Additional reporting by Kathryn McKenna
The ICC Belfast hosted 600 Year 8 girls from 22 schools across Northern Ireland for a history-making Empower Girls event recently, designed to spark early interest in cyber security and tech careers.
Hosted by CyberFirst in partnership with Aflac Northern Ireland and over 50 leading organisations—including industry giants, academic institutions, charities, and government bodies—the event offered students a day packed with hands-on learning. They enjoyed practical demonstrations, inspiring talks, and immersive, interactive activities.
The event aimed to boost representation of women in Northern Ireland’s tech industry, where women currently make up just 23 per cent of the workforce - despite the sector offering some of the region’s fastest-growing career paths.
The event is part of the CyberFirst Schools and Colleges scheme, delivered by the Belfast Metropolitan College and led by the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland on behalf of the National Cyber Security Centre. The event was attended by the Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald MLA. The event was sponsored by a range of leading organisations including Aflac Northern Ireland, ESO, Amazon Web Services, BBC NI, Bring It On, Check Point, Fortinet, Instil, Kainos, NI Cyber Security, ICC Belfast and Queen’s University, Belfast.
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With statistics recently revealing how much impact seeing inspirational female leaders can have on young girls, the event aims to inspire young girls to consider choosing STEM subjects and consider tech as a career pathway. Having such a diverse range of companies and speakers also helped to convey the message to the young girls present about the diverse range of roles available in tech and the different sets of skills which will be relevant for each job role.
This year’s event, which was just the second of its kind in Northern Ireland after a successful launch last April, was once again co-ordinated by Sara Lyons, CyberFirst NI Project Manager and Victoria Logan, Cyber Security Communications Delivery Lead.
Describing the day as “crucial” for sparking young girls' interest in technology and cybersecurity, especially at the grassroots level, Victoria tells Sync NI: "These young girls in Year Eight -their first year of secondary school - are at a crucial stage where connecting and engaging with them at a grassroots level is vital.
“They have the opportunity to interact with companies like Danske Bank, ASOS, Amazon, and other global household names that they likely shop at and use regularly. Seeing these global companies right on their doorstep helps them to realise they can pursue careers in technology or cybersecurity right here in Northern Ireland. This experience gives them something powerful to think about at such a young age. As they progress through the talent pipeline, we hope this event will stick with them and remind them that this sector is for them, not just for boys."
The EmPower Girls event also comes at a pivotal moment in the CyberFirst pipeline, coming one year before the young pupils can participate in the Girls’ competition and the following year participate in the Pathways event.
Sara echoes Victoria’s sentiments, adding: “It is vital to connect with these young girls as young as Year Eight to help them tounderstand the diversity of careers that there are in the industry, and open their eyes to the opportunities that are available.
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“I know from past experience that these special events will stick with these young girls, and help shape their aspirations for the future.”
Sara adds: “There are lots of female role models here today that these girls can look up to and aspire to be one day. We want these young girls to stand on our shoulders and we are here to help them, elevate them, and empower them to do more and go further.”
A particular focus of the day was the message that there are many non-technical opportunities within the sector, and that creative people, those who can communicate well and people who enjoy problem solvingfit within a variety of roles within the expansive sector.
Sara adds: “Diverse teams make greater teams and produce better results which is why diversity is so important. We hope young girls will feel inspired from this event and more girls will choose tech as a pathway and ultimately become ambassadors for future generations.”
Speaking at the event, Dr Caoimhe Archibald MLA, Minister for the Economy, highlighted the importance of encouraging more young women to pursue careers in cyber security and technology. “The energy and enthusiasm in the breakout zones was palpable and this event is a reminder of why theCyberFirst Schools and Colleges scheme is so important,” she said.
“It enthuses, encourages and enables young people to develop and explore their passion for technology. The young women attending today’s event will be better informed when it comes to subject choices and the career opportunities available to them.”
The event was widely praised by students, educators and tech leaders alike, highlighting the importance of creating a more diverse and inclusive future for Northern Ireland’s tech workforce. Mark McCormack, Managing Director at Aflac Northern Ireland, key sponsors of the event, added:“We were excited to join with the wider Northern Ireland tech community to present the many career opportunities within the sector to the next generation of talent. We know first-hand the value that a diverse workforce can offer, we’re committed to building a tech sector where everyone belongs.
“Events like this offer a powerful platform to showcase the importance of tech and cyber security in our digitally connected world as well as the huge variety of career opportunities that will exist when these girls leave school.”
Aflac also supported the event with 60 volunteers from the Northern Ireland office as part of their company CSR day.
To measure the event’s impact, students completed surveys at the start and end of the day. Initially, only 40 per cent had considered a career in tech or cybersecurity. By the end, that number had jumped to 72 per cent - a powerful reminder of how just one day of inspiration can shift perceptions and ignite ambition.
Rachel Armstrong, Head of ICT at Strathearn School, said:“Empower Girls was one of the most engaging and inspiring events we’ve ever attended. The energy in the room, the hands-on activities, and the chance to meet women working in real tech roles made a huge impression on our students. It’s opened their eyes to careers they hadn’t considered before – and as a teacher, that’s exactly what you hope for.”
Following this year’s hugely successful event and with ever-increasing demand from local schools, both Sara and Victoria are optimistic the event will return once again, but rely on industry support.
Sara appeals for anyone interested in supporting CyberFirst to get in touch. She says: “Events like this are not possible without the industry support, particularly with Victoria leading the event from Aflac NI as well as their many volunteers.
“CyberFirst would encourage local tech companies who would liketo support any of our events to please get in touch.”
Whether you're an educator, company, or industry professional - there are exciting ways to be part of the CyberFirst movement. Contact: cyberfirst@belfastmet.ac.uk to find out more.
Sync NI's Summer 2025 magazine celebrates women in tech across Ireland as we continue to encourage more women to enter the thriving sector and address the current gender imbalance. Read the Summer 2025 Sync NI Magazine online for free here.
