One programme aimed at sparking the interest of girls in key stage 4 (14 to 16 years old) and sixth-formers has concluded for 2023 and has doubled the take-up – there were 465 participants – from the previous year.

The UK Electronic Skills Foundation’s (UKESF’s) Girls into Electronics programme, in collaboration with Apple, was conducted at many of the UK’s leading universities and involved participation from over 100 schools.

The initiative is part of the UKESF’s wider work to address the skills shortage in the electronics sector, while also tackling the gender imbalance.

Diversity drive

Stewart Edmondson, CEO at UKESF, said: “We’re thrilled at the success of this year’s Girls into Electronics programme. To more than double the number of female students participating is an amazing achievement. The UKESF is striving to improve diversity and inclusion in the electronics sector so we’re also pleased to announce that nearly half of the students participating...