Mixpanel, Candyspace, Airship & mParticle collaborate to launch 'Now+Next' to help inspire young women and girls into careers in data, design and tech

- Now+Next will partner with Founders4Schools to inspire girls across the UK at key life-stage decision points

- The association will also work alongside Workfinder, providing young women with real-life experiences in data, design and technology careers

LONDON, March 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the AAUW (American Association of University Women), women make up only 28% of the workforce in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths). Furthermore, and according to IDC, women represent only 24% of the senior leadership positions in technology, while only one in four start-ups have a female founder.

To play their part in encouraging more women to pursue a career in technology, Mixpanel, the leading product analytics company, digital product design and build experts Candyspace, the mobile app experience company Airship, and mParticle, the leading Customer Data Platform, have collaborated to launch a new association to inspire young women and girls to enter STEM careers: Now+Next.

A key objective of the association is to inspire girls and young women during early and key life-stage decision-making periods, enabling them to make informed decisions about the subjects they will study at GCSE, A-Level and University level. Gender norms, bias and stereotypes are still often instilled in girls from a young age, which is perpetuated by limited examples of and encounters with female technology leaders. Considering that students who experience four or more proactive employer encounters are three times more likely to pursue a STEM career and will on average earn 18% more by the time they are 30, ensuring girls and young women have access to female technology leaders early on in their education is pivotal.

To facilitate this, the Now+Next association will work alongside Founders4Schools, an award-winning charity that connects young people and their educators with a network of inspirational volunteer role models. Using the Founders4Schools online platform, schools will be able to connect with Now+Next and employees from member companies, who will volunteer their time to connect and support schools. To date, Founders4Schools has facilitated over 1.5 million role model encounters for over 500,000 young people.

A further objective of the association is to create immersive & high value project-based work experiences for girls between 18-21, which will be delivered by each participating organisation. For 2022, the goal will be for Now+Next to provide 10 girls with a comprehensive experience of working in the sector for at least two weeks, with the goal of increasing this number after the association's initial pilot year. With the support of Workfinder, a mobile app that matches students with local businesses, members of the Now+Next association will be able to provide meaningful work experience to young women across the UK.

Natalie Kouzeleas, Director, EMEA & LATAM at Mixpanel, explained: "Even today, many girls and young women aren't fully aware of the growth opportunities that are available to them. This is mostly down to STEM fields still often being viewed as 'masculine', or girls having fewer role models to inspire an interest in technology, which results in the needle of gender equality in tech not moving as fast as it needs to. That's why we've developed Now+Next with our partners – ensuring that change happens within our industry is far easier to do collectively than trying to go it alone."

Laurena Robinson, Director of Partnerships at Founders4Schools, commented: "Our mission is to prepare students for the rapidly changing world of work, and give all young people an equal start in life. Our online platform is at the core of this, providing a simple and free way for educators to connect their students with our diverse community of volunteer role models. Career inspiration and connecting with employers is particularly crucial for encouraging more girls and young women to pursue careers in technology, which is why we're delighted to be working with Now+Next in its goal to break down stereotypes from a young age and help girls across the UK to understand the possibilities available to them."

Throughout the remainder of 2022, Now+Next will also be facilitating a range of other initiatives to accelerate its vision. This includes hosting an event for more than 50 school girls on 17th May in celebration of International Women in Mathematics Day, where students can access and speak to technology leaders from the association, helping raise awareness of the career opportunities in Data, Design & Technology.

Kouzeleas concluded: "We also have ambitious and long-term objectives, which is why we also recognise that the more organisations who are interested in contributing can only increase the value and impact of this initiative. Therefore, we are actively welcoming participation from other industry partners and organisations looking to help bridge the gender equality divide in STEM industries."

For more information on the association and how to get involved, please visit: Now+Next.

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