Content Menu
BREAKING BARRIERS AND BUILDING CAREERS WITH DELOITTE
Landing a job at a ‘Big Four’ is a dream come true for many tech professionals. Fast-paced, exciting projects and the chance to work with high-profile clients make it the perfect launchpad for a career.
Yet, women currently make up just 26% of the UK’s tech workforce.
Deloitte, part of the Big Four, is on a mission to change that. For the past five years, they have joined forces with Code First Girls to open new career possibilities for women – not just within the firm, but across the UK tech industry.
And it’s working. Since the programme with Code First Girls began, over 1,720 women have applied for roles at Deloitte. To date, Deloitte has hired 56 women into technical roles. Many of these hires are career switchers, coming from non-tech roles across teaching, small business ownership and charity organisations. This is proof that with the right opportunity, a career in tech is within reach.
Scroll 👇 to view the case study.
1,720+
Job applications for Deloitte through CFG
56
Women hired into technical roles at Deloitte
2
Deloitte service lines CFG is embedded in
The Challenge
TACKLING THE GENDER IMBALANCE IN TECH
Deloitte wanted to address gender imbalance head-on. While tech education was part of the solution, they also wanted to unlock exciting new career pathways for women in tech.
Additionally, as one of the largest professional services firms in the world, Deloitte values diverse thinking and people from varied backgrounds. They wanted to provide women from all backgrounds with an opportunity to thrive in tech.
The Solution
1. A PRACTICAL PATHWAY TO A MORE INCLUSIVE WORKFORCE
The first step was to offer accessible tech training. University-level qualifications were not required for potential learners. This meant that Deloitte tapped into a broader pool of talent, bringing in diverse skills and experiences that might otherwise have been overlooked.
This is an important step for breaking down barriers to a career in tech – less than a third of young people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds go on to earn a degree, compared with 70% of people from higher professional backgrounds.
Successful applicants were then invited to complete a Deloitte-sponsored Code First Girls course over 16 weeks. The programme was designed to be flexible, combining self-paced and live online sessions so participants could learn while managing their existing commitments.
The course combined practical technical skills with soft skills, equipping women with the tools to succeed in a tech role.
2. OPENING THE DOOR TO A NEW TECH CAREER
Programme participants then joined Deloitte on a 12-month contract, where they could put their Code First Girls training into practice and gain valuable real-world experience.
Many were career switchers, bringing skills like management, communication, and problem-solving. Take Abbey Prickett, a former small business owner turned Data Analyst: through the programme, she built her technical expertise and is now a Deloitte employee.
3.EXPANDING CODE FIRST GIRLS WITHIN DELOITTE
What began in 2021 with the Engineering team has scaled across the firm. By 2023, the programme expanded into the Audit & Assurance Analytics service line, proving the model works across multiple business areas.
The Results
Through five years of partnership, Deloitte didn’t just fill roles – they transformed careers and enriched their business with diverse thinking.
Making waves across the firm, the initiative has been recognised through the Deloitte NSE Impact Awards, celebrating teams that make a meaningful impact on clients, people, and society.
Why Choose Code First Girls
Companies around the world trust Code First Girls to provide:
Practical, high-impact training – We give women the coding and data skills they need to hit the ground running and make an immediate impact.
Access to diverse talent – We connect companies with candidates from non-traditional backgrounds, bringing fresh ideas and new ways of thinking to your teams.
A supportive community – Our network of peers, mentors, and alumni gives women ongoing encouragement, advice, and connections to thrive in tech.
Programmes built for business outcomes – We align training with your goals, creating inclusive, resilient teams that drive innovation and results.
Why not find out for yourself? Speak to our experts here. 👇
