In celebration of International Women’s Day, we partnered with Caroline Rogan from St. Mary’s College, Derry-Londonderry, to highlight the importance of inspiring young people—especially young women—to pursue careers in technology.
Our partnership with St. Mary’s has focused on promoting tech careers across the North West region. Through office visits and career talks, we’ve provided students with valuable insights into the industry and the opportunities available to them.
This year, we’re expanding our collaboration with new initiatives, including the ‘Buddy Up Programme.’ through Catalyst Schools, School – Business Buddy Initiative. This program will educate students about tech careers to provide staff and students with deeper insights into IT and business pathways. It will feature hands-on activities focused on careers in IT - hearing real-life experiences from our women at Alchemy, site visits for students to our new Alchemy office, taster mornings to experience university life, and much more. Designed for different year groups, this initiative ensures students receive relevant guidance at each stage of their education
Here’s what Caroline has to say about promoting tech careers:
1. What inspired the school to focus on promoting tech careers for female students?
At St. Mary’s College, we are committed to providing our students with the best educational opportunities. Our strong IT department, led by three specialist teachers, offers courses for all abilities. Encouraging students to explore and consider tech careers is a key priority for us.
Each December, we host Computing Week, where industry role models, past pupils, and local tech companies visit to inspire our students. With so many exciting career opportunities available locally, tech is a fantastic choice—especially for young women. It offers flexibility, the chance to travel, and the opportunity to be at the forefront of innovation. For us, promoting tech careers is a no-brainer!
2. How valuable is industry collaboration in helping young women see the possibilities in tech?
Collaborating with industry professionals ensures our staff stay up to date with the latest skills and knowledge in the tech industry. Our students benefit from this along with workshops, industry visits and work experience opportunities. Marian Wright Edelman an American activist for civil rights said that “You can't be what you can't see”. At St. Mary’s, we strive to connect all our students with industry role models, giving them the insight and inspiration they need to make informed decisions about their futures.
Teachers need to be experts in their subject, and at St. Mary’s College, we’re fortunate to have three specialist ICT teachers trained to deliver both Programming and Multimedia courses. A teacher’s passion for their subject plays a huge role in student success, and we strive to offer an exciting and engaging IT curriculum.
Mentors help bring the real world to life for our students. Recently, we collaborated with IT lecturers from NWRC, who introduced our pupils to Augmented Reality (AR). A past pupil, now undertaking a Higher-Level Apprenticeship shared her experience of studying while working for a local IT firm. These experiences have a huge impact on how our pupils perceive and understand the opportunities available to them.
4. What do you think the industry can do better to attract and retain more women in tech?
This is a tough question, but I believe it largely comes down to perceptions. Many young women feel their nature suits a caring career and tend to shy away from technical roles. I know our pupils thrive when they are problem-solving, working with others, thinking logically, and being creative. Increased exposure to tech role models on social media platforms could encourage more young women to pursue careers in this field. By meeting young women where they are and presenting industry influencers who can inspire them, we may have more success in attracting them to exciting careers in tech.
5.How can businesses and educators work together to make tech feel more accessible to female students?
Encouraging a celebration of technical skills in school would be a great start. Competitions and showcases build excitement and challenge around IT skills. Currently IT is not compulsory on the curriculum, this is not the case in Ireland or the UK. Businesses could continue to lobby our policy makers to effect change.6. At what stage do you think it’s most crucial to introduce girls to STEM subjects and tech career opportunities?
At a very early age, children start forming beliefs and assumptions about their future careers. A recent report, ‘Drawing the Futures,’ indicates that young people shape their career aspirations based on gender stereotypes, socio-economic backgrounds, and media such as TV, film, and radio. It’s crucial to act when children first start school, and this report suggests using career role models from a young age.
We have a highly successful ‘Digital School House’ programme, where primary pupils come to St. Mary’s College to learn computational thinking. More initiatives like this from the industry would help influence primary pupils’ career decisions.
7. What more can be done to ensure young women feel empowered and confident in choosing a tech career?
It would help if it were clearer what a career in tech entails. Wouldn’t it be amazing if young women’s Instagram and TikTok feeds were filled with positive influencers who talk about future careers, alongside skincare? I think lifelong careers advice would also be beneficial, as it’s currently limited to just one meeting at 16, after which young people are largely left to navigate things on their own. Work experience also plays a key role in shaping decisions for young people.
‘At Alchemy, we are committed to tackling the gender gap in the tech industry. International Women's Day serves as a reminder of the importance of diverse voices in shaping innovation. We believe in supporting young women and providing them with the tools, knowledge, and inspiration to pursue careers in technology, our collaboration with St. Mary’s College and initiatives like the ‘Buddy Up Programme’ are vital steps in making tech careers more accessible and showing young women that they belong in this space. Diverse perspectives drive progress, and it’s essential that we invest in the future of women in technology.’
Caroline Rogan shares her insights on her collaboration with us:
Working in collaboration with Alchemy has given me a unique insight into the tech industry. It has allowed me to bring the industry into my classroom and it has had a lasting impact on our students. I look forward to continuing this partnership in the coming years making a pathway for more young women to get into tech careers.
As we embrace the "Accelerate Action" theme for International Women’s Day, it’s clear that promoting diversity in tech requires urgent, ongoing efforts. Our collaboration with St. Mary’s College, through initiatives like the ‘Buddy Up Programme,’ is just one step toward empowering young women to explore and thrive in tech careers.
By providing mentorship, role models, and early exposure, we can inspire confidence in young women and help them see the vast potential of tech careers. Let’s continue to accelerate this action and build a future where tech is an accessible path for all.