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Sue Black, founder of BCS Women calls for IT sector be more representative of society at launch of BCS Inclusion and Diversity Report

Minority groups, women, people aged 50+ and those with disabilities are all vastly underrepresented in the IT profession - according to a new report on diversity published by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT.

Sue Black, OBE - Technology Evangelist and Digital Skills Expert (and founder of BCS Women) who spoke at the report launch held in Bristol this morning said: “We need a more diverse industry so that we can create better products and services for everyone. Only when we have diverse teams, diverse workforces, diverse experiences contributing to making diverse products and services will we be creating something that is fit for all of us. Diversity brings strength.”

Rebecca George OBE, FBCS, Public Sector Lead at Deloitte who also spoke at the event added: “This report shows that despite IT being a relatively new sector - where someone’s ability should be the only barrier to entry, the figures make depressing reading. They show that:

  • Woman are underrepresented by 30 percentage points.
  • When it comes to older people and those with disabilities, the sector employs proportionately fewer than the total workforce in every UK region.
  • If you are a member of any of the minority groups analysed, you are lesslikely to be in full-time, paid work than your non-minority counterparts.
  • If you are a woman, or a person with a disability, you are likely to be paid 15% and 16% less respectively than your non-minority counterparts.

Whatever actions that have been taken so far to make a difference, simply aren’t having the marked and imperative change that we need.

“There are lots of examples where simple, organisational changes can be made to alter the status quo - but it will require a myriad of changes, sustained focus and collaboration across organisations, employers, Government, schools and community groups. That’s why, with the publication of this report, BCS is calling for each and everyone of us to make a simple pledge to take one action to make that difference.” #Inclusion

For more information: http://www.bcs.org/2017-diversity-report

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Channel website: http://www.bcs.org/

Original article link: http://www.bcs.org/content/conWebDoc/58766

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