UK cyber talent shortfall: skills gap or gender gap?

Code First Girls has partnered with government bodies and private firms, including Lloyds Banking Group, to train and place women into cyber security roles. The programme aims to help address an estimated shortfall of three million tech workers in the UK over the next decade.

Anna Brailsford, CEO and co-founder of Code First Girls, argues the gap reflects two linked issues: a shortage of people with specific cyber skills and the under-representation of women in technology roles. She says the sector has often treated cyber security as a narrow technical function rather than a business capability, reducing the pool of potential candidates. Brailsford also warns that low diversity can create blind spots in how organisations identify and manage risk. She emphasizes that cyber roles require problem-solving, adaptability, an understanding of human behaviour and technical knowledge.

Code First Girls reports it has offered more than 300,000 free learning opportunities for women. The organisation focuses on placing trained candidates into paid roles and works directly with employers to create pathways into graduate schemes and early-career positions. Activities include the Cyber Security Skills Summit and a cyber security and vulnerability research training programme developed with the UK’s national security agency. The charity also participates in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s Women in Tech taskforce.

Lloyds Banking Group sponsors places on Code First Girls degrees and offers successful graduates entry to its Data & AI and Tech Engineering graduate schemes. Richard Horvath, lead software engineer at Lloyds, noted that sponsored programmes and bootcamps provide technical skills and give candidates the confidence to move into technology roles. Sharon Doherty, chief people and places officer at Lloyds, described the partnership as a way to help more women gain practical skills and join teams where those skills are applied.

The initiative targets people who did not follow traditional STEM routes. Clarissa Sorger, a behavioural scientist in Lloyds’ AI Centre of Excellence, described selection for a leadership and career development programme for women in tech and said such opportunities boost confidence and progression for those without conventional technical backgrounds. Vicki Gibbison, now a software engineer at Lloyds after training with Code First Girls, outlined a steep learning curve that included databases, full‑stack development and system architecture. She said support from teams and managers helped bridge gaps in formal education and experience.

Code First Girls describes its approach as employer-led, aligning training to specific roles and creating direct on-ramps into jobs. Brailsford says scaling the model will require more flexible training options, clearer employer pathways and greater attention to keeping and promoting women once they join organisations. Industry participants report candidates meeting technical standards and moving into roles through short accreditation courses, internships and graduate placements.

Organisers and partners identify retention and career progression as the next challenge: they aim to increase the number of women who not only enter cyber roles but remain and advance within them. The stated goal of the group is a cyber workforce where access is based on ability and where women can progress into leadership as well as entry-level roles.