Women in the State’s Public Service are to have access to a four-month intensive training program in coding under a pilot program to support gender diversity in key digital technology jobs.
Announced by the Minister for Government Services, Danny Pearson, the pilot is also to deliver five paid internships within Government Departments for women passionate about coding.
Mr Pearson said Victoria had partnered with social enterprise Code Like a Girl on the pilot to support girls and women looking to build rewarding careers in what has traditionally been a male-dominated field.
“Current statistics illustrate why Code Like a Girls’ work and the Government’s new training and internship programs are so essential, with women only making up 31 per cent of Victoria’s digital technology workforce the program will increase diversity and representation across the sector,” Mr Pearson said.
“Lack of diversity in Cyber Security is even more pronounced with less than one in five Cyber Security workers being women,” he said.
“That is why the Government is also partnering with the Australian Women in Security Network to deliver a pilot training course for 26 women currently working in the tech sector.”
Mr Pearson said paid internships were a key initiative of Code Like a Girl and provided professional experience in a range of environments.
“Enabling participants to contribute to live projects and build skills that can only be learned on the job,” the Minister said.
“We’re proud to be the first Government to partner with Code Like a Girl, which plays a leading role in creating more diverse and innovative workplaces and boosting representation of women in the tech sector.”
