Women in tech could unlock billions for firms in Australia
- Josephine Tan
Organisations in Australia could unlock an A$6.5 billion (US$4.14 billion) windfall by increasing women’s participation in technology careers, according to a new report by RMIT Online and Deloitte Access Economics. The Women in Tech: How Skills and Talent Diversity Drive Business Success report highlighted the critical role of female talent in addressing the nation’s looming tech skills shortage by 2030.
Currently, women make up only 30% of the tech workforce, compared to 70% of men. Upskilling and reskilling women to enter technology roles presents a viable solution to closing this divide while driving economic growth and innovation.
Women transitioning into tech roles could see an average annual salary increase of A$31,100 (US$19,811), representing a 31% boost to their earnings and a collective A$4.3 billion (US$2.74 billion) positive wage impact. Beyond individual benefits, reskilled employees contribute significantly to business performance, generating an additional A$16,400 (US$10,447) in profits per employee. For medium-sized organisations, this could translate to an annual benefit of A$278,700 (US$177,540), while large organisations could see gains of up to A$1.8 million (US$1.15 million) per year by attracting more women into tech roles.
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Nic Cola, CEO of RMIT Online, emphasised the urgency of addressing Australia’s tech talent shortage through targeted reskilling programmes for women. “Gender representation drives profitability, innovation and performance,” she said. “With over 600,000 women in roles that could transition into tech with the proper training, the opportunity is clear. However, organisations can’t do it alone. Greater collaboration between industry, educational institutions, and government is needed to accelerate upskilling efforts.”
Deloitte Access Economics’ Rhiannon Yetsenga noted that emerging technologies like generative AI (GenAI) present significant opportunities—but only if organisations can access the right talent. “Reskilling women would help fill an urgent and growing skills gap while improving gender diversity in the tech workforce,” Yetsenger said. “This, in turn, will support economic growth and productivity across Australia’s economy more broadly.”
