Energy transition company National Grid and wholesale energy market specialist EDF Trading have announced that they are bolstering their efforts to recruit female coders into the energy sector.
National Grid and EDF Trading join other big names including NatWest, Tesco Bank, Rolls-Royce, Nike and GCHQ in partnering with Code First Girls, which works with over 120 companies in the UK and globally to actively place women into tech roles and help close the UK’s tech gender gap.
It is already difficult to recruit women for these jobs, as only 19% of tech professionals in the UK are women. In 2025, the tech market is projected to be six times larger than it is today creating even more career options for women in tech.
Meanwhile, a recent survey by Energy Systems Catapult found that at least 40% of businesses in the energy sector were already finding it difficult to hire data scientists with the skills needed for the rapidly digitalising energy sector. Re-training women for these roles will not only create a more diverse workforce amongst the UK’s largest companies but will also equip them with the skillset they need to continue to create innovative solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing the industry.
Through this partnership, both National Grid and EDF Trading have sponsored places on Code First Girls’ CFGDegree, a 16-week free course to train women in roles such as Data, Software, Full-Stack, and Product Management, to help them switch into a career in tech.
Anna Brailsford, CEO at Code First Girls, said, “Partnering with some of the UK’s largest and most influential energy companies is a positive step in helping us in our mission to help more women break into the tech industry – whilst also providing National Grid and EDF Trading with access to the top diverse talent they need in order to remain competitive and innovative as we move to a greener future.
“With the existing model of coding education failing to support women and people from diverse backgrounds, our partnerships with the UK’s biggest companies are helping us to change the dial, providing our mission with new energy and making real change when it comes to a gender-balanced workforce.”
Shannon Soland, Chief Information and Digital Officer at National Grid said, “We are delighted to have partnered with Code First Girls on this incredibly worthwhile initiative.
“Creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace and supporting gender diversity in the wider energy sector is a top priority for National Grid and we hope, by supporting important initiatives such as these, we can continue to make real progress on building a more diverse energy workforce.”
Daren Woods, Chief People Officer at EDF Trading said, “We are excited to join Code First Girls and push through the gender barriers to recruit top quality women in tech.
“As we are recruiting an increasing number of data and IT professionals from diverse backgrounds, our partnership with Code First Girls will help us equip them with the skills they need to be successful in these roles.”
