UK Women in Tech Taskforce puts hiring, progression and investment practices on its agenda

The UK taskforce will work with industry on voluntary standards for workplace culture and investment practices.

The UK government said on October 29 that it would work with industry to develop two voluntary standards through the Women in Tech Taskforce. One addresses workplace culture and the other investment practices. The announcement also describes a program for women growing technology businesses and government support for routes into paid work in AI, cybersecurity and other technology fields. [Department for Science, Innovation and Technology announcement](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-and-industry-to-take-on-investment-bias-and-workplace-culture-to-support-more-women-in-tech)

The standards focus on different points where participation can fall

Workplace culture affects whether people enter an organization, progress and remain. Investment practices affect whether founders can secure the funds to grow a company. The government cites women’s share of the IT workforce at 22% and says only 2p in every £1 of UK venture-capital funding goes to women-founded businesses. These figures describe different populations and processes. Changes in one would not establish changes in the other. [Government announcement and evidence notes](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-and-industry-to-take-on-investment-bias-and-workplace-culture-to-support-more-women-in-tech)

Among the ideas described for an inclusive investment standard are broader sourcing and tracking how women-led businesses move from pitch to funding decision. That tracking could show whether a gap arises before founders reach investors or after they pitch. Workplace measures will need a similarly clear view of the stages where participation changes.

Paid routes into AI jobs need outcomes beyond participation

Training enrollments are a starting point. For career changers and people returning to work, paid placement, role quality and progression are stronger measures of whether a program expands opportunity. Employers can also track which roles candidates move into and whether technical and management pathways develop at similar rates.

The October announcement sets work in motion with industry participants. The standards remain voluntary and are still to be developed. Adoption, published measures and changes in outcomes would show how far the proposals reach after that work concludes. [Department for Science, Innovation and Technology announcement](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-and-industry-to-take-on-investment-bias-and-workplace-culture-to-support-more-women-in-tech)