WATCH: CEO Killer Question - How can we address the gender imbalance in the channel?
Crayon UK MD Hayley Mooney tackles the gender disparity in the channel
The general manager of the UK subsidiary of Norway-based group Crayon breaks down how she thinks the gender imbalance in the channel can be addressed.
Speaking to CRN as part of its CEO Killer Question series, Hayley Mooney says one of the biggest obstacles to bringing more women into the tech channel is the lack of awareness in the UK education sector.
"You don't have to be technical to work in technology," she says.
"There is so much opportunity and we don't have enough people.
"I think not only do we have a gender imbalance problem but we have a skills shortage generally."
Mooney goes on to retell an experience she had during a careers event at a local school where girls were put off by the idea of working in a complex industry like technology.
"It was eye opening. There is an expectation for a 15-year-old that to work in technology you have to be technical.
"We have to break that down and get in early to kids, ideally in primary school, to start talking to them to raise awareness about what the opportunity is to work in the tech sector."
Watch to hear more.