Chloe Smith MP attends Techfuture Girls Showcase in Westminster

 

Chloe Smith, Member of Parliament for Norwich North, on Wednesday 24^th February 2016 attended the Techfuture Girls Showcase in Westminster, where she met with students to see their computer coding and cyber skills.

The TechFuture Girls Parliamentary Showcase involved around 50 school children aged 9-14, and their teachers from different parts of the country, who have participated in computer coding and cyber clubs demonstrating the skills they have learned through the Techfuture programme to MPs and Peers.

To date over 1,000 schools have been able to start computer clubs that encourage girls to stay engaged in the study of Information Technology. The Techfuture Girls are on track to achieve their target of 2,000 schools by the end of the academic year.   The programme is run by the Tech Partnership, a network of employers recognised by the government as the Industrial Partnership for the Information Economy. The Rt. Hon Nicky Morgan MP, Secretary of State for Education, will be speaking at the event.

TechFuture Girls offer after-school programmes that are free to schools, teaching girls develop their tech skills as well as offering challenges designed to help with confidence and self-esteem. Chloe encourages Norwich schools to sign up for free resources at: https://www.techfuturegirls.com/tools/sign-up/

Norwich has officially been named a ‘Tech City’,  which acknowledges the digital employment of over 14,000. £3 million is being invested in Norwich’s growing creative digital industries, including £1.5 million for the Digital Centre for Innovation at Norwich University of the Arts.

 

Chloe comments: “I was really pleased to be able to support the Techfuture Girls Showcase; it is important for young people to learn skills in emerging sectors and not least for girls to gain access to work sectors and skills that typically to date may have been male-dominated.  This is a great opportunity for Norwich as a Tech City too.”