Digitas and Publicis Media Help Next Tech Girls Reach 10,000 Milestone

Digitas and Publicis Media have helped Next Tech Girls empower over 10,000 girls and women aged 11-25 to gain experience of careers in technology. Next Tech Girls, a social enterprise, aims to tackle the skills and gender gaps in the UK tech industry at a grassroots level through hands-on workshops, work experience placements, and skills sessions.

As the exclusive media and creative partners, Digitas and Publicis Media are helping to build tangible career pathways at the intersection of technology and creativity. With 84% of Next Tech Girls' community coming from global majority backgrounds the initiative is driving representation in tomorrow's talent pipeline.

​Only 26% of the UK tech industry is made up of women and just 27% of girls at A level consider future careers in tech. This skills gap is currently costing the UK economy £60 billion. Digitas and Publicis Media have directly engaged a quarter of the 10,000 girls through workshops, work experience placements and skill-building events since becoming Next Tech Girls' first official partner in March 2023.

"Our partnership with Next Tech Girls demonstrates our commitment to improving representation across creative technology," said Leila Seith Hassan, chief data officer, Digitas UK. "By giving young women hands-on experience with the latest technologies within digital and media, we're addressing the critical need for diverse perspectives in the design and delivery of digital experiences."

Naomi, a Year 13 student who participated in initiatives through Publicis Media, Digitas and Next Tech Girls said, "Being part of Next Tech Girls has had a big impact on my life, it’s helped me see what I can achieve, and the career path I'd like to take."

The partnership has focused on interactive experiences unique to the creative tech industry, including:

- Immersive AR/VR workshops introducing participants to creative technologies

- Collaborative client brief projects as part of work experience placements, inviting girls to pitch ideas to senior leaders

-Online ideation sessions, collecting insights for real client briefs from hundreds of students at secondary schools around the UK

This Women's History Month, the partnership is particularly significant as it addresses two industries with historical gender imbalances – technology and advertising. Emily Hall-Strutt, director of Next Tech Girls, said, "Digitas was our first official partner. Their advocacy has been instrumental in our ability to increase our reach and demonstrate our impact. Working with them and Publicis Media allows us to show girls the variety of opportunities at the intersection of technology and creativity, an area many hadn't previously considered for their careers."

Digitas and Publicis Media have confirmed continued support for the coming year, including headline sponsorship of Next Tech Fest in August, helping Next Tech Girls to inspire 5,000 more girls in 2025.