Case Study

TRAINING CYBER GUARDIANS @ GCHQ

Code First Girls partnered with GCHQ and the security services to supercharge their employer branding and introduce a new generation of women to the opportunities available on the front line of cyber defence.

CRAFTING STRATEGIC

AWARENESS

In a global moment marked by unpredictable cybersecurity threats, a diverse cyber defence force is vital to the security of the UK and our allies.
To bolster GCHQ’s employer brand presence in our community and provide opportunities, we partnered to deliver a package of MOOCs, Classes, and CFGdegree places, placing women in tech roles across the security services.

TRANSFORMING

BRAND IDENTITY

Candidates were selected from across the UK to join a CFGdegree cohort sponsored by GCHQ covering data science and software development. This has transformed the awareness of GCHQ as an employer dedicated to diversity, inclusion, and equity in technology.

Candidates have now been offered positions at GCHQ, DSTL, and across the security services and civil service more broadly. 

24%

OF CFGDEGREE APPLICATIONS

6

SECURITY ORGANISATIONS

28K

CONTENT IMPRESSIONS

100%

PASSED WITH DISTINCTION

GCHQ:

HOW IT ALL CAME TOGETHER

GCHQ were active across all Code First Girls product areas in 2021. Read more about each partner product delivery below.

CFG Partner Products
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GCHQ hosted several MOOCs with astonishing outcomes and massive awareness, generating employer branding impact for them and the other security services.

GCHQ delivered MOOCs streamed securely on Zoom, garnering hundreds of views and engagement with women across the U.K. Topics included Java, Python, careers in cyber, and impostor syndrome. 

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Code First Girls’ Kickstarter courses gave GCHQ and the security services the chance to provide targeted 8-week training to hundreds of high-potential candidates.

Hundreds of women took part in GCHQ branded 8-week “Kickstarter” courses, introducing them to concepts and applications of software development and data science.

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Dozens of women made career step into tech and were provided with the opportunity to apply for roles across the security services through the CFGdegree.

With dozens of graduate tech roles open across the U.K, the security services had a strategic priority to maximise the diversity of their incoming cohorts. Through the CFGdegree they were able to increase the diversity of their applicant pool and hire the most diverse cohort of graduate tech talent.

 

HIRING TECH TALENT INTO JOBS @ GCHQ

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With growing tech teams across the country, the security services were able to offer opportunities to our talented CFG grads in their hubs across England. Contact us to find out more about our partner packages! 

"Our ability to engage with diverse communities of women candidates has been revolutionised through Code First Girls."
HR Business Partner, U.K. Security Services
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TECH HIRING IN PORTUGAL

TUI leveraged our program to hire Junior Software Developers from a cohort with 75% career switchers and 100% non-computer science backgrounds.

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HIRING TECH TALENT IN GERMANY

Commerce Tools used our programme to hire entry-level tech talent for Junior Software Engineering and Junior Site Reliability Engineering roles.

Rolls Royce Logo Code First Girls Partner

ROLLS-ROYCE HIRING IN THE USA

Rolls-Royce exceeded hiring targets by 150%, bringing in software engineers, data ops managers, and scrum managers, with 83% from underrepresented ethnicities and 50% first-generation university attendees.

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OPPORTUNITIES IN TECH IN INDIA

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CLASSES TO CFGDEGREE: HIRING IN INDIA

Unilever leveraged our pipeline to place CFGdegree graduates in roles like Solutions Factory DevOps Specialist and Solutions Factory ML Ops Specialist.

The Economist Group Logo Code First Girls Partner

TECH TALENT PIPELINES IN SINGAPORE

The Economist’s program supported tech pipelines with 78% oversubscription, drawing a cohort of 84% beginner-level women, 69% from underrepresented ethnicities, and 44% career switchers.

Nike Logo Code First Girls Partner

TRAINING TECH TALENT IN HILVERSUM

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TUI Company Logo

TECH HIRING IN KRAKOW AND WARSAW

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FROM BEGINNER TO SKILLED IN HUNGARY

Morgan Stanley used our program to hire entry-level software engineers from a cohort with 99% underrepresented ethnicities and 85% career-focused participants.

Goldman Sachs Logo Code First Girls Partner

FINDING TECH TALENT IN poland

Goldman Sachs used our oversubscribed program to hire in Poland and the UK, drawing from a cohort with 63% career switchers and 44% first-generation university attendees.

Credit Suisse Logo

TECH TOPICS UNLOCKED IN SWITZERLAND

Credit Suisse enhanced its employer brand and hiring pipeline by training a cohort that was 81% new to tech, 63% from underrepresented ethnicities, and 61% career switchers.

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FINDING SOFTWARE ENGINEERS IN SPAIN

Skyscanner’s pipeline achieved a 4% year-over-year increase in women in tech roles, with 62% beginner-level participants and 85% career switchers.

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HIRING TECH TALENT IN SPAIN

Capgemini Logo Code First Girls Partner

CLOSING THE TALENT GAP IN GERMANY

Capgemini’s pilot program closed Germany’s talent gap, placing 80+ graduates globally and generating job-ready candidates for junior infrastructure admin roles.

GfK Logo Code First Girls Partner

UNLOCKING TECH TALENT IN POLAND

Booking.com Logo Code First Girls Partner

ENTRY-LEVEL TALENT IN THE NETHERLANDS

Booking.com used our program to hire junior software engineers from a cohort with 94% underrepresented ethnicities and 50% career switchers.