How we’re working with Code First Girls to close the gender gap in the tech industry

As a fintech with a female co-founder and high percentage of female leaders, International Women’s Day is very important to us. This makes us even more glad to be giving women the opportunity to develop their successful careers in tech at Wealthify through the Code First Girls initiative.

By Louise Cunnah

Created on: 08/03/2024

Reading time: 5 mins

Today is International Women’s Day — something we’re committed to celebrating, each and every year.

With a female co-founder and high percentage of female leaders, as well as our purpose to inspire anyone to build their future wealth, this year’s International Women’s Day theme of Inspiring Inclusion is very close to our hearts.

What are we doing to Inspire Inclusion?

At Wealthify, we inspire inclusion not only through creating products that allow anyone to grow their future wealth, but with how our workforce looks, too.

In fact, one thing we’re really proud of as a fintech that was co-founded by a woman, is that we continue to have a strong team of female leaders. Women currently account for 6 out of 10 people in our Senior Leadership Team, with our Board of Directors having an equal gender split.

However, we’re also keen to tackle closing the gender gap that exists in the technology sector. In fact, only 25% of those working within the UK tech industry identify as women.¹

This is one of the reasons we’ve partnered with Code First Girls to provide opportunities for women to start their careers in dev and tech with us: namely, the lovely Nerys, Amira, and Sarah.

What is the Code First Girls initiative?

Code First Girls are on a mission to close the gender gap and find the next generation of talent in tech. They do this is by offering free education to women and non-binary people, giving them the opportunity to pursue a career in this industry.

Through this initiative, Wealthify funded nanodegrees in coding for Nerys, Amira, and Sarah. By helping build their skills and confidence, the intention was to offer them all a role within our Development Team – which we did!

Meet our Code First Girl recruits

Picture of Neys, Sarah and Amira

After finishing their nanodegrees, Nerys, Sarah, and Amira all joined Wealthify as Junior Software Engineers. We couldn’t be happier to give the super talented trio this opportunity, helping them establish their tech careers with us, while continuing to support their growth and development.

Here’s what they have to say about their experiences, and what inspired them to be brave enough to take the leap into a completely new career path.

Nerys:

“Before joining Wealthify and becoming a Junior Software Engineer, I spent over 15 years working as a Graphic Designer. During this time, I worked closely with various developers, which ignited my passion for web development and inspired me to pursue it as a career.

“Now, at Wealthify, I am grateful to be working for such an inclusive organisation, alongside a team of talented developers, in a sector that I am truly passionate about. As I embark on this new career path, I hope to contribute to breaking down barriers within the industry, and I hope that my journey encourages more women to pursue their dream jobs in tech.”

Sarah:

“When I first left school, I started studying for a degree in Astrophysics. This included modules in computer programming, which I really enjoyed. However, following the birth of my first child, I felt that a vocational degree would be more appropriate, so I decided to pursue a degree in Diagnostic Radiography and spent the next 30 years working for the NHS as a radiographer.

“I was still interested in development from my first degree, so from time to time I would try to learn coding by teaching myself through various online classes. But it was only through Code First Girls and Wealthify that I was able to pursue my dream career in software engineering.

“This International Women's Day, I would like to say to other women (particularly those who are at a later stage in their careers), that it's never too late to change your path in life.”

Amira:

“I’m very grateful for the opportunity I had to become a Software Engineering Apprentice (and then a Junior Software Engineer) at Wealthify through Code First Girls. This gave me the perfect chance to learn and grow in a supportive community that truly values diversity and inclusion.

“Through this apprenticeship, I didn’t just gain valuable skills in coding; I also helped pave the way for more women to pursue careers in tech.”

We’re so excited to see how Nerys, Sarah and Amira progress at Wealthify and supporting them every step of the way.

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