Accenture and STEMettes host 'Girls in STEM' event

Today Accenture and STEMettes once again are organising one of the largest UK events dedicated to girls, ‘Girls in STEM’, to stimulate them to pursue a career in science, technology, engineering and maths. The one-day event consists of several events and takes place in London, Dublin, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Manchester. 1,800 girls will attend.

STEMettes
Founded in 2013, STEMettes is an UK organisation set up to combat the lack of women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) and inspire the next generation of STEM females. The organisation is run by a group of volunteers from the industry and organises panel events, hackathons, exhibitions, and mentoring schemes around the country. So far, the organisation has 6000 girls, and is developing an app to create a global online platform for girls interested in STEM and entrepreneurship.

Accenture has one again decided to partner with STEMettes to host a workshop and career event, aimed at encouraging girls to develop a career in technology. The collaboration reconfirms Accenture’s commitment to narrowing the gap between men and women in the workplace* by educating young females about the possibilities in STEM. Research by the consulting firm shows that 60% girls aged 12 feel that STEM subjects are too difficult to learn, suggesting that the issue needs to be tackled early in the school career of girls. “It is a serious concern that girls believe that STEM subjects are too hard to learn, so the aim of our events is to showcase the applicability of these skills through interactive workshops,” explains Emma McGuigan, Senior Managing Director for Accenture Technology in the UK and Ireland. “The speakers and workshops across the UK and Ireland aim to inspire girls and educate them about the amazing possibilities open to them.”

Girls in STEM
This year’s event, titled ‘Girls in STEM’, will consist of several workshops during which the girls will be introduced to coding, crypto-analysis, code breaking, digital forensics and cyber security. In addition, they will be able to hear from inspirational speakers from the STEM sector, including representatives from the BBC and Women in Gaming, as well as Naomi Mitchison, an IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year, and Carrie Bishop, Director of Futuregov. Every event will also feature a hackathon led by the STEMettes, during which the girls will compete using the Hakitzu Code Warriors game, using JavaScript to programme their way to victory. 

Girls in STEM kicks-off this morning at five locations in the UK and Ireland: London, Dublin, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Manchester, and is open to 1,800 girls aged 11 – 15. The event builds on last year’s successful workshop, which was organised in Newcastle and attended by 300 girls. “By expanding our STEM events to five locations in 2016, we hope to encourage even more girls to commit to studying STEM subjects,” comments Olly Benzecry, Country Managing Director for Accenture in the UK and Ireland. “As an employer providing STEM-based jobs, we are committed to supporting the work the government is already doing to ensure young people are excited about careers in STEM.”

“We’re excited to be partnering with Accenture for the second year in a row to run such a large event for girls in STEM”, concludes Anne-Marie Imafidon Co-founder of STEMettes. “This year, the strong attendance at so many locations shows the need for these events nationally. I’m excited to be bringing these girls on their own personal STEMette journeys, hopefully ending up in industry.”

* The firm is supporting several women’s programs and initiatives, including mentoring, networking, training and development courses to help attract, retain and advance women. Examples include its partnership with Girls Who Code, aimed at assisting young women to secure a career in technology, and its support for the Girl Geeks Campus set up by Girl Geeks, a community that stimulates women to pursue a career in STEM.