Tech Nation UK‘s latest survey has revealed that women are put off careers in tech by the age of 15 due to a belief that they lack the necessary skills needed to work in the tech industry. Insufficient knowledge and the feeling the industry was not for people like them were also cited as reasons why women did not want to work in tech.

The findings are based on the analyses of survey responses from over 1,000 young people, alongside nearly 80,000 posts from 7,000 discussions on Reddit, the fourth most visited site in the UK.

Tech Gender Gap

36% of young men surveyed aspired to work in the tech industry and was ranked the most popular choice of future career. In contrast, only 13% of women desired a career in tech. Of those who wanted to work in tech 70% were male whilst only 30% were female.

George Windsor, of Tech City UK, said: “If our digital ecosystem is to thrive, it needs to engage the best and brightest minds of the next generation. This is why it is so concerning that technology is failing to attract young women.”

“Diversity is crucial if we are to build world-beating technologies that can improve people’s lives. It is clear that more must be done, both by the technology industry, and in schools, to show young women that they are more than capable of excelling in this industry.”

“This needs to start at primary school; by age 15, girls already doubt their abilities, and are discounting technology as a career. But there is hope. As the technology industry itself becomes more diverse, attracting more female entrepreneurs, coders, engineers, and investors, there are more and more role models for young women to aspire to.”