The gender gap remains an issue in the technology and e-commerce industries, with women significantly under-represented in leadership and technical roles.
A 2022 Monash University study of nearly 2800 students in years 10 to 12 found one-third of young women felt they had insufficient information to make career choices.
But a new gap-year initiative aims to equip girls with the skills they need to thrive in male-dominated industries, giving them an opportunity to gain work experience, build contacts and access mentors.
The Empower Her Future program is targeted at school leavers who will graduate with a Diploma of Business at the end of it.
Successful applicants will also complete a two-week work experience placement with leading organisations in the e-commerce, technology, and digital business sectors.
The program is about exploring what the future of work looks like and empowering young women to be a part of it, Business in Heels CEO Lisa Sweeney said.
"Kids often imagine the geek in the basement when they think of cyber security but the biggest need at the moment is client-facing people who can support customers through a breach," she told AAP.
The advent of AI and new technologies will have an impact on every business, Ms Sweeney added.
"For example, can you virtually try on any product when you shop now? Imagine if you worked in AI for retail how you could predict shopping habits, how you could recommend new products based on past preferences," she said.
Parents, schools and universities have a vital role to play in encouraging girls into these traditionally male-dominated industries.
"Parents can support their girls by showing them the job section and recruitment across these industries and the salaries involved," Ms Sweeney said.
"Introduce dinner time conversations around AI and technology and ts impact on every business.
"Programs like this gap year where they get real lived experience and learn about what each other is doing are all incredibly valuable toward making them employable."
29°C