The world of IT might still seem like it’s dominated by men – but a new scheme is setting out to change this by offering free coding classes to girls at universities in the UK.

Code First: Girls, created by the company Entrepreneur First, is a girls-only coding initiative that is going to universities across the United Kingdom to teach women how to code, regardless of their degree subject.

It is the first girl-only initiative that makes women aware of the technology start-up sector’s graduate opportunities, and helps them enter it.

Code First: Girls is coming to 14 UK universities this coming academic year to teach girls to code and to show them the career opportunities in technology. Women in to technology has been a topic of great debate in recent months, and it is hoped that the scheme will work to get more women into technology by introducing them to the industry.

Code First: Girls will run four-week courses at the universities, teaching the basics of coding and the benefits of it to female students. The course will highlight the employment prospects created by learning to code, and introduce young women to some of the UK’s most exciting start-ups and technology opportunities.

Last academic year, 70% of the course participants wanted to expand their learning even further, and this summer has been dedicated to making this happen. Keen and intelligent girls were invited to participate in Summer Hack School; a series of sessions dedicated to helping women technically develop their ideas with the mentorship of highly skilled developers sourced from the EF network.

Co-founder Alice Bentinck reveals that “30% of our first class of participants are now building their own start up, 27% are now working in a start-up and 17% are now training to become junior software developers.” These figures are forecasted to increase.

So what are you waiting for? Learn to code. Create the impossible. Do the course at your university.

To find out more information head to www.codefirstgirls.org.uk

www.facebook.com/codefirstgirlsgeneral

Twitter: @CodeFirstGirls

To find out if your university is taking part get in touch at: [email protected]

By Lucy Miller, TNS