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Tech Isn't a Career, It's in Every Career: Celebrating Women in Tech Week

A collage of 12 female Tech Educators colleagues, each pictured against alternating bright pink and dark purple backgrounds
Rebecca Harris

Rebecca Harris

• 7 min read

In the UK, around one in five people working in tech is a woman. To match the gender balance of the wider workforce, the industry would need another 530,000 women.¹ That's a big gap, and closing it starts with showing what's possible.

At Tech Educators, 55% of our team are women, more than double the industry average. This Women in Tech Week, we're celebrating them and showcasing a different way to think about a career in tech.

Behind that number are women from every background, with every kind of career path. Many of them never planned to "work in tech" at all. We asked some of them what being a woman in tech means to them.

Voices from our team

Rebecca Harris, Chief Marketing Officer

"When I started in marketing, 'digital' meant manually typing holiday deals onto Teletext screens. Today, I'm using AI to build automations that get campaigns out of the door in a fraction of the time.

I never set out to work in tech. Tech changed my career and every time it did, I adapted and learned something new. My career hasn't followed a straight line and I wouldn't change it.

That's what I'd want young women to know. You don't need a perfect plan, a computer science degree or a 'techy' job title to belong here. Tech isn't a career, it's in every career. Stay curious, keep learning as it evolves around you, as it's very likely that every new turn will add a new skill."

Nicky Mortoza-Cowles, Apprentice Education Assistant

"Being a woman in tech means following in the footsteps of pioneers like Ada Lovelace and the ENIAC programmers. It's personal, too. My father, Kamal Mortoza, spent nearly 40 years as a software and firmware engineer, contributing to innovations from encrypted police radio to Sky Glass. He believed technology was for everyone and championed underrepresented groups, including women in tech.

Tech offers young women independence, the chance to make a difference and opportunities to build a career around their passions. My father showed me how far curiosity can take you, and how important it is to champion those who have been overlooked. I want young women to know they belong in tech and can help shape its future.

In my role at Tech Educators, I work in QA and Health & Safety, identifying gaps in processes and finding ways to improve how we work.

I enjoy using technology to turn my ideas into practical solutions, from improving communication to creating better ways to monitor processes. I like to think I share my father's instinct for finding solutions where others see challenges.

Technology should be open to everyone, and I want to help create an industry where every young woman feels empowered to be part of it."

Jasmine Lee, Instructor

"Being a woman in tech gives me a chance to apply my multidisciplinary perspective from my previous life in journalism and comms to helping other career switchers, entrepreneurs and jobseekers learn new and unfamiliar skills.

Tech offers a chance for women to innovate and make a change in spaces that are in dire need of more diverse perspectives, like health, finance and education.

I like to help my students see the potential in themselves, so they can overcome obstacles and barriers with confidence and realise that they can learn new digital skills and transition into a tech career, no matter where they are in their career journey."

Opening doors for the next generation

Supporting women in tech goes beyond our own team. We're proud to help inspire the next generation through:

TechFirst Youth: a free, government-funded programme connecting students aged 11 to 18 across the East of England with real technology pathways. TechFirst brings industry professionals into classrooms through workshops, hackathons and employer events, alongside partners including Google, Made Tech, Quadmark and the Raspberry Pi Foundation. We prioritise schools in the region's most underserved areas and we're committed to at least half of our participants being female.

TechFirst Girls' Competition: making tech fun and accessible for girls from Year 8. Teams of four take on hands-on challenges in cyber security, AI, hardware and quantum computing, building confidence and discovering what they can achieve before stereotypes have a chance to set in. This year's competition runs from 11 to 20 November 2026. Enter by 10 November →

DevelopHER Awards: since 2015, the DevelopHER Awards have celebrated women working in technology across East Anglia, from developers and testers to digital marketers, designers and product managers. The awards raise the profile of women in tech and create the role models the next generation needs, because you can't be what you can't see. We're proud to sponsor the Emerging Talent award at this year's ceremony, held on 19 November at The Apex in Bury St Edmunds.

Start with what you love

The gap starts early. Girls make up only 18% of A level computer science students.² Many never realise that the things they already enjoy, whether music, fashion, sport, gaming or helping people, have tech careers inside them.

That's why we built Tech Pathways, a free TechFirst tool for students aged 11 to 18. Pick up to three things you love, see the tech jobs inside them, and get a real route to each one, using local schools, colleges and employers.

You don't have to choose between your passions and a career in tech. Often, the two go together.

Keep curious, keep learning

Discovering tech doesn't stop at school. As Rebecca's story shows, tech keeps evolving, and the people who thrive are the ones who keep learning alongside it.

Our Skills Bootcamps are designed for exactly that, with funded places available for eligible learners, whether you're changing direction, returning to work or growing in your current role:

Check your eligibility for a funded place →

Why it matters

Tech is shaping every career, every industry and every part of our lives, including the AI tools being designed right now. Women need to be in the room helping to build them.

At Tech Educators, we believe everyone deserves the chance to discover their potential in tech, whatever their starting point. By celebrating role models, creating opportunities and challenging stereotypes, we're helping to build a more inclusive future for the industry.

To every woman in tech today, and to every girl who hasn't yet realised that tech is for her: your path doesn't need to be straight. It only needs to start.

Students: Discover your route with Tech Pathways →

Adults: Keep curious with a Skills Bootcamp →

Sources

Rebecca Harris

Rebecca Harris

Rebecca is our Commercial Marketing Lead, with over 15 years of experience driving brand growth, digital performance and customer acquisition across both B2B and B2C sectors, including retail, travel, construction and the security sector. Rebecca is a hands-on marketing leader with responsibility for both strategy and day-to-day execution across the full marketing funnel.

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