Wednesday 12 March: The Tech Council of Australia (TCA) today announced the launch of a new program to increase women’s participation in tech by creating more accessible pathways. The program will be delivered in partnership with members: _nology, SEEK, Ubank and Project F (T-EDI standards).
Fostering diversity continues to be a priority for the TCA and a crucial part of TCA’s plan to reach 1.2 million jobs by 2030.
The Next Wave: Women’s Tech Transitions will address women’s underrepresentation in the tech workforce by focusing on mid-career transitions as a critical pathway to increase participation.
TCA research has shown women are nearly twice as likely to transition into tech roles mid-career than start their careers in the industry.
The TCA has received a grant from the Federal Government’s Building Women’s Careers Program to deliver The Next Wave program.
Minister for Skills and Training Andrew Giles said the Albanese Government is committed to fostering strong partnerships to get more women into traditionally male-dominated industries, like digital and technology.
“It is a key tenet of the Labor party that no one is held back and no one left behind.
“In every skills area that’s in shortage in Australia has something in common, and that is a really skewed distribution by gender, so we’re making this investment to do something about it.
“I am really proud of our Building Women’s Careers program and the opportunities it will provide women across the country.”
TCA CEO Damian Kassabgi said this program will help identify clear pathways to get more women into tech careers, which is a key priority of the tech council.
“Women still represent only one in four tech workers in Australia—a statistic that does not reflect the broader demographics of our society. To ensure Australia remains a global technology leader, we must do more to increase the opportunities for women to reskill and upskill into tech jobs,” he said.
“The TCA’s new program will promote accessible pathways for women to join the tech sector and, in doing so, will significantly increase women’s participation so we can build a diverse tech industry that draws on everyone’s strengths. This is what is needed to drive innovation and establish Australia as a world-leading digital economy.”
TCA Non-Executive Director and PEXA Group Chief Technology Officer Eglantine Etiemble said PEXA’s focus on lifting diversity and inclusion over several years has resulted in an increase from 21% to 38.5% of female participation in the workforce.
“The underrepresentation of women in Australia’s tech workforce deprives us of the much-needed talent required to drive the widespread adoption of emerging technologies at scale,” she said.
“At PEXA, we have seen firsthand how greater female participation benefits our workforce by enhancing employee engagement and accelerating innovation. It would be great to see this replicated throughout the Australian tech eco-system.”
The TCA is excited to partner with members: _nology, SEEK, UBank and Project F (T-EDI standards) to progress their work in supporting women to build careers in technology.
The program will include the development of a career-switching action plan, interactive workshops and other high impact initiatives that highlight the benefit of tech careers and the promotion of gender, equity, and inclusion in the tech sector.
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About the TCA
The Tech Council of Australia is the peak body representing Australia’s tech sector. The TCA represents companies throughout their life cycle, from early and growth stage companies through to large global firms. It also represents firms in the broader tech ecosystem, including venture capitalists, advisers and tech-enabled businesses outside the tech sector.
About _Nology
At _nology, we understand the critical need for skilled and diverse tech professionals as our global workforces go through significant transformation.
Our fully funded, intensive training program equips candidates with essential skills, even if they have no prior experience; lowering the barriers to entry and ensuring a sustainable pipeline of highly qualified, innovative new talent into the tech sector. Our mission is to bridge the skills gap and enhance workforce diversity by transforming motivated individuals into proficient technologists.
About Ubank
Ubank is a multi-award-winning digital bank on a mission to make daily money success achievable for anyone. We believe the way to get there is to give our customers better visibility of their finances so that they can make more informed choices and build a more positive relationship with money. Ubank helps people to see the possibility in their money and gives them the tools to reach their goals. Expressed simply, our philosophy is that when you can see money better, you do money better.
About SEEK
SEEK operates market -leading online employment marketplaces, helping people live more fulfilling and productive working lives and helping organisations succeed.
SEEK has a multinational presence that is focused on Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
