Konica Minolta inspires year 8 girls to study STEM subjects

Print Solutions

Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) is celebrating the success of its third Ada Lovelace event, that opened the doors of its client engagement centre (CEC) in Houghton Regis to over 30 year 8 girls from three neighbouring schools.

The Ada Lovelace event was hosted in partnership with TechGirls, an outreach provider that does fantastic work to encourage girls to think about careers in technology. Today, only 17% of people who work in the technology sector are female and TechGirls’ mission is to help bridge the digital skills gap and diversify the industry.

Sukvinder Kathuria, founder of TechGirls, stated: ‘We really do rely on partners like Konica Minolta, who do incredible work in raising curiosity and creating ambition amongst young girls, inspiring them in their academic choices and future career paths.’

For the Konica Minolta and TechGirls team, it was rewarding to see the girls’ confidence and excitement grow throughout the day, as their eyes were opened to the vast array of possibilities that studying and working in technology can bring. During the day, more than the 30 girls and their teachers were introduced to the technology and the people who use it. They were also invited to create posters to inspire other girls to think about STEM subjects and see their work professionally printed.

Gemma Lee, chief people officer at Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) Ltd, added: ‘This is one of the most important events in Konica Minolta’s calendar. Hosted at our client engagement centre, it provides us with an amazing opportunity to share our enthusiasm with young girls at an important time in their school lives. We worked with them for the day sharing our knowledge and showing them there are future career opportunities available, here at Konica Minolta or in technology.’

The company’s commitment to supporting women in technology extends beyond opening career doors. It also runs employee resource groups that includes Balance, a network for women, where the idea for the Ada Lovelace day was initially conceived. Along with other groups – Vibrant (LGBTQ+) and Breathe (wellbeing) – Konica Minolta strives to ensure every employee’s voice is heard and is at the heart of the company.

Mark Ash, chief revenue officer, continued: ‘The girls have been able to speak to women and men from diverse backgrounds working in different roles but all sharing a passion for creating a truly inclusive workplace that nurtures talent, stokes ambition and rewards hard work.’