With global digital transformation increasing across every sector, demand for skilled tech professionals is high. Yet, despite this growth, a significant skills gap remains. According to the World Economic Forum, by 2025, 97 million new roles could be created as technology changes how we work, but millions of these roles risk going unfilled due to a shortage of people with the right skills.
_nology, part of the Opus Talent Solutions Group, works alongside Opus Recruitment Solutions to address this challenge head-on. While Opus connects top talent with leading companies, _nology specialises in training and launching diverse, job-ready tech professionals into the industry, helping businesses build future-proof teams from the ground up.
Women remain underrepresented in Australia, only making up 20% of the total tech roles, despite being 49% of the total workforce. In fact, Australia ranks lowest among peer nations for women in technical degrees, only 20% of engineering and tech students are women, and to match top-performing countries, enrolment would need to increase by 75% (Tech Council of Australia, 2025).
From bias in hiring and limited early exposure to STEM subjects, to a lack of accessible mentors and challenges around work-life balance, the barriers are substantial. Girls’ confidence in STEM subjects is 17% lower than boys, and in Year 12, girls are half as likely to choose technical subjects as boys despite outnumbering boys in overall enrolment (Tech Council of Australia, 2025).
Many highly educated women with valuable tech experience are sidelined during career breaks for caregiving responsibilities, despite continuing to build skills during this time. In fact, 20% of women report being treated poorly at work because of their caregiving duties (SHRM, 2025). Workplace flexibility and childcare gaps are major barriers to retention, especially post-30 (Tech Council of Australia, 2025).
By creating programs and policies that attract and retain this overlooked talent, organisations can gain a competitive advantage, access skilled professions whilst reducing recruitment and training costs. Targeted action at three drop-out points, subject choices, degree enrolment, and mid-career retention, could triple the number of women in highly technical roles from 5.8k to 17.5k (Tech Council of Australia, 2025).
To close the skills gap and build a more innovative, resilient tech sector, we need to realise the full potential of the workforce. That means creating better, more inclusive pathways for women to enter tech. A coordinated approach across life stages could increase women’s representation in technical roles from 20% to 43% (Tech Council of Australia, 2025). Here’s what these pathways could look like.
Supporting Women Returning to Work
Statistics show that women are nearly twice as likely to enter tech mid-career than at the start of their careers (TCA, 2025). Return to work programs are initiatives designed to help women re-enter the workforce after a career break, which may be due to caregiving, health, relocation, or other personal reasons. In tech, these programs are particularly valuable because of the pace of change, where rebuilding confidence and updating skills is essential.
Return to work programs often involve short-term roles that allow women to gain experience and demonstrate their capabilities, frequently leading to full-time employment after successful completion. They typically include training in current technologies and soft skills, such as communication and agile methodologies, as well as mentorship and coaching. Many also offer flexible work options to ease the transition.
In Australia, a growing number of organisations offer supported return to work programs, though they are not yet widespread, particularly in regional areas. Capgemini’s Relaunch Pathway is one example, designed for women and gender-diverse individuals returning from a 2–10-year career break. This three-month program provides training in technology and consulting skills, project shadowing, and opportunities to transition into part- or full-time roles. It enables women to upskill and build confidence before fully stepping back into their careers.
Fast-Track Training with Bootcamps
Tech bootcamps are intensive, short-term training programs designed to quickly equip people with practical skills for tech roles. They are attractive to women because they are shorter and more flexible than traditional degrees, usually lasting 8–16 weeks, and focus on job-ready skills through real-world projects. Many also provide career support, peer communities, and mentorship.
The Women in Tech Network recently highlighted that a 12-week bootcamp requires significantly less time than a four-year degree, making it a practical choice for women with limited availability due to family or personal commitments. Bootcamps are particularly effective because they enable fast-track career changes, often with no prior experience required, and they frequently offer flexible formats such as part-time or remote learning. They are also inclusive, with many supported by funding to help underrepresented groups. Employment outcomes in Australia are strong, with women representing 49.5% of online bootcamp graduates and 88% of women securing a tech role within six months (Women Tech, 2025), slightly higher than men. Graduates often begin their careers in roles such as junior developers, QA testers, or tech support analysts.
In Australia, well-known bootcamps supporting women in tech include She Codes Australia, Code Like a Girl, Coder Academy, and _nology. _nology’s 12-week Pathway to Tech bootcamp equips women from all backgrounds with job-ready skills in Software and Cloud Engineering. With hands-on training, real-world projects, and direct employer connections, it offers an accessible route into tech. We have seen women successfully transition from careers such as café work and teaching into tech consulting roles.
Learning by Doing: Internships and Apprenticeships
Internships increase the likelihood of securing full-time employment by 70%, with 45% leading directly to job offers (Gitnux, 2025). They provide valuable experience for women entering tech by offering real projects, mentorship, and exposure to workplace dynamics. This low-pressure entry point helps build confidence and networks, often leading to further opportunities.
