Techarena Borås and IT Girls inspire high school girls to a career in tech

Yesterday, female upper secondary students and female university students gathered to dive into the tech world together with us at Techarena Borås and IT Girls at the University of Borås. There was a fantastic response and significant engagement at the event.

Three women from Centiro, Devster, and BeLead Consulting shared their journeys, challenges, and best tips during an inspiring panel discussion and Q&A session with lots of interesting questions. “It was fun to learn more about what you can really do when you work with IT”, said one of the high school girls afterwards.

“This is a long-awaited initiative that builds bridges between upper secondary school and higher education,” said Matilda Nybo, upper secondary school teacher at Sven Eriksonsgymnasiet in Borås. “We see a great need to create community and connect our high school girls with female role models in IT.”

Alen Doracic, Assistant Head of the Department of Information Technology at the University of Borås and representative of Techarena Borås, has long had dialogues with upper secondary schools about cooperation. He explained,

“Building strong networks between young women is crucial to promote a more gender-equal industry. Here we can show concrete paths and opportunities for girls in IT and tech.”

Investing in female representation in tech

The initiative is part of Techarena Borås and IT Girls’ ongoing work to increase interest in tech among young women, and to contribute to a more equal representation in the industry. The IT Girls network, run by female students at the University of Borås, offers a platform for community and exchange of experience for women interested in IT. Through open events like this, IT Girls hopes to inspire the next generation of women to choose a career in tech, and in doing so, help broaden perspectives in the industry.

Focus on community and role models

“We want to support young women and make them feel comfortable in an industry that is still very male-dominated. With this event, where we invite both high school girls and university students, we build community between women of different ages and show that there are female role models to rely on,” said Johanna Gull and Caroline Swanpalmer, who are the initiators of IT Girls.