News / Women's Tech Hub
Women’s Tech Hub host a conference with a difference
A negative experience of attending recruitment fairs prompted the co-founder of Women’s Tech Hub to organise a conference with a difference.
The organisation, which works to promote diversity in the male-dominated industries of technology and engineering while supporting women in the sector or seeking to return, has teamed up with UWE Bristol for the event at Watershed on Thursday.
It will feature senior women in the industry explaining what they do, the purpose of their work and how it can be used for good and will be a chance to highlight UWE’s data science MSc course, which is a good option for people seeking to upskill or transfer roles.
A technology recruitment fair will take place on the day for women seeking to get a foot in the door, transfer or upskill, return to the sector or secure a better job with fair pay and supportive work culture.
“We are getting women back in [to the industry] after anything from three, six or 14-year break so it’s a great collaboration for us. The Ministry of Defence (MOD), as an example, are offering bursaries to put women into data science as it’s a key skill for defence – if we consider the data war that’s also happening in Ukraine currently,” explains Serrie-Justine Chapman, a co-founder of Women’s Tech Hub.
Serrie continues: “We set up the careers fair due to my career fair experience; I am an engineer with 20 years’ experience but every company ignored me to speak to the white males behind me before considering me as a viable candidate. It’s tiresome and very difficult to be heard.
“The careers fair overcomes that with dedicated ‘meet the company’ slots, no social media so the women won’t be shown at the careers fair, no recruitment agencies so it’s all very protective towards the women.”
The engineer points out that it’s important things change in the industry, not least because companies that support a diverse workforce perform better.
The Women’s Tech Hub and UWE Data Science Conference and Technology Careers Fair takes place from 9.30am to 4pm on Thursday at Watershed.
View the full programme is available via: www.wthub.org/data-science-conference-career-fair/
Main photo of two co-founders, Serrie-justine Chapman and Quan-Nicholls. Credit: Women’s Tech Hub
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