100 women graduate from pioneering digital project backed by MSP

A business whose technology is revolutionising the global manufacturing industry is celebrating the successful first year of a programme it partnered with to inspire women to reach their ambitions in the digital sector.

The TechUp Women programme - which has been led by Durham University with support from Edge Hill, Nottingham and York universities and backed by funding from the Institute of Coding - was launched in early 2019 to offer 100 women from across the North and Midlands the chance to retrain in the tech sector, opening up opportunities for them in new and existing careers and improving capabilities in the fast-developing world of digital.

MSP has been an industry partner of TechUp Women since before its launch, helping to devise course content and providing sponsorship for some participants on the scheme. Senior members of the team have also been heavily involved throughout the delivery of the six-month programme, mentoring three participants to help develop their skills within the industry and supporting them with course assignments.

The participants have spent the duration of the online-based course completing modules in various areas including data science, machine learning and project management, supplemented by a series of residential weekends for participants to meet with each other, mentors and the TechUp Women team.

The programme graduation took place at a ceremony in Nottingham this month, where together course graduates, support teams and mentors celebrated the success of the programme and speakers shared their transformational leadership stories.

Alnwick-based MSP - which works with global businesses including BAE Systems and three leading Formula 1 racing teams, and whose technology enables manufacturers to make perfect parts every time - has a longstanding commitment to promoting careers in software engineering.

Marianne Whitfield, Director of Development at MSP, was part of the TechUp Women advisory board, and was a course mentor alongside MSP Commercial Director Tony Brown and Senior Software Engineer Ben Notarianni.

“TechUp Women is the first project of its kind to offer this sort of opportunity to a hugely diverse range of women. To see the growth in their confidence and digital capability during the programme, culminating in their graduation, has been truly fantastic,” said Marianne, who has worked in the tech industry for over 20 years, and mentored charity founder Fareeha Usman during the programme.

“There has been such a range of women on the course, from some who already held very senior positions and wanted to improve their digital skills to those who wanted to change their career completely. By retraining in the digital sector, which has so many transferable skills, this opens up a world of possibilities for women whatever their age or circumstances.”