FDM Group Celebrates International Women's Day At The University of Nottingham

Online, March 12, 2012 (Newswire.com) - The UK's largest IT graduate employer, FDM Group, has been invited to the University of Nottingham as a panel member in order to raise the profile of successful women in the corporate world in honour of International Women's Day.

FDM is openly dedicated to encouraging more women to pursue a career in IT, as reflected through their Women in IT and Female Champion campaigns.

The company boasts a female majority across their management team and is committed to offering support and advice to their employees.

There is no question that the IT industry is tremendously male dominated, according to figures published by e-skills in their 2011 report 'Technology Insights' only 18 percent of IT and Telecoms professionals are women, despite 47 percent of the UK work force being female.

FDM Recruitment Manager, Madeleine Field comments, "It is an honour to be involved with the University of Nottingham in our mission to motivate female graduates to consider a career in IT. These shocking statistics show that the IT industry has not yet rid itself of the 'geeky' stereotype, and it is ultimately our job as the professionals to inspire individuals to be open to the diverse roles available in the industry."

According to the Office of National Statistics' 'Young People in Work' report published last week, only one percent of women who work are in skilled trades such as IT and engineering despite the important role IT plays in our everyday lives.

Furthermore, only 15 percent of applicants to computing degree courses are female, despite the fact that females perform better in exams in IT related subjects than their male peers.

FDM employs graduates from a variety of backgrounds, including engineering, mathematics, numerical sciences and finance, and trains them in IT specific skills before sending them to work on technical placements with the company's prestigious clients.

FDM Chief Operating Officer, Senior Female Champion and Finalist for Leader of the Year in the Everywoman in Technology Awards, Sheila Flavell comments, "We are extremely excited to have a presence at the Women's Networking Event at the University of Nottingham. International Women's Day is a day we hold with the upmost importance, and serves to remind us that the gender stereotypes, which often dissuade women from the industry, are completely speculative."

With the latest unemployment figures failing to boost graduate confidence, the news that FDM actively champions women, offers specific IT training to graduates from all backgrounds and encourages graduates to take a fresh look at roles they may not have considered before, provides a positive outlook for the future.

To find out more about FDM Group, visit www.fdmgroup.com

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

For more information and high res images please contact Naomi Chow at [email protected] or 01273 811 531

FDM Group is an international IT Services Provider specialising in six core service areas: Project Management Office, Application Support, Development, Testing, Infrastructure and Training. Renowned for service excellence, FDM supplies effective and innovative IT solutions to over 200 blue-chip clients worldwide. With offices in the UK, Europe, Asia and the USA, FDM has shown exponential growth throughout the years and has firmly established itself as an award-winning IT Services Provider.

FDM Academy is a division of FDM Group, responsible for launching the IT careers of 3,000 graduates worldwide, for over 21 years. FDM's award-winning graduate programme consists of approximately 12-16 weeks of skills development followed by a minimum of two years employment and is designed to provide both the practical skills and business awareness required in today's demanding workplace.