As the tech industry is opening up more employment opportunities in view of the ongoing pandemic, a recent report released by BridgeLabz showed that women are more employable in tech development jobs than men.
As per the BridgeLabzTech Employability Quotient (BTEQ) test, the average score for women is 42 per cent as compared to 39 per cent for men. The test was done to ascertain the probability of getting a development job in the tech industry, PTI reported.
The Tech Employability 2021-22 report had a sample size of more than 40,000 engineering graduates. BridgeLabz founder Narayan Mahadevan said that although the tech industry is thriving with opportunities across several fields, "there remains a significant issue of staff attrition. One of the variables in the gap is the under-utilisation of women's talent.
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"Whether women are starting their careers or joining after a career break, we've been working towards reducing the skill gap, instilling diversity in the workplace," he added.
The report further stated that highly educated and experienced women reach the mid-management level and often take a break from their jobs.
There are many reasons behind these career breaks right from marriage, childbirth, caring for ailing parents, and others.
However, women find it difficult to return to work after this gap in their career simply because of the ever-changing technology and the skill gap that arises due to this break, it noted. Women are often treated as a 'reserve workforce' rather than an intrinsic part of the economy, the report stated.
The tech industry has always been male-dominated just like other sectors and according to data in a crisis like COVID-19, job losses have hit women harder and they find fewer open doors when they want to rejoin the workforce, it said.
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The report also found that talent from lower-tier cities and states have better employability scores than those from metro cities.
According to the report, Andhra Pradesh has 41 per cent of ready talent followed by Assam with 32 per cent and Bihar with 31 per cent.
The analysis from the BTEQ tests showed that 75 per cent of the talent is from Tier-II cities, it added.
(With inputs from PTI.)