A new programme to encourage young women into tech will launch this week in Newcastle.
FDisruptors will open on Wednesday 9th November at shared working space Campus North with a free-to-attend discussion and networking event.
It will feature Chi Onwurah, MP for Newcastle Central and shadow minister for industrial strategy, science and innovation.
The event is part of Campus North’s Tech for Life initiative which aims to help plug the digital skills gap by offering support and training for all.
The FDisruptors programme, developed by CEO Debbie Edwards, started this year in the North West.
A group of ten young women came together on a mission to spread the word to their peers about the opportunities in tech and why more girls should consider it as a career.
“We set up Tech for Life to inspire and encourage the next generation of entrepreneurs, developers, designers and engineers,” said Lyndsey Britton, head of Campus North and director of Tech for Life.
“Not only is there an overall digital skills gap but there is a real need to get more young women interested in a career in these areas.
“We’re aiming to deliver events, support and training that will encourage more women, from skills training to mentoring and peer to peer learning like FDisruptors.
“We’re really excited to have this innovative programme at Campus North.”
Debbie Edwards, CEO of FDisruptors, said: “We were delighted when Lyndsey and her team at Tech for Life invited us to bring our programme to the North East.
“The pace of growth in tech here is phenomenal and we want to ensure that young women from across the regions embrace the opportunities that this offers.
“Whether they want to build their own business or build a career in tech, they need to not rule themselves out.
“Our approach to this is different – we hope to influence young women by using peer to peer support, as well as providing an online platform, as a way to spread the word that they absolutely can and should consider a career in tech.”