FORWARD SOLUTIONS CELEBRATES & SUPPORTS WOMEN IN THE SOFTWARE SECTOR

Freight management software company, Forward Solutions, is showing its support for International Women’s Day by celebrating the talented women within its growing team.

The IT and Software sector has historically been dominated by men, and whilst over the years the number of women in the sector has increased, in 2022 only 26 per cent of the UK tech workforce were women.

One main reason for the lack of women in tech is due to little to no representation at many businesses, as the sector is usually run by men. As a result, many women find it impossible to break into these positions within the industry.

One way that has opened doors for women to enter into highly skilled and senior roles in tech and STEM, is flexible working. Prior to the huge increase in remote working thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was found that women often had to either give up work or move to part-time roles after giving birth. But with the option of flexi-hours and working remotely, women are now able to return to their previous roles and continue their careers.

Forward Solutions has embraced a hybrid working model, split between working from home and in the office. This is a result of positive employee feedback during the pandemic and is to ensure a good worklife balance, helping to increase efficiencies and time management, with the reduction of commuting time.

Whilst I’ve noticed that the sector can be quite maledominated, recently I’ve seen a lot more women applying for the technical roles, both at Forward Solutions and across the sector. People get stuck within stereotypes, and since IT has been seen as a ‘male industry’, women can feel discouraged to enter this type of career, so it is all of our jobs to be warmer and more welcoming to all types of people. Luckily, at Forward Solutions, our hybrid way of working allows many women like myself to balance being a parent and working a full-time job, and everyone is very understanding. More policies like this will encourage a fairer gender split within IT.

Yamilet Gonzalez , who works within the Software Support team

We always aim to be flexible and considerate of the lives of our employees, and are always encouraging more women to apply for roles here at Forward Solutions. There is always more that can be done, but we’re dedicated to making sure that anyone and everyone has equal opportunities here at Forward Solutions, and we want to encourage women who are thinking about a career in IT and tech to go for it, it’s an exciting and rewarding industry for everyone – not just males.

Richard Litchfield, Managing Director, Forward Solutions

Forward Solutions employs six women across a variety of roles including, software support, accounting and software development.