Could IT Be You? Competition

Network Rail is running its Could It Be You? competition for a 3rd year, which encourages young women to discover more about careers in the IT industry.

The competition aims to raise awareness about the variety of job roles available. It also tries to dispel some of the myths about working in IT, like the one that says it’s all about programming.

The winner will receive one year’s tuition fees at university – worth up to £9,000 – for any subject. The winner and five runners up will also be offered one week’s paid work experience in the Network Rail Group Business Services. This will give you the chance to see IT careers in action. For example, you’ll find out what a business analyst does or see how a project manager uses IT to do their job.

The competition is part of a wider drive to open up the industry to women. Recent figures from the Tech Partnership highlight the imbalance between the sexes. At present, women make up just 17% of the IT workforce. In other words, for every 100 jobs, men take 83.

Network Rail’s own research suggests that nearly two thirds of women aged 16 to 24 have never even thought about IT as a career option.

You can enter the competition online if you’re aged between 16 and 18. You’ll need to submit a short outline of up to 500 words on how you think IT can help to solve a problem or change something for the better.

Visit nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk for full details.

Closing date 30th November 2015.