# Should Tech Bros Be Working with Tech Mums? | Prof Sue Black | TEDxDurham

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJ4Y0J4O3lQ
Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/xJ4Y0J4O3lQ
Generated: 2025-12-22T22:02:40.355+00:00

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## Quick Overview

Professor Sue Black successfully campaigned to save Bletchley Park and subsequently founded TechUPWomen, an initiative that has drastically improved the confidence, employment, and financial stability of hundreds of mothers and women from underserved communities by training them in tech skills.

**Key Points:**
- Sue Black started her campaign to save Bletchley Park after being asked by a friend in 2008 about its importance, leading to a BBC News feature (00:03-00:05, 11:44).
- Before TechUPWomen, 52% of participants were unemployed, and the average salary for those working part-time was £16,000, showing significant economic disadvantage (15:26).
- After the intervention, 46% of participants moved into tech jobs or apprenticeships, and the average salary for former part-time workers rose to £23,800, demonstrating reduced inequalities (15:26).
- Black founded TechUPWomen to teach tech skills to mothers in disadvantaged areas, aiming to provide them with thriving, sustainable careers (15:00, 15:06).
- The speaker recounts personal hardship, including escaping domestic violence and being a single parent, which motivated her career shift and advocacy (00:51-02:04, 04:09-04:22).
- The program has trained 600 women in six years, with success shown by the post-intervention data indicating improvements across fun, usefulness, ease, resilience, and confidence in technology (15:23-15:39).

![Screenshot at 15:26: A slide summarizing the outcomes of the TechUPWomen program, showing that 46% of participants moved into tech jobs/apprenticeships and highlighting the reduction in salary inequalities for previously unemployed and part-time working women.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/xJ4Y0J4O3lQ/00-15-26.jpg)

**Context:** The talk is delivered by Professor Sue Black at TEDxDurham, where she recounts her personal journey from challenging circumstances, including escaping domestic violence and raising children as a single parent, to becoming a Professor of Computer Science. A significant part of her story focuses on her successful advocacy to save Bletchley Park, which led to her founding TechUPWomen, an organization dedicated to empowering mothers and women from disadvantaged backgrounds through technology education.

## Detailed Analysis

Professor Sue Black shares her personal narrative, starting with a difficult childhood marked by her mother's sudden death when she was 12, leading to emotional hardship and bullying. She worked to support herself and her children, eventually moving to London and later pursuing education in mathematics and computer science despite facing financial and personal adversity, including domestic violence from her first husband. A turning point involved campaigning to save Bletchley Park, which gained national attention (including a BBC News feature in 2008) and connected her with influential figures like Stephen Fry, who tweeted about the cause in 2009. This advocacy inspired her to create TechUPWomen, a program designed to teach tech skills to mothers from disadvantaged backgrounds. The program has achieved significant success: 600 women have been trained over six years. Data presented shows that before the program, 52% of participants were unemployed; afterward, 46% entered jobs or apprenticeships in technology, and average salaries increased significantly across all employment levels, demonstrating reduced inequality. Black concludes by emphasizing the positive impact the program has on the women's lives and self-esteem, encouraging the audience to maximize their own single life opportunities.

### Early Life and Hardship

- Mother died at 34 when Black was 12
- Lived in a women's refuge later
- Experienced depression, bullying, and physical abuse (00:51-02:04, 04:09-04:22)

### Career and Education Path

- Worked various jobs including waitress and student nurse
- Studied Maths and Computer Science (A-Levels, then degree)
- Became a lecturer, senior lecturer, and eventually Professor of Computer Science (02:21-02:34, 03:33-03:40, 06:13-06:20)

### Saving Bletchley Park Campaign

- Started campaigning in 2008 after realizing the historical importance of the code-breaking site
- Gained media attention (BBC News) and celebrity support (Stephen Fry's tweet in 2009) (11:44-12:25, 12:27-12:56)

### Founding TechUPWomen

- Launched the program to train mothers from disadvantaged areas in tech skills
- The program has trained 600 women over six years (14:35-14:50, 15:58-16:03)

### Program Outcomes

- Data shows a transition from 52% unemployment pre-program to 46% in tech jobs/apprenticeships post-program; average salaries increased significantly, leading to 'Reduced Inequalities' (15:26, 15:37-15:57)

![Screenshot at 00:03: Title slide for TEDxDurham event featuring the Durham Cathedral silhouette against a cosmic background.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/xJ4Y0J4O3lQ/00-00-03.jpg)
![Screenshot at 00:10: Speaker Sue Black introduced on stage with her name overlay, sporting bright red hair and a distinctive patterned dress.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/xJ4Y0J4O3lQ/00-00-10.jpg)
![Screenshot at 00:42: A collage of personal photos, including a young Black with pigtails, her mother holding three infants, and a recent photo of Black with several young children.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/xJ4Y0J4O3lQ/00-00-42.jpg)
![Screenshot at 11:44: A slide showing a split image: the dilapidated state of Bletchley Park buildings next to a screenshot of the 'Saving Bletchley Park' website featuring Black's efforts.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/xJ4Y0J4O3lQ/00-11-44.jpg)
![Screenshot at 15:26: A data slide illustrating the positive outcomes of the TechUPWomen program, showing increased employment and salary, reduced inequalities, and improved confidence scores.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/xJ4Y0J4O3lQ/00-15-26.jpg)