British tech company helps create workforce of female coders
THE tech company behind one of the most advanced student recruitment tools in the UK
has become a trailblazer in its field.
London-based firm, The Access Platform (TAP), has launched an initiative which
encourages all female employees, whatever their position in the business, to gain skills in
the traditionally male-dominated area of coding.
Now the first graduate of the programme has spoken of the ‘very different direction’ her
career has taken since joining TAP.
Georgina Munn, the company’s customer success manager, said: “In my role, I speak on a
daily basis with TAP’s clients about the product, its capabilities and how it is helping them to
reach out to students in a way they have never been able to.
“However, until recently, there were limitations on the degree to which I could engage with
our clients on technical aspects of the software, because I had no experience in this area.
“The technology behind The Access Platform was something which really interested me, as
it is so fundamental to the success of our business.
Georgina, a graduate of the University of East Anglia and King’s College London, was
enrolled on to a beginners course run by Code First: Girls, a social enterprise launched in
2013, which aims to have taught the art of coding to 20,000 women by the end of 2020.
That was followed by an advanced coding course, and she now has the skills to build
websites from scratch, using the skills she has developed as part of the programme.
That means she has a far greater insight into the engine room of The Access Platform -
which is proving to be useful in her conversations with clients: “I now have skills I never
thought I would possess, in areas I certainly never dreamed I would find as interesting as I
have,” she said.
“The coding initiative has been very rewarding on a personal level, and has also equipped
me to be able to advise clients on more technical aspects of the platform.”
The Access Platform uses bespoke technology to enable universities to recruit more
students through peer-to-peer conversations and user-generated content.
More than 20 universities across the UK are already using the platform to provide a more
authentic experience for prospective students.
With the TAP team expanding by the month to cope with increased demand from
universities, and on the back of a root and branch overhaul of the technology behind the
system, more opportunities for staff to take advantage of the coding opportunities lie on the
horizon.
Nik Higgins is one of TAP’s founding partners. He said: “Since The Access Platform was
founded, we have always been very clear in our vision or the company and the team.
“Our goal is that as a business we constantly push available technology to its limits, while
keeping an eye on the future for the next innovation which will enable us to give our clients
the leading edge.
“For our team, the mission is simple; to allow them to grow and develop in their own areas of
expertise and in areas they may never have dreamed possible.
“Linking up with the Code First: Girls initiative is one way of doing this, and I am delighted
Georgina managed to fly through what was a very tough selection process to win a place on
the course and has found the process so empowering and fulfilling.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
This press release is sent on behalf of The Access Platform by 32West. For more information or to arrange an interview with Nik Higgins please contact Caroline Barber on 07711 820 944.