The UK government has unveiled a new set of initiatives designed to increase the number of women and girls entering and staying in the technology sector, tackling long-standing gender gaps

that cost the economy billions each year.

Announced by the Liz Kendall, the measures aim to support women at every stage of their career — from school-age girls discovering coding for the first time to experienced professionals returning to work after career breaks.

New opportunities for women in tech

At the heart of the announcement is a £4 million programme that will create paid placements in tech roles across the country. The TechFirst Women’s Programme, led by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, will provide at least 300 women with six-month placements in small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs).

Participants will receive career coaching, interview preparation, and practical work experience in technology roles. The initiative is designed to help women develop new career opportunities while supporting smaller businesses to adopt emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.

Women remain significantly underrepresented in the technology sector, and the impact is costly. Estimates suggest the UK economy loses between £2 billion and £3.5 billion annually when women leave tech roles.

Helping skilled professionals return to work

Another part of the government’s plan focuses on experienced tech professionals who have taken extended breaks from their careers — often to care for children or family members.

A new returnship pilot scheme will allow software developers who have been out of work for at least 18 months to re-enter the workforce through senior roles in government departments. The programme will initially run within the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice.

The scheme aims to remove the “CV gap” barrier that many returners face when trying to restart their careers after time away from the workplace.

Inspiring girls to choose tech careers

Encouraging girls to consider technology careers from an early age is also a major focus of the government’s strategy.

A new national TechFirst Girls Competition will launch later this year, giving thousands of 12- and 13-year-old girls the opportunity to explore coding, artificial intelligence, and digital problem-solving. The initiative builds on the success of the CyberFirst Girls Competition, which previously reached more than 10,000 students.

The programme will be delivered in partnership with IBM, allowing participants to compete in technology challenges and learn how digital tools can solve real-world problems.

Addressing bias in technology

The government also warned that a lack of diversity in tech development can lead to biased systems and unfair outcomes.

Research has shown that some AI recruitment tools favour male names nearly five times more often than female ones. In another study, AI models designed to predict liver disease were twice as likely to miss the condition in women.

To address these concerns, the Women in Tech Taskforce has launched a call for evidence to gather insights from industry professionals and the public. The goal is to ensure future technologies — especially AI — are developed with greater fairness and representation.

Building a more inclusive tech sector

Speaking about the initiative, Kendall said: “Women aren’t being given a fair shot in tech - whether that’s getting into the sector, staying in it, or returning after time away bringing up their families. If we don’t address these issues now, we’ll still be having this conversation in decades’ time and that isn’t good enough.

We’re acting through a skills and jobs package to get more women into tech quickly. These aren’t warm words - they’re real jobs, real placements, and real routes back in through a door that has been too hard to open, for too long.

But we’re not just fixing today’s problem. Through the Women in Tech Taskforce, I want to make sure women aren’t just entering this sector - they’re shaping it. Co-creating the technologies, the culture, and the future of an industry that for too long has been built without them”.

With initiatives spanning schools, workplaces, and government leadership, officials say the strategy is intended to support women from the classroom to the boardroom — strengthening both the tech industry and the wider economy. Photo by Michael Coppins, Wikimedia commons.