The EC stated concerns that by 2010, there is expected to be a shortage of 300,000 qualified engineers in the European Union but that still fewer than one in five computer scientists are women. From year 2007 the Commission began encouraging telecoms and internet companies to attract more women in the sector. The Code of Best Practices signed the 3rd of March 2009 by Alcatel-Lucent, Imec, the Orange-France Telecom Group, Microsoft and Motorola is the first set of practical initiatives to enhance women's experience in ICT careers.

The initiatives the companies will employ include mentoring programmes during maternity leave that will help women keep up to date with the latest technology developments, practical help in balancing family and work-life including flexible working hours and home working, and ICT forums to offer women support on job searches.

The code will also set targets for the recruitment and promotion of female ICT professionals and aims to attract more girls at school and university into the high-tech sector.

"The signing of this Code of Best Practices is a first step towards making high-tech jobs cool for girls and getting more women into the ICT sector. I congratulate those companies that today have the courage and conviction to commit to this code, that will enrich the ICT sector by making it more female-friendly," said Viviane Reding, Commissioner for the Information Society and Media.

The Commissions press release:   

• Download the text of the Code, print it with your company's logo and have it signed on highest level.   
  
• Send the document with a cover letter to
  Mrs.Neelie Kroes, Vice President
  Commissioner for the Digital Agenda
  European Commission
  B-1049 Brussels
  
• DG INFSO is planning to organize a meeting with the present (50) signatories of the Code of Best Practices to discuss future activities during ICT 2010 the 29 September 2010 in Brussels.