Cost of getting more women into tech: Millions

There are still not enough women in IT, says the government, and it plans to spend millions on tempting more of them into the industry.

According to Whitehall, female graduates with science, engineering or technology qualifications are choosing not to follow a career in the industry they trained for or are leaving technical professions and just not coming back.

Despite efforts to increase the number of women working in IT, the gender gap has only widened in the industry. Women hold a mere 19 per cent of IT jobs, according to research conducted by professional services company Parity Group.

To try and turn around the trend of male domination, the government is opening a new £4.5m centre, the UK Resource Centre for women in science, engineering and technology (SET), in Bradford.

A portion of the cost - £200,000 - will be devoted to stopping graduates in the SET from dropping out and encouraging them to take up jobs in their respective subject areas.

The centre itself will be devoted to getting businesses to provide women with more opportunities and also making sure the female SET workforce has the right skills to fill the skills gap.

Professor Wendy Hall, president of the British Computer Society, said that IT still suffers from an image problem of 'gaming geeks' and to successfully bring and retain more women in IT , companies have to make sure the 'macho culture' is banished.

"It's a macho environment but that's a chicken and egg situation... it's all about breaking down barriers," she said. "There has to be a culture change throughout [a company]... and management has to be committed to it."

Sylvia Carr contributed to this report