Women think they're under-qualified for digital occupations, with just 37% of female students saying they think they have the right qualifications for a career in the tech sector, compared to 57% of men.
So claims KPMG, which carried out research questioning 1,000 university students about their qualifications and the skills they hope to pick up from their university degrees. However, there's clearly a problem with confidence and knowledge of the skills needed for digital careers; despite having the samel level of qualifications and skills as their male counterparts, 73% of the female students asked said they hadn't even thought about a career in technology.
"The issue here isn't around competency far from it but rather how businesses understand the underlying capability of an individual and how to unlock it," Aidan Brennan, KPMG's head of digital transformation, said. "I think this research highlights the work that needs to be done to show the next generation that when it comes to a career in tech, gender isn't part of the equation."
KPMG has introduced a number of initiatives to make the tech sector more attractive for women and university graduates as a whole, including 'ITs Her Future', to encourage women to consider a career in tech and undergraduate work experience schemes such as Women in Technology to help spread the word about opportunities for women.
"Competition for jobs is tough, and we know that female job seekers can be less likely to apply for a role than their male counterparts if they don't feel they already possess every pre-requisite the job demands," Brennan added.
"Businesses committed to building a truly diverse workforce need to adapt their recruitment processes to reflect this, and ensure they don't fall into the trap of listening only to those who shout about their capability loudest."
