Promoting Gender Diversity in Technology: Utopus Insights Partners with SKOOL

Utopus Insights Budapest and SKOOL, a Hungary-based global nonprofit, recently joined forces to sponsor an empowering programming workshop for young girls, emphasizing the significance of STEM education and future career prospects in data science. This collaboration represents a stride towards narrowing the gender gap in technology and fostering diversity and inclusion. With a long-term vision of cultivating a more diverse workforce, Utopus Insights recognizes the value of initiatives like the programming workshop that can also help build a talent pool for emerging workforce needs in the energy industry and other STEM fields. Through the workshop, the Budapest team introduced the students to programming, AI, and coding fundamentals while ensuring that they addressed any questions or concerns the students had. By immersing them in a physical office environment, the program provided the students with first-hand experience and insights into software development in a work environment. 
 
The partnership between Utopus Insights and SKOOL is a testament to the strength of collaboration in fostering education, diversity, and sustainability. By leveraging Utopus Insights' expertise in energy analytics alongside SKOOL's innovative educational initiatives, this partnership actively contributes to the positive transformation of the energy sector and equips the next generation with essential skills for the digital age. 

In this Q&A, we chatted with Lazlo Kocsis, Principal Software Engineer and Country Manager, Utopus Insights Budapest, who participated as a mentor in the program, his take on promoting gender equality in STEM based industries.  

1. What was this program's significance in promoting STEM education among young students? 

There is a direct connection in establishing a more diverse team in Budapest. So, anything that leads us in this direction, even though it is a very long-term direction, is a good thing for us. This program is a particularly good gateway for the younger generation to learn a bit about how IT development and IT work happens, as well as the actual tasks that they need to do and achieve. This is in a physical environment like our daily office environment. 

2. What motivated your team to volunteer for the outreach program? 

We were extremely interested in being a part of this to be able to see how we can positively impact the students. This was out of the norm of our daily office experience, which not only makes it interesting for us, but also something that could benefit us in the long term. 

3. Could you share your experience participating in the program? What activities did you do and how many participated? 

The program had about 14 young girls between the ages of 11 and 14, and there is a leader representing the nonprofit, who is a lecturer, as well as five mentors from Utopus Insights. So while the lecturer is doing the main knowledge sharing, we support the youngsters to understand this in the practical environment, and show them what to do, so it is really a mentorship. When they reached a point where they were facing challenges and roadblocks, we helped them find solutions. We used the https://luden.io/wtl/ programming toolkit. 

4. How do you encourage girls and underrepresented groups to get involved in coding? 

Greater collaboration among schools, nonprofits, and companies like ours, and some conscious investment in resources can support outreaches such as these. We are open to doing this kind of mentorship annually. It was a very meaningful workshop for the Utopus Insights team. 

Initiative Impact on STEM fields 

Empowering young girls in STEM fields through initiatives like the outreach program organized by Utopus Insights and SKOOL has a profound impact on the STEM workforce and the overall work environment. Gender diversity plays a pivotal role in creating a well-rounded and inclusive workplace, fostering innovation, and driving better decision-making processes. 

Furthermore, a report by the Peterson Institute for International Economics revealed that companies with more women in leadership positions experienced a 15% increase in profitability. 

Adversely, only 16% of female students have had a career in technology suggested to them versus 33% of males, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers report. And while 74% of young women high-school-aged and lower express interest in STEM subjects, only 18% end up choosing STEM/computer science pathways, according to a University of Washington report. These statistics highlight the importance of breaking down gender barriers and encouraging more young women to pursue STEM careers. By providing equal opportunities and nurturing their interest in technology and data science from an early age, we can tap into a vast pool of talent, perspectives, and ideas that will fuel the growth and competitiveness of the STEM workforce.