With statistics showing an overwhelmingly male dominance of the tech sector, with current estimates putting female employment at just 2 to 29 percent, the Coalition has pledged to work with industry to increase female participation to at least 40 percent by 2030.

It’s an ambitious plan by the Morrison government, stemming from the recent 2022-23 annual budget, where it pledged $3.9 million to help women make a mid-career transition into the tech workforce.

The budget also expanded the Future Women Entrepreneurs Program and offered small businesses tax incentives to upskill and train their employees through the Skills and Training Boost, valued at $550 million.

If the government wins the election, it has announced the creation of a new “Technology Workforce Roundtable” designed to bring the government together with industry and the education sector to promote Australia’s efforts to grow the technology workforce and meet the growing demand for digital skills.

Minister for the Digital Economy and Women’s Economic Security, Senator Jane Hume, said the Digital Economy Strategy was a key part of the Coalition’s plan to create 1.3 million jobs over the next five years, including 450,000 jobs in regional Australia .

“Every business is now a digital business, which is why our plan for the digital economy is such an important part of our plan for a strong economy,” said Senator Hume.

Touting the government’s results, Senator Hume said the new target for women in the tech workforce built on the government’s results of increasing women’s participation in the workforce to “record highs and closing the gender pay gap to record lows “.

“Australians from all walks of life are taking up technology jobs and we want to see more Australian women involved in this fast-growing and well-paid part of the workforce,” Senator Hume said.

The Tech Workforce Roundtable will be co-chaired by the Digital Economy and Skills Ministers, with the aim of the first meeting taking place soon after the election. The Technical Council, the National Skills Commissioner, the Digital Skills Organization and other actors drawn from the industry and education sectors will be invited to join.

Earlier this year, the leading industry body, the Technology Council of Australia, applauded the government’s initial budget announcement, with chief executive Kate Pounder citing the body’s own research suggesting women are most likely to enter tech jobs aged between 25 and 30 years.

“This initiative represents an important initial contribution to helping more women make this transition, given that only one in four tech workers are women,” Ms Pounder said.

“Getting more women into tech jobs is a great deal for women, as tech jobs are among the best-paying, most secure and most flexible in the country.” The gender pay gap is also half that of other high-paying jobs.