St George's Leads the Charge in Women in Computing

Bringing Together Industry Leaders to Transform Girls' Computing Education

St George's recently hosted a Women in Tech Workshop, gathering key players from technology, education and government. The initiative aims to establish St George's as Edinburgh's—and potentially Scotland's—leading institution for advancing women in computing.

Building on our successful model of partnership with Judy Murray in tennis—which has trained hundreds of teachers and had an impact upon thousands of young girls—we're now applying this proven approach to inspiring girls to consider careers in tech and computing. Just as our tennis initiative challenged stereotypes and created new opportunities for girls in sport, this tech partnership aims to revolutionise how girls engage with computing.

The workshop welcomed representatives from GCHQ, Amazon Web Services, IBM, Accenture, FreeAgent, NatWest, Cisco and many others, all focused on creating more opportunities for girls in computing.

A Pressing Challenge

The timing couldn't be more crucial. Toni Scullion, of DressCode and STACS (Scottish Teachers Advancing Computing Science) shared statistics with attendees that paint a worrying picture:

• Girls studying Computing Science in Scotland have dropped from over 10,000 in 2001 to under 2,500 today.

• Only 550 Computing Science teachers remain in Scotland – the lowest of all STEM subjects.

• In 2024, just 150 girls sat Advanced Higher Computing compared to 555 boys.

• Scotland needs 13,000 new digital professionals yearly but produces only 5,000.

Building on Success

This workshop follows our Women in Computing event last December, which welcomed over 600 students and 30 companies, made accessible to all through Skyscanner's generous transport sponsorship.

Jack Walker, St George’s Computing teacher, notes: "This discussion is about more than a one-off event – it's about collaboration, visibility, and long-term change. These partnerships help us think strategically about embedding role models and Computing opportunities across all schools in Scotland."

Carol Chandler-Thompson, Head, added “This approach is reflective of how St George’s has always been a space in which girls’ voices matter. We are committed to using our expertise and influence to bring together girls from all over Edinburgh to inspire them and show what’s possible. By working with industry partners who share our mission, showcasing role models, and supporting inspirational women like Toni, we look forward to having a real impact in such an important area for the Scottish economy.”

Looking Forward: A New STEM Facility

St George's is exploring a number of initiatives to inspire girls: regular Friday afternoon workshops open to all girls in Edinburgh, showcasing females tech role models; inspiring teaching resources supported by industry and creating a dedicated facility on campus – a space for innovation, computing, and STEM education that will empower even more young women to explore technology careers.