Manchester Digital has teamed up with Manchester City Football Club to inspire thousands of young women across the Greater Manchester region to pursue a career in digital and technology.
The collaboration between the football club and trade body will see City host the Manchester leg of the ‘Inspire and Empower Roadshow’ at the Etihad Stadium on 11th July, with local schools now being invited to get involved in the free event.
This will be the sixth of ten roadshows, seeing the initiative pass its half-way-stage in visiting each of Greater Manchester’s ten boroughs, inspiring thousands of schoolgirls to consider a career in technology as part of Manchester Digital’s wider ‘Digital Her’ campaign.
The Manchester City Council-backed event will give attendees the opportunity to connect with Digital Her ‘Real Role Models’ and mentors from the industry, get hands-on experience through engaging exploration and skills-based workshops, as well as take up dedicated work placements with local employers.
Emma Grant, Talent and Skills Manager at Manchester Digital, said: “The only way we can tackle the digital gender gap is by connecting industry with education, to ensure schools are well-equipped to help young women discover the digital futures they deserve.
“If we can help create confident and curious young women who want to work in or with tech, and enable those around them at school to help them make informed decisions about their future, that’s incredibly powerful. This means we are directly contributing to the future-proofing of real gender diversity in the tech sector.
“Manchester Digital is thrilled to have teamed up with Manchester City Football Club to deliver the Manchester leg of the Inspire and Empower Roadshow, and will use this new relationship to provide the support, opportunities and guidance needed to inspire and empower the next generation of women into our dynamic and exciting industry.”
Digital Her was created by Manchester Digital as a result of its 2018 Digital Skills Audit, which revealed that just over a third of people working in the North West’s tech sector are female, with just 19 per cent of these women in technical roles.
Its 2019 Skills Audit revealed a mere one per cent increase in women in technical roles over the past year (now standing at 20 per cent).
Omar Berrada, Chief Operating Officer at Manchester City, commented: “We are delighted to be hosting the Manchester leg of the Digital Her Inspire and Empower roadshow at the Etihad Stadium in July. At Manchester City we understand the importance of being innovative and are always focused on digital trends as technology within football continues to evolve.
“This event provides a great opportunity for us to support Manchester Digital as they reach out to young women in the local area, encouraging them to learn and immerse themselves in the digital world. We are looking forward to working closely with them and hope this event will be a huge success in inspiring a passion for technology.”