Udacity to host international STEM Forward with Women conference featuring industry leaders from Microsoft, Saudi Telecom, HSBC, Sky, KPMG & more

Udacity ((@udacity)), the digital talent transformation platform, today announced that its STEM Forward with Women virtual conference will take place on 30th November 2021 from 9:30AM to 12:30PM GMT.

Through dissecting the ‘HERstory’ of the tech industry, both past and present, opening keynote speaker Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE, CEO of STEMettes, will delve into how those in STEM industries can cultivate and empower the next generation of female tech leaders. Dr Imafidon will be joined by Sheree Atcheson, Global Diversity & Inclusion Leader and board member for Women Who Code who will reflect on her experiences as a woman of colour in leadership and discuss issues of privilege and underrepresentation. Her thought-provoking closing keynote of the conference will cover why we must prioritise inclusion for everyone especially those who are not well-represented in the tech sector.

Despite global discussion and actions taken to address gender inequality in STEM, women are still underrepresented, underpaid and often discriminated against in these fields. Udacity’s STEM Forward with Women conference aims to equip and empower women with the opportunity to learn job-ready tech skills and provide a platform to connect female leaders from within the industry. Following the success of its US-focused STEM Forward with Women conference earlier this year, Udacity is hosting an international version of the event targeted at women in the UK and Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA).

The entirely virtual conference is being held in collaboration with thought leaders and activists from industry leaders Microsoft, Saudi Telecom, KPMG, HSBC, and Sky, as well as government organisations, Edo State Skills Development Agency, and the Digital Leadership Institute.

Additional discussions on the packed agenda for STEM Forward with Women include:

• Clearing the Hurdles to Success in your STEM Career
• Women who Future
• Building a more inclusive strategy to close the STEM talent gap
• How governments & NGOs can drive change to close the STEM talent gap

Closing keynote speaker Sheree Atcheson, Global Diversity & Inclusion Leader and board member for Women Who Code, commented:

“Inclusion is absolutely essential for everyone and for that reason, I’m greatly looking forward to discussing how women in STEM can go about demanding more, not just for ourselves, but for those around us too. Ultimately, STEM industries need to get to the bottom of why diversity and inclusion simply aren’t happening and I strongly believe that this conference will serve as the perfect moment for the technology sector and firmly highlight the necessary next steps to take to see results.”

Dr Mudhi Al-Jamea, VP & Dean of Saudi Telecom Academy, added:

“The rapid acceleration of technology related careers over the last eighteen months has caused the sector to suffer from a huge digital skills shortage at a time when there is already a drastically low proportion of women entering and remaining in the field. To improve female representation in the industry, stc is proud to be offering up to 150 delegates the chance to win an stc sponsored scholarship to learn with Udacity.”

Tulin Green, Director, International Marketing at Udacity, added:

“We have an unwavering mission to transform lives, businesses and nations at Udacity, which is all made possible through our radical talent transformation in digital technologies. There is a huge opportunity to support women who are pursuing STEM careers, and I feel immensely passionate and incredibly excited to be partnering with several industry leaders who will support us in generating impactful outcomes from the conference.”

For further information or to register for Udacity’s free STEM Forward with Women international virtual conference, visit here.