In Australia, apprenticeships have been shown to increase employment rates by 30% in technology and STEM sectors (Market Biz, 2025). Apprenticeships combine paid work with structured learning, allowing women to earn while they learn. They are especially valuable for those without formal qualifications or returning after a break, as they offer stability, mentorship, and progression opportunities.
Both internships and apprenticeships are particularly beneficial for women who missed out on early STEM exposure. The Australian Government supports participation through significant funding, such as interest-free loans of up to $25,983 for apprentices in priority tech roles, employer incentives of up to $5,000 for hiring apprentices in high-demand occupations, and additional resources for specialised organisations that support apprentices with disabilities (Australian Government, 2025). The Women in STEM Cadetships and Advanced Apprenticeships Program is another important initiative, investing $25.1 million to support up to 600 employed women studying part-time STEM qualifications, with employers able to access up to $20,000 per employee to cover study costs.
Reskilling Women for the Future of Work
An estimated 660,000 women in Australia could transition into tech roles within six months through short reskilling courses (Information Age, 2025). Reskilling is crucial in fast-moving industries like tech, where skills can quickly become outdated. It ensures employees remain competitive while enabling businesses to retain experienced staff and avoid costly external hiring. According to Deloitte, reskilling women into tech could deliver a $6.5 billion benefit to the Australian economy.
_nology is finding that more of our clients are looking for reskilling solutions. For example, we worked with Woolworths Group to retrain 12 women from non-tech roles into Junior Engineering positions at WooliesX through a bespoke three-month program, helping futureproof their workforce and reduce reliance on contractors. This initiative not only supported Woolworths’ $50M Future of Work Fund but also boosted diversity, with 66% of participants identifying as women and 50% from ethnically diverse backgrounds.
The Australian Government is encouraging reskilling through incentives such as a 20% bonus tax deduction for training courses, making investment more accessible to smaller businesses (Britwealth, 2025). Employer-led reskilling initiatives include Google Career Certificates and Salesforce micro-credentials, which provide flexible online training, and PwC’s Digital IQ program, which begins with a skills assessment, followed by an 11-week learning journey in areas such as automation, analytics, and digital collaboration.
The Power of Industry Partnerships
Industry collaboration is a powerful way to create inclusive tech pathways. By bringing together employers, educators, and government, partnerships can align training with workforce needs and address barriers such as lack of flexibility, bias in recruitment, and limited visibility of tech career paths.
One prominent example is The Next Wave: Women’s Tech Transitions program, led by the Tech Council of Australia (TCA). This initiative targets mid-career transitions, a group nearly twice as likely to enter tech compared to early-career professionals. Women are underrepresented in leadership and overrepresented in lower-paying roles, making these transition programs critical for moving up as well as moving in (Tech Council of Australia, 2025). Backed [EP2] by the Federal Government’s Building Women’s Careers Program and delivered in partnership with _nology, SEEK, Ubank, and Project F, the program combines reskilling, career-switching action plans, and inclusive hiring practices to create supported pathways for women entering tech.
Mentorship as a Catalyst for Women in Tech.
Structured mentorship programs are another critical pathway. Women in tech who have mentors are 77% more likely to remain in the industry after three years (Women In Tech, 2025). Mentorship helps women, particularly those entering mid-career or through non-traditional routes, by providing guidance, encouragement, and access to networks.
Many women still lack access to mentors who share similar experiences, especially in male-dominated industries. 49% of women in STEM report harassment, five times the rate of men, showing why safe, supportive networks matter (Tech Council of Australia, 2025). Some organisations reserve mentorships for those already identified as “high potential.” To be more inclusive, programs need to move beyond ad hoc arrangements and create structured, accessible models. This might mean offering virtual or short-term mentoring, ensuring mentors come from diverse backgrounds, and embedding mentorship into wider reskilling or return-to-work initiatives.
Cognizant’s ‘Propel’ program is a strong example. Designed to accelerate women’s careers in tech, it provides leadership training, mentoring, peer networking, and access to thought leaders. Since its launch, over 1,000 women globally have completed the program, with graduates advancing at significantly faster rates and forming a strong community of women leaders.
Building a More Inclusive Tech Future
The tech industry is full of opportunity, but it will not reach its potential unless we close the skills gap and create space for more women, especially those returning to work. These women bring valuable experience and fresh perspectives, and with the right support they can drive real change.
Creating inclusive pathways is not only the right thing to do, but also a smart business decision. If we want to close the digital skills gap, we must rethink how we attract, support, and retrain women in tech roles.
Ready to take the next step? Whether you’re an organisation looking to attract skilled women into tech or an individual ready to start your journey, explore how _nology’s programs can help you bridge the gap.
Contact us today.