The Faculty of Health, Innovation, Technology & Science (HITS) at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU), and BCS Merseyside branch, unite industry and academia for a “Give to Gain” panel, networking and reception.
Agenda
4.30pm
- Event start with welcome and opening remarks
- LJMU HITS faculty introduction and acknowledgement of BCS Merseyside event collaboration
- Women’s Engineering Society welcome
4.40pm
- Joint panel discussion “Retention in Tech – Give to Gain”
- Mentorship and sponsorship
- Retention barriers
- Industry accountability
- Career sustainability featuring faculty, industry representatives and tech climbers contributors
5.20pm
- Structured speed networking
- Mentor / mentee discussions
- Career-focused conversation prompts
5.45pm
- Drinks and canapés reception
- Informal networking
- BCS visibility and membership information and networking
6.15pm - Event close
Synopsis
International Women’s Day 2026 brings together Liverpool John Moores University’s Faculty of Health, Innovation, Technology & Science (HITS) and BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT – Merseyside Branch for a collaborative celebration aligned to the global theme “Give to Gain".
Hosted at the James Parsons Building, this joint event connects academia, industry and professional bodies to explore one of the most pressing challenges in the digital sector: retention in tech. The central panel discussion, “Retention in Tech – Give to Gain”, will examine how mentorship, sponsorship, inclusive leadership and institutional accountability shape long-term career sustainability for women in technology and engineering. Industry representatives, academic leaders and professional body partners will share practical insight into overcoming retention barriers, supporting progression beyond entry-level roles, and building resilient talent pipelines.
A structured speed networking session will follow, designed to facilitate meaningful mentor–mentee conversations, encourage cross-sector collaboration and strengthen regional professional networks.
The event concludes with a drinks and canapés reception, creating further opportunities for connection and partnership development.
Learning outcomes - delegates will:
- Understand current retention challenges affecting women in tech and engineering
- Explore how mentorship and sponsorship impact progression and career longevity Identify practical actions organisations can take to improve inclusion and accountability
- Gain insight into building sustainable student-to-industry pipelines
- Expand their professional network across higher education and industry
This event is open to students, staff and industry professionals committed to advancing gender equity and strengthening the regional technology ecosystem.
Our events are for adults aged 16 years and over.
This meeting is conducted in accordance with the BCS Code of Conduct for Meetings.
BCS is a membership organisation. If you enjoy this event, please consider joining BCS. You’ll be very welcome. You’ll receive access to many exclusive career development tools, an introduction to a thriving professional community and also help us Make IT Good For Society. Join BCS today
Please note: if you have any accessibility needs, please let us know via groups@bcs.uk, and we’ll work with you to make suitable arrangements.
For overseas delegates who wish to attend the event, please note that BCS does not issue invitation letters.
This event is brought to you by: BCS Merseyside branch and the Faculty of Health, Innovation, Technology & Science (HITS) at LJMU.
Image credit: photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com M on Unsplash.
