Trainline partners with Code First: Girls to help teach 20,000 women to code by 2020

Trainline and Code First: Girls have announced a partnership to help 20,000 women in the UK to code by 2020, as part of the Code First: Girls’ 20:20 Campaign.

Trainline, the independent rail and coach platform, is using the partnership to support the work of Code First: Girls in addressing issues of diversity in the technology sector within the UK.

As well as financial support, Trainline will help deliver the training programme by providing in-house specialists as mentors.

Trainline will also open-up the programme its female employees who would like to learn how to code.

Code First: Girls’ campaign aims to raise £1.5m - £500k each year for three years to upskill 20,000 women in the UK in coding, with Trainline partnering to support this goal.

According to the UK Office of National Statistics’ most recent figures, only 3.9% of tech and telco professionals in the UK were female programmers and software developers.

Trainline has developed and released the UK’s first predictive pricing tool for rail tickets and the most advanced rail voice assistant in the UK, among other innovations, within the past 12 months.

With a team made up of 48 nationalities, the business recognises the importance of diversity and the necessity to address issues of gender imbalance in tech both now and in the future.

Clare Gilmartin, CEO of Trainline, said: “Tackling gender imbalance and championing talent within the technology industry is at the absolute core of Trainline’s culture and values.

“We are proud to partner with Code First: Girls, an organisation that is a force for real and positive change within the UK’s technology industry.

“An increase in female programmers, developers and engineers will have profound benefits to the UK’s tech economy, its businesses and its customers.”

Amali de Alwis, CEO of Code First: Girls, commented: “Code First: Girls is excited to partner with Trainline on our 2020 campaign.

“We look forward to supporting them with building and tapping into a talent pool of incredible women looking to develop their careers in tech, as well as to help women understand what tech oriented careers are available to them.

“Trainline, an innovative tech company committed to diversity, shares many common goals with our organisation and we are delighted to have them on board.”