The ICT media industry is booming and so is the demand for talented employees. But despite all its technological developments, the sector still has difficulty evolving into a mixed industry. That’s why, on this year’s International Women’s Day, software provider Skyline Communications is revealing its partnership with Rise, focusing on closing the gender gap in the industry.
“The tech industry has always been seen as a man’s world. And this is largely due to the lack of female role models,” explains Carrie Wootten, Executive Director of RISE. “That’s why Rise is focused on opening up opportunities for women through a wide variety of educational programs and inspiring networking sessions. We’ve already made great strides in the UK, North America and in the APAC region, and now we are also looking at ways to gain traction in Europe.Our partnership with Skyline is a huge and important step in the right direction.
Rise is a global non-profit organization that aims to create a diverse and gender-balanced workforce in the broadcast media and entertainment technology industry. As the world’s leading provider of end-to-end digital transformation solutions for the industry, Skyline is more than happy to help them in this mission.
“We are very happy to be able to contribute to this noble mission”, declares Frederik Vandenberghe, CFO at Skyline. “We believe that team diversity is crucial for any business. First, a more diverse team is better equipped to understand the needs of a diverse customer base. Second, being around people you can relate to is vital to any employee’s well-being. Unfortunately, the reality for many tech companies, including ours, is that we are still a long way from having a gender-balanced workforce. Today, only 14% of our employees are still women.
Another recent change at Skyline was the launch of a Change for the Better Task Force, which focuses on making change for its employees, community and the planet as a whole. This working group also examines the diversity and inclusiveness aspect of everything the company does – from how it builds its solutions to how it builds its workforce.
“As an industry-leading company, we have a major responsibility to bring about change,” adds Ben Vandenberghe, Skyline CEO. “We have already reassessed many aspects of our business, from changing our recruiting strategy to creating a more inclusive culture. Now we also want to invest in organizations like Rise to empower women. We hope our actions will inspire other companies to follow suit, as it will take a joint effort to make our industry more gender balanced.
