The Face of Leadership™ BC Tech Scorecard: Elevating women in technology and building sustainable pipelines

The shortage of skilled talent has been reported as the number one barrier to growth for BC’s tech companies. There is no simple solution to this problem, although attracting and hiring more women is a good start.

As part of the effort to diversify tech, it is important to address gender-based inequalities. This will ensure that women are not only attracted to careers in tech, but are also supported in growing their careers in tech.

Consider the facts:

• Women represent only 15-20% of the BC tech workforce (2016 Tech Talent BC Report)
• 53% of women leave tech for other industries – compared to 31% of men (Catalyst.org)
• We need to include more women in all levels and roles (Diversity & Inclusion in the BC Tech Sector 2017 Report)

In the spring of 2017, Minerva BC was awarded a grant through Status of Women’s Funding to Advance Gender Equality in Canada to develop the Face of Leadership™ BC Tech project.

Our project includes three components:

• A Scorecard, measuring the percentage of women leaders in tech
• Opportunities to develop inclusive leadership skills
• A best/promising practices toolkit that supports organizations of all sizes

We are working closely with our partner, Corporate Knights, as well as friends in the tech sector to ensure this work supports the diversity and inclusion efforts that are underway in BC. Together we can make BC’s tech sector the best place for everyone to work.

The BC Tech Scorecard of the counterpart to the BC Scorecard under Minerva BC’s Face of Leadership™ Initiative.

This project has been funded through Status of Women Canada’s Women’s Program