‘Get more women in IT’ - academic

‘MORE women should get into IT – that’s the view of a senior lecturer at the University of Bedfordshire.

Dr Paul Sant, principal lecturer in computer science, made his comments in the academic magazine Public Service Review: UK Science and Technology.

He said: “Women don’t really seem to enjoy IT. They can find it very geeky and boring.

“Some are put off because it is seen as a male-dominated industry. IT is so much more than just programming. There are so many other areas of interest, like game design.

“By degree level, it’s already too late. We need to get women interested when they are young, between 11 and 14 years old.”

The article also argues that women have a lot to offer to the IT industry, bringing multi-tasking skills and organisational skills to the table.

Dr Sant added: “Academics, employers, policy makers and government officials, we need to think about strategies and initiatives to target young females before they make life-changing choices.”