Trainline and Code First initiative to bring thousands more women into tech

New partnership will teach 20,000 women to code by 2020

On the approach to International Women's Day on the 8th March, Trainline has partnered with Code First: Girls to help 20,000 women learn to code.

The IT industry still has a massive gender gap, with very few female tech and IT staff compared to men. According to US industry body ISACA (formerly the Information Systems Audit and Control Association), only a quarter of technology jobs are held by women.

The UK's own British Computer Society shows even lower representation: according to recent figures, fewer than than 20 per cent of IT professionals in the country are women.

Respondents to a survey by ISACA said that the top barriers to women entering the IT trade included a lack of role models and mentors, unequal growth opportunities, and unequal pay.

Through their partnership, Trainline and Code First: Girls intend to make sure that women will have the same opportunities as men when it comes to technology skills. Trainline will help to deliver the training programme with in-house specialists as mentors for women, as well as providing financial support.

The campaign aims to raise between £500,000 and £1.5 million each year for three years, with its eventual goal being to train 20,000 women in coding by 2020.

Trainline CEO Clare Gilmartin said that tackling gender imbalance is "at the absolute core" of the company's culture, adding, "An increase in female programmers, developers and engineers will have profound benefits to the UK's tech economy, its businesses and its customers."

Amali de Alwis, CEO of Code First: Girls, said:

"Code First: Girls is excited to partner with Trainline on our 2020 campaign. We look forward to supporting them with building and tapping into a talent pool of incredible women looking to develop their careers in tech, as well as to help women understand what tech-oriented careers are available to them. Trainline...shares many common goals with our organisation and we are delighted to have them on board."

This article was updated on the 7th March with figures from the BCS.