March 13th 2026
The government has announced a new package of measures intended to increase the number of women and girls entering, staying in, and returning to the technology sector.
Michelle Corrigan, Chief Executive of Digital Care Hub, said:
“We welcome this renewed focus on removing barriers for women and girls in technology. The care sector needs digital talent – especially as services adopt more data, automation and AI. I strongly encourage women to consider training, placements and returnship routes into tech – and to use those skills within the care sector. We need you!”
Women remain underrepresented in the technology sector – but overrepresented in the care sector. The government announcement cites analysis estimating the UK economy loses £2 billion to £3.5 billion each year as women leave tech.
The package includes paid tech placements, support for people returning to work after career breaks, and a planned TechFirst Girls Competition aimed at encouraging girls to consider future careers in technology.
A new £4 million TechFirst Women’s Programme is intended to support 300 women to progress in their careers through paid work placements with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
According to the announcement, the programme will offer coaching and interview preparation and will work with SMEs across the UK to identify at least 300 placements of a minimum of six months in tech roles.
The announcement also includes a returnship pilot scheme intended to support software developers who have been out of work for 18 months or more to re-enter the workforce into senior digital roles in government. The pilot is expected to run with the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice.
The aim is to help address barriers faced by returners, including how career breaks can be perceived during recruitment.
To support earlier engagement, the government says it will work with industry on a TechFirst Girls Competition. The announcement notes IBM delivered the CyberFirst Girls Competition to over 10,000 students this year, and that IBM will partner with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) on the new competition, launching later this year.
The competition is aimed at girls aged 12 and 13 and is expected to involve challenges using technologies such as AI and coding.
The Women in Tech Taskforce has also launched a Call for Evidence to gather views on how women can be better supported in relation to emerging technologies and AI, including potential bias.
Why this matters
The announcement also highlights risks of bias when technology is designed and deployed without diverse teams. Examples cited include research indicating AI tools used in recruitment can favour male names over female names, and studies reporting differing accuracy across genders in some health-related AI models.
The Women in Tech Taskforce was launched in December, bringing together women from across the technology industry with the stated aim of improving entry, progression, retention and leadership for women in tech.
The government also referenced ongoing work with technology companies to address harmful content and abuse online, including violence against women and girls.
Digital Care Hub will continue to share relevant opportunities that support people—particularly women—into digital and technology roles that can strengthen adult social care.
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