GCHQ funding 'nano-degree' courses to boost the number of female coders
Women currently make up just one-third of the GCHQ workforce
The UK's intelligence and cyber agency GCHQ is seeking to expand the number of female programmers among its ranks in order to combat a wide variety of threats, including those posed by foreign powers and children's online safety.
The organisation is financing 14-week "nano-degrees" in software and data in a bid to increase diversity and support women who may have previously been discouraged from doing coding to make a career change.
At the moment, women make up just one-third of the workforce at GCHQ, and an even smaller percentage hold positions in the technology division.
Jo Cavan, the director of strategy policy and engagement at the agency, told The Guardian that counterterrorism mission teams that have enhanced their gender mix have been doing better.
She added that the agency has been putting a lot of effort on raising that number so they can have more varied teams and more effectively confront the current dangers.
According to Cavan, having the appropriate mix of minds will provide them a competitive edge, which is why they stress the need for diversity.
"If you look at China, for example, and how technology is moving east and China is looking to impose non-western values on technology, there is some really important work for us to do there to make sure we are at the forefront of shaping those international technology standards and norms," Cavan stated.
GCHQ, which has bases in London, Cheltenham and Manchester, is collaborating with the training organisation Code First Girls to provide free coding classes to women.
As part of its partnership with other security contractors, such as BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce, Code First Girls provides women with the opportunity to learn how to code.
Anna Brailsford, chief executive of Code First Girls, said many of the program's participants are women in their late 20s and early 30s who have made the decision to switch careers and go into technology.
According to a recent poll, 80% of the women who participated in the programme reported they were neither encouraged nor suggested to pursue a career in technology when they were in school.
Women still make up just 18% of employees in digital technology positions, a substantial under-representation, as per the most recent data from the Office for National Statistics.
"While we have seen some changes in the right direction over the past few years, women are still very much underrepresented in the tech and security/tech industry," said Mivy James, the digital transformation director at BAE Systems Digital Intelligence.
"It is only through a diverse workforce that we can work more effectively, particularly in the security space, where skills like creative problem-solving are key to adapting to ever-changing threat landscapes," she added.