The School of Computer Science is delivering a Code First Girls programme. Code First: Girls is the coding education arm of Entrepreneur First, a not-for-profit organisation supporting graduates to build their own tech startups. Within this industry there is a recognition that women are at a disadvantage due to their lack of technical knowledge and this is something that they are keen to correct. Entrepreneur First is supported by Microsoft, McKinsey & Co., Experian, The City of London, BSkyB and Silicon Valley Bank and endorsed by the government.

The programme is a 7 week course, 2 hours a week, teaching basic programming techniques. At the end of the programme, the participants will be able to build a simple website, be confident in conversing with technical peers and have the stepping stones to start further exploring this area.

The course team consists of 3 of our PhD Students (Anne-Marie Mann, Lakshitha De Silva and Oche Ejembi) and one of our honours students Melissa Mozifan. The programme is supported by the Malcolm MacLeod Vice Principal (Enterprise and Engagement) and Bonnie Hacking in careers. There are 54 women, from across all schools and years of study, signed up for the programme