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INVESTING IN POTENTIAL: COGNIZANT TRAINS THE NEXT GENERATION OF TECH TALENT
Cognizant is one of the largest professional services companies globally. Through their global Synapse initiative, which aims to provide tech training to one million people worldwide, Cognizant partnered with Code First Girls to equip thousands of women across the UK and Ireland with the skills needed to thrive in the tech sector.
Together, we’re addressing one of the industry’s most persistent challenges: the gender gap in tech. Cognizant is on track to have sponsored over 8,500 women through tech education by 2026, building a robust early talent pipeline that brings diversity, fresh thinking, and job-ready skills to the forefront of the tech workforce. Through their funding of accessible, industry-led education programmes, Cognizant is opening more doors for women, many of whom come from underrepresented backgrounds.
8,500
women taught to code by 2026
300%
oversubscribed vs class places offered
77%
of cohort are underrepresented ethnicities
The problem
Progress isn't keeping pace
At the current rate of change, it could take over 130 years to achieve economic gender parity. Just 23% of computer science and engineering graduates in the UK are women, and the challenge doesn’t stop at the classroom door. Even when women enter tech roles, many exit the industry within a few years due to pay gaps, lack of progression, and limited support.
As the demand for digital skills intensifies, organisations urgently need to rethink how they attract and retain talent. Relying on traditional graduate pathways alone isn’t enough, especially when many of those pathways remain deeply affected by gender bias and structural inequality.
That’s why Cognizant took action: directly investing in upskilling women, regardless of their background or previous experience.
The solution
1. Opening doors to tech
By sponsoring places on our Kickstarter Classes, Cognizant opened doors for women with no previous tech experience to explore subjects they were interested in for the first time. Classes were over 300% oversubscribed, demonstrating that if we take the steps needed to reduce barriers to entry, women across the UK are eager for opportunities to enter the industry.
2. Creating routes into employment
Following the Kickstarter Classes, Cognizant sponsored places on our advanced education programme – the CFGdegree – which equips women with the skills required to land their first role in tech. By providing free advanced education, Cognizant built a robust pipeline of job-ready women across Software and Data Engineering, Data Science, Full-Stack Development, and Product Management work streams.
And they didn’t stop there. Through Code First Girls +Masters programme, Cognizant supported candidates through additional specialist training in subjects like Cyber Security, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, DevOps and Cloud, and Java. These pathways not only deepen expertise but also open doors to specialised tech roles in sectors often more male-dominated than the industry at large.
3. Scaling success into Ireland
Following the strong response in the UK, Cognizant is now expanding the programme into Ireland and extending the same opportunities to women in new regions. Ireland is home to many of the world’s leading companies, but continues to face a shortage of graduates in tech-related fields, especially women. By investing in this region, Cognizant is providing women who may not have previously considered tech as a career with the opportunity to enter the industry. This expansion also reflects a broader ambition of CFG and Cognizant’s partnership: to create lasting, systemic change by embedding diversity into tech talent pipelines from the ground up.
The results
As Cognizant’s programme goes from strength to strength, they are demonstrating the impact and importance of providing new pathways into tech for women across the UK and Ireland. With 47% of their class candidates being first-generation to attend university, and 30% eligible for free school meals, this programme is actively breaking down barriers to entry for underrepresented groups.
GET IN TOUCH WITH CODE FIRST GIRLS
Get in touch with Code First Girls to learn more about how we can help you build a diverse talent pipeline, and upskill your employees, to create a future-ready workforce.
