We had an amazing launch of Tech Girls Are Superheroes 2 hosted by Google in Sydney for International Womens Day! Thank you to the fun crowd for joining us.
A highlight was bringing in the Winners and Finalists of the 2015 Search for the Next Tech Girl Superhero – we all had lunch among the Googlers in the lunch room with a view of Sydney Harbour! Team Pawsout, Vocabulary Voyagers and Emma’s Wagon joined us and later showed off their apps to the audience.
The MC of the day was Alan Noble, Head of Engineering for Australia and New Zealand. Professional pics to come but you can see Jewella’s slides here.
On International Womens Day, Sally-Ann Williams, Engineering Community and Outreach Manager for Google Australia announced that together we will get one book into every school library in 2016!
Here’s Sally-Ann’s message that will go to schools…
Technology doesn’t stand still. Neither do careers, or the skills that we need for the jobs of the future. As few as nine years ago there were no Android or iOS developers – because there were no smartphones! Self-driving cars were just a dream. And 3-D printing of prosthetics wasn’t even imaginable. Yet today, all those these sectors are thriving and likely to supply many of tomorrow’s jobs.
Women have been at the core of computer science since the very beginning, but it’s unlikely if you asked any girls in our schools today to name any female computer scientists that they would be able to. That’s why it’s important for us to celebrate women in our industry and shine a spotlight on the achievements of women all around the world, and their contributions to society.
Currently women in computer science make up around 18% of the workforce in Australia. Yet we know that 75% of all future jobs will require STEM skills and the vast majority of them technical skills like computer science. 2015 application and offer stats show that out of all the applications by women to study at university only 3% of applications were for IT.
We need to shine a light on women in the industry as an example and role model for the women to come. That’s why we are delighted to be partnering with the Tech Girls Movement to inspire and equip more young women to pursue a path to a career in technology. It’s exciting to see what is possible if you just provide the inspiration and pathway. When we come together to support a movement like this, we equip and inspire future generations of women to lead in our industry.
We encourage you to share your free copy of Tech Girls are Superheros by placing it in the library and letting the girls in your school know that it’s there. We hope you’ll also encourage your teachers and girls to get involved by participating in the search for the next tech girl superhero program – a free immersive program on entrepreneurship & technology for girls. Find out more at http://www.techgirlsmovement.org/superherosearch
Help us inspire the next generation to change the world!
Sorry if you missed the awesome cupcakes! 🙂
