By Pemma Lama (BSc Economics And Finance With A Year Abroad, Norwich Economic Publications Associate Editor)
In November 2025, I attended an event hosted by Halo, a software company based in Stowmarket, exploring career pathways into the technology sector. The discussion focused particularly on women in tech and how the industry can become more inclusive. For many students, careers in technology are often associated with coding, engineering, or computer science. However, one of the key messages from the event was that the technology sector relies on far more than technical expertise.
Many roles in technology involve analysing data, understanding behaviour, solving problems, and communicating insights across teams. These are skills that students studying economics develop throughout their degree. Recognising this broader range of skills is particularly important when thinking about how to widen participation for women in the technology sector.
The event highlighted the importance of showing women that there are multiple pathways into technology careers. Women remain underrepresented in many areas of the tech industry, and one reason often cited is the perception that tech roles require highly technical or programming-focused backgrounds. By showcasing women working across different roles within the sector, the speakers challenged this assumption and demonstrated that technology companies need diverse perspectives and skills.
Sheridan Ash MBE, founder of the Tech She Can initiative, opened the conversation by emphasising that technology reflects the perspectives of the people who build it. When teams lack diversity, products may fail to reflect the needs and experiences of a wide range of users. Increasing diversity in the technology workforce therefore improves not only representation but also the quality of innovation and decision-making.
From an economic perspective, this can be understood as a problem of information. When decision-makers share similar backgrounds, they may overlook insights about how different groups interact with products and services. Increasing the representation of women in technology therefore helps bring new information and perspectives into the design and development process.
The panel discussion brought these ideas to life through the experiences of women working across different roles at Halo. What stood out most was that few of the speakers had followed a traditional “technical” pathway. Many came from backgrounds such as sociology, philosophy, business, or languages before moving into roles involving data analysis, product management, consulting, and customer insight.
One speaker working in data analysis explained how interpreting large datasets can reveal patterns in customer behaviour. However, analysing the data is only part of the process. Analysts must also ask the right questions, identify meaningful insights, and communicate their findings clearly to teams who may not have technical expertise.
Another speaker described her role in product management, where she works closely with developers, designers, and users to ensure that products solve real problems. This involves balancing technical possibilities with user needs and making strategic decisions about which features to prioritise. Analytical thinking, communication, and problem-solving are therefore just as important as technical knowledge.
These examples reflect broader research on graduate employability. Surveys conducted by the Economics Network consistently show that employers value transferable skills developed through economics degrees, including data interpretation, critical thinking, and the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly. These capabilities are increasingly important in technology companies where teams rely on data to guide decisions.
The event ultimately delivered a clear message: working in technology is not only about coding. What matters most is the ability to understand people and the problems they face. Recognising this broader set of skills can help more women see a place for themselves in the technology sector and encourage more economics students to see technology as a natural extension of their skillset, rather than a separate or inaccessible field.