Now I know what ICT can do for me!

The under-representation of women entering into information and communication technology (ICT) programmes is a long-standing problem. While ICT continues to be increasingly accepted and integrated into everyday life, gender stereotypes prevail in ICT turning female students away from ICT as an occupation. Based on existing literature on factors influencing girls’ career choices and on an empirical qualitative study in three schools in Australia, a conceptualisation of the influence of middle-school experiences on girls’ ICT study and career choices is presented. This conceptualisation is used as a guide to evaluate a recent intervention programme aimed at promoting ICT study and work opportunities to middle-school girls. A number of recommendations for future programmes are provided, highlighting the need to study how subcultures that support ICT career choices develop and are supported in Australian schools.