Virtual Work Experience
Building Australia’s future tech workforce through interactive, industry-led learning experiences.
The Opportunity for Industry Partners
Delivered in collaboration by the Tech Council of Australia and Year13, the Virtual Work Experience program connects students to real-world tech career pathways.
We invite industry partners to co-create these interactive experiences. By becoming a program sponsor, you can showcase your experts, define your entry-level pathways, and engage directly with a diverse national pipeline of future talent.
Why this program exists
Students are anxious
67% feel anxious and 54% are stressed about career planning¹, largely because they can’t “see” what modern jobs look like.
Educators are overstretched
With an average student-to-career-advisor ratio of 560:1¹ and national teacher shortages, schools cannot provide 1:1 tech industry guidance.
The talent pipeline is broken
The Australian digital skills gap crisis is costing the country $9 million per day², with employers struggling to fill entry-level roles.
The equity gap is widening
Currently, 1 in 3 young people are underemployed¹. Access to high-quality tech work experience is heavily dependent on a student’s postcode and network.
The Virtual Work Experience program tackles these systemic challenges by giving students on-demand exposure to real tech roles. We overcome geographic barriers across Australia to empower informed career choices and directly feed the industry’s talent pipeline.
The Virtual Work Experience Program has engaged 23,000 students to date.³
The program has consistently reached students across every Australian state and territory.³
Shifting access and consideration at scale, including 60% regional engagement and 47% female participation (up from a 10% baseline interest).³
58% of students are significantly more likely to pursue the career path after completing a module.³
What the program offers
Why partner with us?
By supporting the program, sponsors play a critical role in shaping the future tech workforce, moving beyond awareness to drive active career consideration among diverse student cohorts nationwide.
Commbank
Whether you’re passionate about customer service, driven by data, or called by creativity, a career with CommBank is for you.
You’ll be more than just an employee. You’ll be a partner. You’ll be given opportunities to grow professionally, and the room to grow personally. It’s a chance to bring your skills to the table and mix them with the best.
CommBank is a place where the power of collaboration is harnessed to build a brighter future for all.
Microsoft
Microsoft offers a wide range of career opportunities across fields such as technology, engineering, marketing, sales, and operations.
As a technology company, Microsoft’s mission is to empower people and organisations around the world to achieve more through technology.
Some popular career paths at Microsoft include software engineering, program management, data science, product marketing, and cybersecurity. Microsoft also offers various internship programs, entry-level positions, and leadership development programs.
The benefits
Interested in learning more? Contact us.
Sources
1. Year13, Upgrading the School-to-Work Transition for Economic and Social Impact, 2025
2. RMIT, Digital skills gap costing Australian businesses $9 million per day, 2023
3. Year13 Group, platform impact data (2024-2025)