Female students wake up to the joys of digital careers

The tech industry might still be struggling to attract women but more female students are engaging with digital than ever before, with the percentage of girls taking part in BIMA’s Digital Day increasing 35% between 2018 and 2022, according to new figures released by the industry body.

Designed to inspire youngsters to consider a career in digital, the BIMA Digital Day has been running for 11 years, with the latest event taking place in November 2022.

This year the trade body carried out a survey to help it understand students’ thoughts on careers within the digital industry, including how attractive the sector appears to them and the reasons for this.

BIMA also wanted to find out whether Digital Day affected these views – and how students felt about the digital industry following the event.

BIMA Data Council asked over 1,200 students aged 10 to 17+ for their thoughts before and after Digital Day. The research helps BIMA better understand how best to appeal to the digital professionals of the future.

It found that Digital Day has made a greater impact on girls over boys. Before the day itself, female students seemed to think digital was about coding and only 16% were interested in a potential career in this space. Post-Digital Day, 43% said they would now consider a career in this space.

Meanwhile, before Digital Day, 32% of students were not interested in digital due to lack of knowledge and 43% of them had never talked about digital as a career with their parents. After the event, 27% of attendees felt the industry sounded fun and 9% would now discuss this career path with their parents.

BIMA managing director Matt Sullivan said: “After another successful Digital Day, it’s great to reflect on the results and see how students are continuing to engage. Seeing how we have the ability to inspire students – in particular females – to consider a career in digital is extremely rewarding.

“Next year we hope to return with a bang and introduce a new initiative to engage with the students’ parents and ensure that the inspiration they gain from the day continues when they get home.”