What's the impact
of volunteering
with Girl Tech Plus?

How can we inspire more young women to explore careers in the digital and technology sector?

We sat down with one of our incredible volunteers to discuss this. Lucy Wilcock be volunteering at Girl Tech Plus, a career day designed to help Post-16 students explore career paths available to them. Lucy is a Principal AI Engineer at Lhasa Limited.

Want to find out more about this event? Head over to our programme page.

1. What are you most looking forward to at this year’s Girl Tech Plus event?

I’m most looking forward to meeting the students and hearing about their ambitions for the future. One of my favourite parts of Girl Tech Plus is seeing the creativity and enthusiasm that young people bring to the workshops. They often come up with ideas and perspectives that challenge my own thinking. I’m also looking forward to sharing my experiences and hopefully offering some useful advice as they explore their next steps in education and their future careers.

2. Why do you think events like Girl Tech Plus are important to your industry?

The lack of women in technology continues to be a challenge across our industry. Diverse teams create better products because they bring different experiences, perspectives and ways of thinking to problems. However, many young women don’t see themselves represented in technology careers and may not realise the wide variety of opportunities available to them.

Events like Girl Tech Plus help challenge outdated ideas about who works in technology and what a technology career looks like. By meeting women in a wide range of technical and non-technical roles, students can see that there are many different ways to build a career in the industry. That visibility is important because it’s difficult to aspire to something if you’ve never seen someone like yourself doing it.

3. Can you share an example of impact Girl Tech Plus has made on a young person/young people?

While I haven’t had the opportunity to follow students’ journeys after the event, the impact is often visible on the day itself. I’ve seen students grow in confidence as they share ideas, ask questions and engage with professionals they may not otherwise have met. Even a single conversation can help a young person see possibilities for their future or realise that a career in technology is something they could genuinely pursue.

4. What would you say to a business thinking about getting involved in Girl Tech Plus?

I would strongly encourage any business to get involved. As well as making a positive difference for young people, it’s an inspiring experience for employees. Last year I came away energised by the creativity, enthusiasm and fresh thinking that the students brought to the workshops.

Girl Tech Plus also helps businesses connect with the next generation of talent and demonstrate the opportunities available within their industry. Encouraging a broader range of young people to consider careers in technology ultimately helps create a more diverse workforce, which benefits both organisations and the products and services they develop.

5. Can you sum up Girl Tech Plus in 3 words?

Inclusive. Inspiring. Empowering.