Companies Are at Their Best When They Are at Their Most Diverse
Atom is the UK’s first bank built exclusively for mobile and we want to recruit a diverse, creative and productive workforce that draws on different backgrounds to make Atom the best we can be for our customers.
Let’s be honest, this can be difficult in the technology sector. Things are changing – in some areas very rapidly – but tech still has a problem. According to colorintechuk, 17% of the workforce are women. We want to change this.
Education and skills development schemes are a fantastic way of addressing the imbalance, which is why we’re enthusiastically supporting TechUP.
Needless to say, we’re always on board with programmes that plug the skills gap in our region. The North East has a fantastic potential workforce for tech employers, so we think it’s hugely important to build a deep, diverse and skilled technology community in the region.
Hollie Rothwell, Data and Insight Analyst at Atom said: ‘I attended the TechUP teaching weekend in York and it was so inspiring to see so many passionate students eager to learn. The day involved a number of talks from TechUP’s partner businesses, a careers fair and time for students to network and learn about what it takes to work in the technology field.
Programmes like this help create greater diversity in tech and give women the opportunity to learn skills that are largely associated with male dominated roles. I started at Atom with very limited technological knowledge; TechUP would have benefited me greatly and I am so proud that I am now involved in such an important project.’
We want to provide job opportunities accessible to everyone in the region, regardless of background and gender. This is because, as well as diversity being a worthy goal in itself, companies are best when they are at their most diverse. Tech skills and jobs must appeal to a broader group of people if we want to foster innovation and creativity across the industry. Atom really help with developing the people that work here and we’re excited to see what the future holds for the women in the programme.
We’re providing support to TechUP by contributing to the development of the programme via an Industrial Advisory Board and taking part in teaching weekends. We’ll also provide as much help as we can in the form of interview skills and advice throughout, with the opportunity for TechUP participants to apply for paid jobs at Atom HQ through the usual process. To find out more about opportunities at Atom, visit our careers page or email ‘[email protected]’ for more info.
About the Institute of Coding
The Institute of Coding (IoC) is a large national consortium of educators, employers and outreach organisations that is committed to co-developing new courses and activities that will help a larger and more diverse group of learners into digital careers.
As part of this work, the IoC has provided funding for the TechUP programme and many other programmes like it. Learn more on IoC website.