A report by RMIT Online and Deloitte Access Economics has found benefits for the economy and female workers who transition to the technology sector.
The report identified that there are more than 660,000 women in Australia who, based on their current occupations and careers, could reskill into tech roles within approximately six months through short courses or on-the-job training.
Kate Cowley originally started her career as a copywriter and digital marketer but recently made the jump within her team to user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design.
She said upskilling via an RMIT Online course has future-proofed her career and helped build her confidence when interacting with clients.
"Throughout my career in digital marketing and copywriting I became more and more familiar with UX writing and that sparked my interest - I wanted to move beyond the content and have more of an overarching view," she told AAP.
"I was pretty lucky that there was an emerging need for the specialisation in my existing team so I was really supported in that space."
The Women in Tech report found significant benefits for businesses and employees who attracted women into tech roles.
Medium-sized businesses stand to gain a benefit of $278,700 annually, while large companies could see a $1.8 million dividend per year.
The report also estimated women could earn $31,100 more annually in a tech role, which represents a 31 per cent average salary boost to the individual and a $4.3 billion positive wage impact overall.
Australian businesses will need 1.3 million tech workers by 2030, yet the current government target is just 1.2 million, a difference of more than 100,000.
"The thrust of the report is around the big skills gap in tech that is holding the country back," RMIT Online chief executive Nic Cola said.
"There is so much untapped potential to get representation of women into technology roles."
There was a need for greater collaboration between industry, educational institutions and government to accelerate upskilling efforts, Mr Cola added.
"Gender representation drives profitability, innovation and performance," he said.
"Australia's tech talent shortage is a growing challenge, and reskilling women presents a practical, high-impact solution."
26°C