Features / technology
The company empowering women to join the tech industry
Just 26 per cent of the UK’s tech workforce are women.
With that figure in mind, a social enterprise from Bristol is working with schools to encourage and inspire girls to get involved in a career in tech and to tackle the gender imbalance in the industry.
Cajigo provides mentoring and support to upskill girls in secondary schools with knowledge on tech and to share which job are within their reach.
A social enterprise from Bristol is working with schools to encourage and inspire girls to get involved in a career in tech – photo: Cajigo
Since 2020, the social enterprise has been working with schools across the UK and reached more than 10,000 girls through its online STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) career talks.
Cajigo, which has partnerships with BT, EPAM Systems, Marks and Spencer, Astra Zeneca and GKN Aerospace, gives girls the opportunity to chat with pioneering women in the tech industry and to hear their stories.
Since John Cabot Academy joined the programme, it has seen a 240 per cent increase in year 10 girls studying computer science at GCSE level.
Cajigo gives girls the opportunity to chat with pioneering women in the tech industry – photo: Cajigo
Rav Bumbra, founder of Cajigo, said it is important to “break down the barriers that hold girls back from taking up STEM subjects. She said:
“When we demystify how technology plays a part in solving some of the world’s most challenging problems, students become curious and want to learn more.
“Today, we can link a technology career to every subject studied in school and this is game changer in encouraging more girls to take up computer science, engineering and design technology.
“It’s crucial we empower girls everywhere to see how their voice matters in a technology driven world.
“We must break down the barriers that hold girls back from taking up STEM subjects and show them what their bright tech future looks like.
“Every school has the opportunity to play their part in addressing the gender imbalance in tech and drive a new solution that sparks curiosity, introduces role models and provides much needed mentoring and support to inspire a new generation of girls into tech. ”
The Cajigo programme is available to schools free of charge. To register your school you can email team@cajigo.com
Main photo: Rav Bumbra
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