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17% of those currently working in Technology in the UK are female. At AI that’s something we’re working to increase. So, when we had to opportunity to nominate two of our tech team to attend ‘She Believed She Could, So She Did’, a workshop focussed on female leadership, we jumped at the chance.
The two-day course, organised by the Department for Communities and Politics Plus, was aimed at women aged 18-25 who wanted to learn more about leadership, civic representation, confidence and communication. The goal was to encourage young women to represent and lead at home, at work, in their community and in public life.
At AI we’re passionate about fostering talent and promoting career development. ‘She Believed She Could, So She Did’ was a fantastic way for us to encourage the potential of two of our tech team, Chelsea McMullan and Maeve Devlin.
Although the event wasn’t specifically targeted at women in tech, Pauline Timoney, Operations Director at AI, realised its potential straight away,
“I spotted the ‘She Believed She Could, So She Did’ workshop on a LeanIn group and I knew it would be an amazing opportunity for some of the young women in AI.
“We nominated Maeve and Chelsea because we spotted massive potential in them right from their placement year interviews and they have exceeded our expectations at every opportunity. They are both highly motivated, intelligent young women who will be future leaders in our organisation.
“We knew this program would build their confidence and empower them to communicate and lead more effectively. It has been a privilege to help guide them in their careers to date, and we know that they will continue to add massive value to AI in the future.”
After the workshop, Chelsea shared her thoughts on why this was important to her,
“I was one of only 20 girls on my computer studies course out of a class size of 160+. I love working in tech, but it can feel male dominated sometimes. I’m glad that I was nominated to attend ‘She Believed She Could, So She Did’.
“ I found the experience empowering and gained skills that I can now apply in my day to day role. I would recommend this course to those who would be interested in progressing within their job role, especially women in tech!’
As part of the workshop each of the young women were asked to give advice to other young female leaders and representatives. Here’s what they said: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ximzKspPMxw
The future of tech leadership has never looked so bright.
