In an industry that has been stagnant for a decade when it comes to the inclusion of young women, Northern Central Sweden is showing the way forward. A full 68 % think it would be attractive to work in IT and tech – the highest number in the country. Now Bredband2 is focusing on helping more people take the step through the Upptech Framtiden scholarship.

“The entire tech industry is one big failure.” That’s how Bredband2 expressed itself in a previous press release about gender equality in the industry. Despite all the initiatives, only 6% of young women are currently working in tech – a figure that has not changed in over ten years.

But in North Central Sweden we are seeing a break in the trend when it comes to interest in tech.

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New figures from the report Young women and tech 2025 * shows that:

• 68 % of young women in The region thinks it would be “very or quite attractive” to work in IT/tech.
• 37 % state that their interest in tech has increased over the past three years, which is the highest in the country.
• 42 % would be more interested if they saw clearer career opportunities.
• 35 % say that easier access to education had increased their interest.

– It is not a shortage at will. The problem is that young women experience a lack of opportunities. When young women in North Central Sweden now show an interest, it is our responsibility as an industry to open the doors. That is why we are launching the Upptech Framtiden scholarship, says Sofia Topphem Jupiter, Brand Manager at Bredband2.

Uptech The Future is a scholarship from Bredband2 that gives three women or non-binary people the opportunity to train in tech free of charge. It is a concrete initiative to lower thresholds and offer new paths in – especially for those who are curious but lack the financial or practical conditions to take the step.

Facts:

• Only 6 % of young women in Sweden is currently working in tech – a number that is unchanged since 2015.
• In North Central Sweden, the interest in technology is highest in the country – and increasing fastest.
• North Central Sweden has largest proportion of young women who want to work with AI – often linked to seeing it as future-proof and having the opportunity to work with innovation and problem solving.

The application for the Upptech Framtiden scholarship is open until May 25, 2025. Read more about the scholarship here: www.bredband2.com/upptechframtiden

*The survey "Young Women and Tech" has been conducted since 2015 and includes responses from 1,000 women in Sweden between the ages of 16 and 30 each year. This year's edition is produced by Bredband2, Tietoevry, Amazon Web Services and Insight Intelligence.