INTERNATIONAL GIRLS IN ICT DAY: INCLUSION AND GENDER EQUALITY
22 April is International Girls in ICT Day (Information and Communication Technology), established by the UN to encourage young women and girls to choose studies and careers in the ICT field. The Italian and European contexts in which we operate require us to question the level of inclusiveness of our business model and our companies.
With a growing female presence, we at SCAI Group are committed to fostering a positive trend in this regard, and today we want to pay tribute to our female colleagues specialised in STEM disciplines. With degrees ranging from Mathematics to Bioinformatics Engineering, they are motivated and want to grow professionally in the technical field: Cyber Security, Artificial Intelligence, ERP, and Game Design are just some of the skills they bring to the table, leading successful projects.
More and more ICT players
The pandemic has certainly failed to stop the ICT sector. According to Anitec Assinform, with data processed by Netconsulting Cube, the third quarter of 2020 showed a 13% growth in demand for ICT professionals compared to the previous quarter, with over 90,000 open positions according to the Digital Skills Observatory.
The continuous growth of the SCAI group and the acquisition of new companies has allowed us to enrich ourselves with highly innovative skills. With an increasing focus not only on brand, but also on culture and communication, our network is becoming attractive to new ICT talents.
Rebalancing to ensure inclusion
According to the World Economic Forum’s ‘Global Gender Gap Report’, the worst situation in terms of gender balance is in the ICT sector.
Disparities occur throughout Europe. Although the figures are currently not positive, all EU countries can take action at legislative and company level.
Only with more decisive action taken by businesses, first and foremost, and with the commitment of institutions, families and leaders will it be possible to envisage and follow a new inclusion agenda. This will be good for employment and for the entire production system, and it will boost innovation and digital transformation.
Training first
The European Commission’s study “Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027″ shows how rethinking education and training with a digital bent is essential if we are to fully enter the digital age. Since 2013, Italy has started to make great strides, starting with digital skills training projects for children and young people, which are essential for meeting the demands of tomorrow’s world of work. The percentage of Italian pupils with ICT coordinators is higher than the EU average, as is the percentage of pupils in schools that provide incentives for the use of ICT.
Training, also for SCAI Group, has meant and continues to mean investment. SCAI Academy, a plural training pathway aimed at those entering the ICT professional world, for example, stems from the need to train young people approaching the business context for the first time.
Where do we stand on gender equality?
The three points we have touched on are those that we believe contribute to the cross-cutting progress of ICT in favour of women’s participation: the growth of the sector, the commitment of the territory at various levels and training that sees the convergence of the academic world and civil society.
In order to achieve real gender equality , we need equality not to remain an abstract term or an uncodified goal for the future, but to become an ingrained behaviour in our daily lives. Inclusion, therefore, that values talent above everything else, starting with the everyday behaviours in work groups.
So that our female ICT colleagues can be examples and models for ICT Girls who wish to embark on such a path. Project Managers in the Digital Health and Smart Cities area, Game Designers, SAP Consultants, Developers, leaders of machine learning projects, specialists in cyber security and digital identity governance, talented co-leaders of the ICT culture in SCAI.
Insight developed by Scai S.p.A.
Chief Executive Officer
