new digital age. The need to connect up the different strands of the world, from University classroom teaching, employer upskilling, and third-party educators like Code First Girls, has also become apparent. Thanks to the global pandemic, many freshers’ weeks have been cancelled, but this has not stopped the team providing free courses to universities to help them support their new students with educational opportunities regardless. Code First Girls is an organisation that has a simple aim – to provide a space where women can achieve their fullest potential. It’s forward thinking through and through. With such ambition, the team are are ideally positioned to support people as they make the next step into new and better opportunities in a perpetually changing world. Company: Code First Girls Name: Jonathan Hewitt Web Address: www.codefirstgirls.org.uk Education & Training Awards 2020