Framework to support tech companies to improve equity, diversity and inclusion practices
11 November 2024 – The Tech Council of Australia (TCA), in partnership with Project F, has unveiled a new set of standards to improve diversity in the tech sector as the country aims to find another 600,000 tech workers over the next five years.
Improving diversity in the tech workforce is one of the five pillars in the plan to achieve the TCA’s and Australian Government’s shared commitment of reaching 1.2 million tech jobs by 2030.
The T-EDI standards is an evidence-based certification framework that enables companies to assess their performance against 10 equity, diversity and inclusion standards and develop an action plan that addresses areas for improvement. With only 28% of the tech workforce identifying as women compared to 51% of the whole workforce, it is essential for the tech ecosystem to undertake additional coordinated action that builds on existing efforts by individual employers.
Emma Jones, CEO and Founder of Project F, who led the development of the standards based on six years of research,said there are two critical components to change: one being senior leadership teams recognising the need to invest in a long-term societal impact, and the other being an easier and more accessible way to change the systems that allow for diversity, equity and inclusion.
“The T-EDI standards offer clear guidance and accountability, empowering companies to implement practical solutions to create and reap the benefits of a diverse and inclusive work environment,” Ms Jones said.
“There is a monumental gap between the number of tech jobs and the number of qualified candidates available to fill them, so there is a national imperative to address the structural issues that have become ingrained in the culture of tech workplaces over decades and get more women into tech jobs, which are some of the most flexible on offer.”
Businesses can achieve varying levels of certification through compliance with the framework – from foundation to leading – across 10 markers including hiring practices, parental leave policies, pay transparency and flexible work.
The standards have an interactive platform designed to make the process of compliance and adoption seamless. Organisations use an app to undertake a series of self-assessments to ascertain their benchmark status and then access an action plan with a range of tools, data and resources.
Progress in advancing through levels of the standards is recognised with a certification and ranking.
TCA CEO Damian Kassabgi said the launch of the T-EDI standards is an important milestone in the TCA’s work to foster greater diversity in the tech sector, which has been a priority for more than three years.
“The T-EDI standards promote systemic change and take the guesswork out of creating an inclusive workplace,” he said.
“Improving diversity and inclusion in tech will better position Australia to address social challenges, and support more women and other underrepresented groups to accelerate their careers in our growing tech sector.”
The TCA in collaboration with Project F has interrogated the standards with members through a testing process. TCA members Atlassian, Telstra, CyberCX, Accenture, PEXA and Culture Amp have endorsed and adopted the standards internally.
PEXA Group Chief Technology Officer and TCA Non-Executive Director Eglantine Etiemble said: “We know Australia’s future prosperity will be heavily reliant on the tech industry and on our collective ability to develop and attract talent. As a nation, we have been so far underperforming in making tech attractive across the workforce as only just a quarter of tech workers are female. This deprives us from much-needed talent and from the diversity of thinking we want to see reflected in the products and services we use.
“The T-EDI standards give companies a clear and actionable framework to define what good looks like, embed equity and drive real progress. It provides, as well, great transparency to prospective employees and has the potential to create a differentiating value proposition as an employer.
“PEXA has been focusing on lifting our diversity and inclusion over the past years with great success, moving from 21% to 37% female participation in our workforce in the past two years alone. The adoption of the T-EDI standards will help us continue raising the bar and ensuring that it is embedded in our practices,” Ms Etiemble said.
CyberCX CEO John Paitaridis said: “At CyberCX our mission is to secure the communities in which we live and work. To do this successfully we need a diverse workforce that reflects our communities. The cyber security industry still faces significant challenges with diversity. We have made it a priority to address this at CyberCX, launching an industry-first ‘All-Women’ cohort in our CyberCX Academy, the largest private sector commitment to addressing Australia’s cyber skills shortage. We know there is more to be done, and the launch of the T-EDI standard gives industry a benchmark for measuring the success of our efforts to ensure we continue to improve.”
The standards will be independently governed by Project F’s Standards Advisory Council and a board of directors.
Organisations interested in learning more about the T-EDI standards can contact community@techcouncil.com.au or visit www.tedistandards.com.
