Digital Isle of Man shows support for Love Tech with £15,000 funding

Digital Isle of Man has unanimously approved a funding request from Love Tech, a local organisation working to encourage girls and young women to take up STEM careers.

The £15,000 request, approved by the Digital Agency Board in October, will allow Love Tech to update their equipment and continue to offer their unique events and school initiatives, aimed at inspiring girls and young women to pursue STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects in school and ultimately choose a STEM career.

Love Tech comprises of a committee of 16 business leaders and technologists in the Isle of Man, all volunteering hours of support to have a positive impact on future generations. The committee is bolstered by 12 female mentors working in STEM roles on the Island and over 25 volunteers from the local community.

Lyle Wraxall, CEO of Digital Isle of Man, commented:

‘We are delighted to be able to support Love Tech with some of the funding needed to assist them in continuing and expanding the important work being undertaken in the local community. Now more than ever, the importance of digital skills continues to be a priority for the Department as well as the Island as a whole.

‘The work Love Tech do to raise the profile of career opportunities in STEM is invaluable to the young women in the Isle of Man. As an Agency focussed on improving and growing the digital economy on the Island, it is important we support collectives who are working towards the common goal of bridging the skills gap to create a self-sustaining workforce.’

Love Tech chair, Angela van den Berg, commented:

‘This funding will be instrumental in supporting Love Tech with our continued aim to encourage young people to consider careers in STEM as we work towards building a sustainable digital workforce for the Island’s future.'

‘Since Love Tech’s inception in 2018, we have worked hard as a group to understand what inspires young people to take the decision to pursue a STEM career, gaining insight from each event we’ve held to engage a range of age groups and show real life examples of successful STEM careers through our inspirational mentors who work and enjoy their careers in the Isle of Man.

‘We are incredibly grateful for this support and are excited to be able to expand our offering for young people, working to spark their interest in science, technology, engineering and maths. With this support, we will purchase educational technology and equipment, develop our online presence further and continue to hold informative and fun events for children in the future.’  

For further information on Love Tech, visit: www.lovetech.im