The government has announced a new package of measures designed to increase the number of women entering and remaining in the UK technology sector, with paid placements, return-to-work schemes and education initiatives aimed at tackling a persistent gender imbalance.
Ministers said the economy loses between £2 billion and £3.5 billion each year as women leave the tech workforce, reducing the available talent pool in an industry facing ongoing digital skills shortages.
The plan includes a £4 million programme expected to fund hundreds of technology placements with small- and medium-sized enterprises, alongside a pilot scheme to help experienced developers return to work after career breaks.
Placements, returnship scheme aim to rebuild talent pipeline
The TechFirst Women’s Programme will support 300 women into technology roles through paid placements lasting at least six months. Participants will receive coaching and interview preparation as they move into positions with businesses across the country.
Officials said the initiative aims both to help women gain practical experience and to support smaller firms seeking to adopt artificial intelligence and other digital technologies.
Liz Kendall, secretary of state for science, innovation and technology, said women were still being blocked from entering, staying in and returning to tech careers. “Women aren’t being given a fair shot in tech, whether that’s getting into the sector, staying in it, or returning after time away bringing up their families. If we don’t address these issues now, we’ll still be having this conversation in decades’ time and that isn’t good enough.
“We’re acting through a skills and jobs package to get more women into tech quickly. These aren’t warm words, they’re real jobs, real placements, and real routes back in through a door that has been too hard to open, for too long.
“But we’re not just fixing today’s problem. Through the Women in Tech Taskforce, I want to make sure women aren’t just entering this sector, they’re shaping it. Co-creating the technologies, the culture, and the future of an industry that for too long has been built without them.”
Battling the ‘CV gap’
The government will also pilot a “returnship” programme designed to help skilled software developers re-enter the workforce after time away from employment. The scheme will initially run within the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice, both central government departments, and will target professionals who have been out of work for at least 18 months.
The programme is intended to address what policymakers describe as a “CV gap” barrier that many professionals encounter after extended breaks from employment, a challenge that particularly affects women who step away from work for caring responsibilities.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology will also launch a national TechFirst Girls Competition, delivered with technology company IBM. The initiative will involve thousands of girls aged 12 and 13 in hands-on challenges using coding and artificial intelligence, with the aim of encouraging interest in digital careers from an early age.
The government said the programme forms part of a wider effort to support women at every stage of their careers, from early education through to leadership roles within the sector.
Industry figures call for stronger pathways, leadership support
Industry leaders said the measures could help widen participation but warned that long-term progress will require sustained investment in skills and career progression.
Sheila Flavell, chief operating officer at FDM Group, a London-based global professional services company that recruits and trains technology consultants, said businesses and policymakers must focus on developing digital skills and creating clearer career routes.
“Upskilling and reskilling women in digital skills must be a priority,” she said. “From supporting women through early education to providing clear pathways into technical and leadership roles, businesses and government need to work together to invest in training that equips women with in-demand digital and AI skills.”
She added that return-to-work programmes were essential to retain experienced talent in the sector. “This should also include dedicated pathways for women returners looking to re-enter the workforce after a career break, ensuring experienced talent is not lost to the tech sector.”
Linda Benjamin, vice president of product development at AND Digital, a UK technology consultancy that helps organisations build digital products and services, said existing recruitment models often exclude experienced candidates returning after time away from employment.
“Rigid hiring practices are sidelining highly capable women at exactly the moment their skills are most needed. Despite years of experience and strong adaptability, women are still forced to ‘prove it again’ through narrower performance metrics and biased definitions of experience, often breaking through one ceiling only to encounter another.”
Benjamin said reskilling programmes could provide a practical route to filling digital vacancies while retaining institutional knowledge within organisations.
“Reskilling women represents one of the fastest and most cost-effective ways to close digital vacancies, protect roles from AI disruption, and retain institutional knowledge. But progress cannot stop at hiring alone. Organisations must also expand access to sponsorship and create fair leadership pathways that enable women to pivot into emerging areas like AI,” she said.
Evidence-gathering on women’s experiences in tech
The announcement also includes a Call for Evidence from the Women in Tech Taskforce, which was established to examine barriers affecting women entering and progressing within technology roles.
The taskforce will gather input from industry professionals and organisations to understand how emerging fields such as artificial intelligence may present new challenges or opportunities for women in the workforce.
Officials said the evidence gathered will inform future government policy and help address potential biases in technology development and deployment.
The wider strategy aims to ensure women play a larger role not only in entering the sector but also in shaping the technologies being developed, amid growing concern that underrepresentation can influence how digital tools are designed and used.
By combining early education initiatives, career entry programmes and return-to-work support, ministers said the measures are intended to strengthen the UK’s technology workforce while addressing longstanding gender disparities across the industry.
William Furney is a Managing Editor at Black and White Trading Ltd based in Kingston upon Hull, UK. He is a prolific author and contributor at Workplace Wellbeing Professional, with over 127 published posts covering HR, employee engagement, and workplace wellbeing topics. His writing focuses on contemporary employment issues including pension schemes, employee health, financial struggles affecting workers, and broader workplace trends.
- William Furney
- William Furney
- William Furney
- William Furney
