Reskilling Women for Australia’s Digital Future
Holberton School Demo Day audience, at REA Group, Melbourne
At Holberton School Australia’s recent Demo Day in Melbourne, I had the privilege of joining a panel discussion with two inspiring leaders in the tech sector: Eglantine Etiemble, CTO at PEXA and Board member of the Tech Council of Australia, and Ingrid Russell, who leads Early Career Development at REA Group. The panel explored two vital themes: the urgent need for greater diversity in tech, and Australia’s responsibility to re-skill its workforce to meet the demands of a rapidly changing, digitally driven economy.
Ahead of the event, I wanted to better understand how reskilling pathways are currently experienced - especially by women who are not already working in tech, but who are ready to enter or re-enter the workforce. So I reached out to two fantastic women-in-tech networks I’m involved with - The F Factor and Tech Leading Ladies - (both of which have highly active Slack channels) and asked a simple question:
“How can companies ensure that reskilling opportunities are accessible and appealing to women who may be re-entering the workforce, shifting careers, or balancing family responsibilities, rather than primarily targeting those already in traditional tech pipelines?”
The responses came thick and fast and were both generous and deeply insightful. These are women who know what the barriers look like - because they’ve lived them. They know what works - and what doesn’t. And their answers fell into five clear themes:
What Women Told Me
1. Support for Non-Traditional Backgrounds
Many women enter tech from outside the traditional academic or career pipeline. They come from teaching, healthcare, hospitality, admin - fields that demand creativity, logic and people skills, but don’t always get translated into “tech potential.” The message? Stop assuming a baseline level of technical literacy. Use accessible language. Offer clear, realistic pathways that value transferable skills and welcome beginners.
2. Flexibility is Non-Negotiable
Rigid schedules, full-time commitments, and on-site requirements are instant blockers. Women balancing care responsibilities need reskilling that works around them—not the other way around. That means asynchronous learning, part-time options, hybrid or remote formats, and flexible deadlines. One woman said simply: “If it doesn’t fit around school drop-off and pick-up, I can’t do it.”
3. Inclusive Culture and Psychological Safety
Confidence is often a barrier before skills ever become one. The learning environment must be inclusive, non-judgemental, and supportive. Representation matters, but so does the tone of facilitation. Peer networks, mentors and clear, kind communication go a long way in helping women feel like they belong and are not just ‘tolerated’.
4. Acknowledging the Care Load
Many reskilling programs pretend life outside work doesn’t exist. But the reality is, the care load is not shared equally - and women disproportionately shoulder it. Reskilling opportunities must take this into account, whether by offering flexible formats, paid time to learn, or simply being explicit about accommodating those responsibilities.
5. Financial Accessibility
Even small costs can be prohibitive when you’re not earning, working part-time, or navigating a career change. Scholarships, paid placements and employer sponsorships are critical. One woman put it plainly: “If it’s unpaid, I can’t afford to take the risk.”
Why This Matters Now
This isn’t just a gender equity issue. It’s a national capability issue.
The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report (2025) projects that 22% of current jobs will be disrupted by 2030 - primarily in office support, admin and clerical roles, where women are overrepresented. Meanwhile, high-growth roles are emerging in AI, data science, cybersecurity and fintech - sectors where women are currently underrepresented.
Closer to home, the Tech Council of Australia reports that digital jobs are growing at four times the rate of other sectors. Yet Australia faces a persistent digital skills shortage - and women remain locked out of too many of the pathways that could fill that gap.
According to LinkedIn’s research, 36% of women’s jobs are more likely to be disrupted by AI, compared to 26% for men. That puts a time pressure on reskilling - before women are left behind by automation and technological transition.
And this isn’t just about the risk. The opportunity is staggering. A Deloitte x RMIT Online report estimated that reskilling 661,000 Australian women into tech roles could deliver $6.5 billion in economic benefit annually.
What Companies Can Do: A Three-Part Strategy
To meet the moment, companies must shift how they think about skills, learning and recruitment. Here’s where to start:
1. Reskill Internally
Build learning pathways into the flow of work. Offer paid placements, secondments or earn-as-you-learn models. Partner with training providers like Holberton School, who specialise in hands-on, accelerated learning for career changers and adult learners.
2. Move to a Skills-First Approach
Ditch rigid degree requirements. Instead, focus on micro-credentials, on-the-job assessments, and evidence of capability. Signing up to the NSW Government’s 20% Alternative Pathways Pledge is a meaningful first step—it commits organisations to hiring 20% of digital talent from non-traditional routes.
3. Build Skills-First Hiring Infrastructure
Use tools that support bias-free, skills-based hiring - here are my top picks to get you started:
Seen Culture helps hiring teams assess candidates by values, working styles and culture alignment—not just CVs.
Vervoe uses automated simulations to assess job readiness, helping surface overlooked talent.
GoFigr uses AI to identify hidden skills and match them to real roles across a business.
Final (F) Word
The women who responded to my question weren’t asking for favours - they were offering a blueprint. They are ready to work, ready to learn, and ready to build Australia’s digital future. But they need the door held open.
If we want to fix the tech talent crisis, close the gender gap, and futureproof our economy, we must stop designing reskilling and hiring systems for people who already fit the mould—and start designing for those who don’t.
Let’s act now. Before potential becomes loss.
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Author: Emma Jones, Founder & CEO of Project F. Project F is a equity and inclusion advisory, working to solve the underrepresentation of women in technology.