When it comes to diversity in technology, women represent only 27% of the workforce. This, however, towers in comparison to the average Māori and Pasifika representation: who make up 4% and 3% respectively of the tech workforce.
Global Women Partners, Spark, have announced a new move to shift this dial: a new talent pathway that includes includes $1 million of scholarships to encourage women, Māori and Pasifika into the technology fold.
It’s an all-encompassing, training and pathway to permanent employment in roles like data analyst, data engineer or business intelligence developer. Each year, up to 20 people from diverse backgrounds are able to take part across Auckland and Wellington.
True to the nature of this programme, the pipelines into this pathway also reflect the communities they serve: iwi, community organisations, and corporates are all involved as partners to find potential candidates.
Qrious, Spark’s AI and data analytics team is behind this initiative. They know that their area of expertise is set for exponential growth in the next few years, and need to ensure that they’re nurturing a diverse set of future industry leaders.
Spokesperson for Qrious, Evan Wilson shares that encouraging people who might not have considered a career in tech to join the company is a key part of this programme. “The accelerated pace of digital transformation of New Zealand businesses has created a perfect storm, with demand for highly skilled talent in technology far exceeding availability,” says Evan.
Learn more about Spark’s scholarship programme through our Partners, Stuff’s online article here.