Major UK Retailers partner with Code First Girls to to offer free coding education to women

Retail companies Unilever, Tesco Bank, and Dunnhumby have announced a national initiative to recruit more women into coding roles within the retail sector. This move is part of a broader effort involving partnerships with Code First Girls, an organisation working with over 150 companies globally to place women in tech roles and address the gender gap in the technology sector.

The retail industry's increasing reliance on AI and machine learning technologies to meet customer demands has highlighted the need for skilled tech professionals. Despite the tech industry's growth, women represent only 19% of the Information Technology workforce in the UK. Projections indicate a significant gap, with an estimated one qualified woman for every 115 tech roles by 2025.

Anna Brailsford, CEO of Code First Girls, commented on the initiative: “As changing technologies and customer needs continue to push the retail sector to evolve, building diverse and productive tech teams will be paramount to success. 

“As it stands, with men making up more than 75% of Computer Science graduates in the UK, there are just not enough qualified women to fill the roles companies need. Through these partnerships with major retailers, we’re helping to plug this gap by upskilling women across the nation and supporting their switch to a career in tech - at no cost to them, whilst simultaneously helping the retail sector to develop its technology offering.”

Through their collaboration with Code First Girls, Unilever, Tesco Bank, and Dunnhumby aim to change this statistic by offering free coding education to more than 400 women in cities across the UK, including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle, Liverpool, Manchester, and London.

Louise Henbest, HR Director, UniOps - Unilever, stated, “As the industry continues to break ground on cutting-edge technology, we are proud to be working with Code First Girls to get more women into technology roles. 

“We believe that to respond to ever-changing consumer needs faster, we must drive change and nurture new talent. CFG’s ability to source, upskill, and recruit women into technology roles around the world is unparalleled and so we are thrilled to launch this partnership to champion diversity in tech."

The programme will cover key areas such as Python, Javascript, and SQL, preparing participants for roles in DevOps & Cloud, Cybersecurity, AI & ML, and Security Ops Analyst.

Ben Burdsall, CTO at dunnhumby, said, “With advancements in technology and GenAI, this is an exciting time to be part of our industry and we’re proud to be on this journey with Code First Girls.

“Both as an employer and a technology innovator, we want to redress the balance, supporting women with free education, and bolster their confidence so they feel they can make a difference in our organisation. We look forward to growing our partnership in future years and inspiring women in the technology field.”

Fiona Burden, Legal Director and Executive Sponsor of the Women at Tesco Bank Network, shared, “Collaborating with Code First Girls is another positive step forward in Tesco Bank’s goal of achieving a more gender balanced and inclusive culture across all parts of the Bank and compliments the other actions we’re taking to drive real and lasting change."