Resource Solutions, a provider of workforce and advisory solutions, has entered a community-focused partnership with InnovateHer, a values-led social enterprise dedicated to addressing the gender imbalance in the tech sector.
Bridging the gap between education and the workplace, the partnership aims to “empower the next generation of tech talent, create a fairer and more diverse tech industry, and plug the long-standing skills gap in the context of ever-growing tech vacancies and decreasing number of apprenticeships available to young talent.”
With a mutual motivation to encourage an uptake of STEM subjects for GCSEs among young girls and non-binary students, the partnership will provide mentorship and tech skills support from an early age, nourishing the UK’s future talent pipeline by connecting students with a lifetime of opportunity.
Beyond encouraging girls to pursue a career in tech, Resource Solutions’ deep understanding of the employment landscape will help the organisation tackle an additional barrier to diversity facing the industry – career longevity for women in tech, who are 45 per cent more likely to leave the sector than men, according to InnovateHer’s own research.
Resource Solutions will share exclusive insights around employer needs with the talent of tomorrow, to help ensure that young girls and non-binary students have clear expectations of what a career in tech might look like, and that on entering the workforce, they are fully-equipped to carry-out a long and successful tech career, on an equal footing with their male counterparts.
The alliance will also see Resource Solutions’ Workforce Consultancy support 200 students at Standish Community High School in Greater Manchester with tech skills support and participate in school activities such as graduation and code clubs. Extending this support to more schools and colleges in the coming months, employees and consultants at Resource Solutions have the opportunity to join a growing ambassador network and offer coaching, while students benefit from role model support and mentoring.
Part of Robert Walters Group, Resource Solutions will give young talent access to its global portfolio of brands, eliminating barriers and unlocking opportunities for underrepresented demographics – while also delivering more diverse and innovative solutions for its clients.
Jess Holt, global head of workforce consultancy at Resource Solutions, said: “At Resource Solutions, we proudly strive for a fairer, more accessible, and diverse tech industry. By partnering with InnovateHer, our ambition is to inspire teenagers to pursue tech careers in the first place, but also to help shape future female and non-binary tech professionals so that they have all the tools to thrive throughout a long career in the industry.”
Lauren Forbes, head of partnerships at InnovateHer, added: “Collaboration is the cornerstone of progress when it comes to fostering diversity in the tech workforce, so partnering with the Resource Solutions team is a powerful step in the right direction for us at InnovateHer. Working together, we strive to create a future where every individual, regardless of their differences and background, has equal opportunities to thrive and excel in the workforce.”
