IBAT College Dublin, Ireland’s leading enterprise-focused third level institution, today announced the launch of its Women in Tech Scholarship aimed at encouraging more women to pursue careers in technology and support the next generation of female tech leaders and champions.

According to the European Commission’s Women in Digital Scoreboard 2020[1], only 21% of ICT specialists in Ireland are women. As society adapts to rapid change and the pace of technology advances, improving gender equality in technology-related fields is crucial in shaping a sustainable, fair and equitable digital economy and society.

To encourage more women to play an active and prominent role in the digital economy, IBAT will offer a 25% scholarship to all women enrolling across any of the ICT and tech-related courses on offer. The courses include diplomas in Predictive Data Analytics, Cyber and Digital Security, Computing Programming and Front-End Web Development.

IBAT’s Women in Tech scholarship launch coincides with International Women’s Day on 8 March – a day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women around the world. This year’s theme, #ChooseToChallenge, is a call to action to challenge gender bias and celebrate women’s achievements.

Commenting on the scholarship, Dr Brid Lane, Head of School at IBAT College Dublin said: “Technology is rapidly shaping our day-to-day lives and as a result, the demand for experts and innovators in ICT will only continue to increase. Failure to keep up with this demand may restrict economic growth.

“Traditionally women have been underrepresented in the technology field and more needs to be done in creating a balanced, diverse workforce. Furthermore, more women in the ICT will help meet the increasing demand for digital experts. The benefits of doing so can range from financial gain to performance boosts and innovation.

“At IBAT, we strongly believe in driving this diversity and inclusivity, and what better way to embody this philosophy than by encouraging women to join the technology and ICT sectors. We hope that our Women in Tech scholarship will encourage women to join the ICT industry, and help them to pursue a career in this field.”

Established in 2004, IBAT College Dublin offers undergraduate, postgraduate, English language courses and professional education within a state-of-the-art learning environment across a range of subject areas including business, accounting, ICT and management.

For more information on IBAT’s Women in Tech Scholarship, please visit https://www.ibat.ie/women-in-tech-scholarship.html.

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Notes to editors:

About IBAT College Dublin

IBAT College Dublin offers a blend of quality undergraduate, postgraduate, English language courses and professional education within a state-of-the-art learning environment in a range of subject areas including business, accounting, ICT and management.

Courses at IBAT College Dublin are designed to reflect the demands of Irish and international students, with up-to-date syllabus reflecting the rapidly changing economy and flexible study options to suit the needs of today’s students. IBAT College Dublin also operates an English Language School, offering general English and Cambridge exam preparation courses to students from all over the world.

[1] https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/women-digital-scoreboard-2020