Could IT be you? Network Rail to pay 1st year's university fee in new competition!

ON Monday 11 November 2013 a press release sent to us stated that Network Rail's chief information officer is so concerned about the rapid slide in the number of women entering the UK's IT sector, she has launched a new competition for girls where the company will pay for the winner's 1st year of university fees.

The competition called:- "Could IT Be You", has been designed by 6 women in the 500 strong IT team led by Group CIO Susan Cooklin and aims to show girls what working in IT is really about and the career opportunities open to them.

The latest figures from e-skills UK shows the proportion of women working in technology roles in the UK has more than halved since the 1980's despite technology becoming an increasingly integral part of our every day lives.

A new survey for Network Rail of 16 to 24 year old women in the North West revealed:-

► 63% of women have not considered a career in IT.

► 31% had, but were not currently working in the industry.

► Negative stereotypes put 9% off pursuing a career with 35% saying it was a lack of technical skill. A further 35% said it was inadequate career advice or little insight into the industry.

► 55% believe that a high level of technical expertise in computer programming or code is the most important skill for a successful career in IT. 23% thought a degree or college qualification in a technology subject was most important.

► Only 4% thought good project management skills were the most important with only 7% citing good communication skills as the most valuable.

From 2008 to 2012 the percentage of women in IT roles at Network Rail has grown from 26 to 28%, but only 20% of those applying for the company's information management graduate scheme were female.

Ms Cooklin said:- "Popular culture has helped create a perception amongst young women that a career in IT is all about writing code in basement offices; the reality couldn't be further from the truth. Could IT Be You aims to break down those myths and help young women realise how the skills and behaviours they already have; such as good communications, problem solving and working creatively are exactly what business leaders are after. While there are people in my team who are technical experts with IT-related qualifications, there are just as many whose skills lie in other important areas and do a critical job delivering the IT projects that make our railway run better."

The 6 women who devised the competition all work in IT project management roles at Network Rail. Only one has a technical subject undergraduate degree; the others studied History, English, Psychology and Philosophy, and Biochemistry and Pharmacology. Three of the women went on to study for the MSc in Project Management, devised by Network Rail in partnership with the University of Warwick and University College London.

Ruth Stevens, a 26 year old Network Rail IT project manager, who helped develop the competition said:- "It's not always easy to know at 16 what you want to do for a job when you're in your twenties, or even what you might be good at. It can all seem so daunting. By sharing my experience through the competition, I want to help open this exciting world up to others, especially young women, who may not realise all the great things they could do. I did English at university and now I'm an IT project manager. It's not what you would traditionally expect but technology is central to all our lives, so I really feel as if I'm making a difference."

To enter the competition, girls aged 16 to 18 years are asked to visit a new website to answer 5 simple questions and provide a short essay. The website includes inspiring video diaries from the 6 women who devised the competition who talk about their career path, skills and interests.

50 entrants will be invited to a networking day at Network Rail's national centre in Milton Keynes in February. Here they will have the opportunity to meet influential business women from various industries, learn valuable skills such as CV writing and interview techniques. They will be asked to record a minute-long film about their experience of the day. Those who record the top 4 films will win 2 weeks work experience at Network Rail during the summer of 2014 and continued mentoring with the best winning all this as well as the 1st prize of having their 1st year of university fees paid.

Visit couldITbu.co.uk to enter the competition. The competition is open for female UK residents aged 16 to 18. Closing date is 7 December 2013. You can follow us on Twitter @coulditbu13.

Plans considered for major distribution centre in Croxteth

PLANS for a new commercial development centre in Croxteth which could create up to 1,000 jobs are to be considered by Liverpool City Council's planning committee. The application, by Gallan Stoford, proposes creating 110,000 square metres of storage and distribution space on a 22 hectare site at Stonebridge Cross. The land falls within 1 of the City's Mayoral Development Zones; set up to address issues of skills and employment, infrastructure and connectivity, business growth, enterprise and quality of place. Work is already underway on wider regeneration of the area, with construction underway on the new St. John Bosco Arts College as part of the Mayor's Investment Plan for Schools. A new supermarket and retail centre which will create an additional 500 jobs has also been given planning approval. Mayor Joe Anderson said:- "This proposal is a key part of our efforts to regenerate Croxteth and the City as a whole, and has the potential to create huge, much-needed employment opportunities for local people. Securing planning approval will be a vital piece in the jigsaw in securing an end user in this very fast moving sector of the economy. These are exciting times for Croxteth as we regenerate an area that has been neglected for decades." Regeneration Liverpool, the City Council's regeneration partner is working with developer Neptune to deliver the retail and commercial elements of the scheme. Other plans for the area include a health centre and community hub. Future phases of development at Stonebridge Cross will include new homes and associated local facilities, retail and infrastructure. The proposal for the commercial development centre will be considered by the planning committee on Tuesday, 19 November 2013. Work would only start when an occupier is secured and river diversion works have been completed.