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A smaller gender pay gap, more flexibility, an abundance of training resources – it’s reasons like these that women, now more than ever, are transitioning into tech careers. And with Australia needing 286,000 more tech workers by 2025 to meet demand, the industry needs women as well.
With tech being Australia’s seventh-largest employer (according to Tech Council Australia), the opportunities for women will grow far beyond that number in the future, making tech a stable option for those looking to start or transition their careers. For a full breakdown of why tech is a great place for women to work, keep reading below:
While there’s still work to be done, the tech sector has come a long way in reaching gender parity. And it shows in how women are compensated for their work. While comparable industries in Australia pay men 18 per cent more than women on average for the same position, the gender pay gap in tech is just 9 per cent. With a gender pay gap half as high as other sectors, women are not only more fairly compensated, but actually earn more.
That’s because tech sector jobs pay 64% more than the economy-wide average in Australia regardless of education level. And it’s not just the senior data engineer and software architect jobs that boast higher wages: even entry-level tech jobs pay 32% more than the Australian average.
An analysis of HILDA (Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia) surveys found that tech workers rated their jobs higher in flexibility than the national average, citing remote working as a major advantage. With 77 per cent of tech employees reporting they work remotely, this allows for more flexibility for working mums, caretakers, and women looking to expand their education.
Even if a tech job requires employees to work in a physical office, the tech sector allows more flexibility than other industries. Tech Council Australia reports that tech positions are spread evenly across the country, with jobs available in the smallest of suburbs and the largest of cities. For example, a third of new workers hired by Atlassian, Australia’s biggest software company, live at least two hours away from a major city. This means women who prefer to live in the suburbs don’t need to move for a career in tech.
Tech jobs come with more stability as well. Workers keep their jobs longer than the Australian average: The rate of people no longer working after 8 years was 4.7 percentage points lower in tech than in comparable high-paying industries, and 6.2 percentage points lower than other industries in the country.
This high degree of flexibility and stability results in tech workers being happier than employees in other sectors. In our latest whitepaper, Resetting Normal, 55% of tech workers reported they are happy with their current working situation while other industries report an average of just 42%.
Women are twice as likely to enter the tech industry between ages 25-30 than before the age of 25. That means women are more likely to seek reskilling and training resources post-tertiary education than to pursue STEM programs at university. Luckily, many reskilling programs exist, meaning women can learn new skills without having to commit to full-time education programs.
One such reskilling pathway is our Tech Start program, a course within the Modis Tech Academy. Designed specifically for, and with, the South Australian space, defence & technology industry and in collaboration with Microsoft Australia, Tech Start helps South Australian women gain industry-recognised micro-credentials, professional mentoring, and career development support.
The program is intended for any woman interested in data analytics- even those without a STEM degree. This 10-week course runs part-time and is entirely free. Check it out or read about the Modis Tech Academy for more training resources to break into the tech industry.
Tech Council Australia has launched an initiative to employ 1 million workers in the tech industry by 2025. That means new opportunities in the tech sector are being added daily. Thanks to this, the tech sector has experienced strong growth in the last decade and now employs almost 7% of the Australian population- making it the seventh biggest employing sector nationwide.
Tech jobs are being added fast. The industry is creating employment opportunities at almost twice the average rate of jobs growth across other sectors, with tech sector jobs growing 66% between 2005 and 2021 (compared to the average growth rate of 35% across other industries). According to our own research, 59% of tech workers are satisfied with their career prospects- a full 23% higher than other industries.
The tech industry is future-proof as well. As the pandemic was causing disruptions in employment across multiple industries, the tech sector grew by 65,000 jobs in 2020. As digitalisation continues to infiltrate our daily lives, skills in technology will be in demand for other industries, including traditionally manual jobs like construction and warehousing. Women skilled in technology will have the experience necessary to work in multiple fields- fields they’ll have the privilege of choosing from.
At Modis, we’re looking to engineer a smarter future- a future that includes having women at the helm. That’s why we’re proud to partner with Microsoft to develop a comprehensive tech skilling program that will help women acquire the skills and industry-recognised micro-credentials necessary to break into the tech industry.
We’re also proud to work with SheDares, a free interactive learning experience whose goal is to demystify career paths in technology for professional women in non-tech industries and equip them for the transition into the sector.
Learn more about the Modis Tech Academy and Microsoft’s new skilling program here.
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