The peak body representing Australia’s tech sector has launched a new set of standards with an aim to find another 600,000 tech workers over the next five years.
The Tech Council of Australia (TCA) announced the T-EDI standards that enable companies to evaluate their performance against 10 equity, diversity and inclusion standards and develop an action plan that addresses areas for improvement.
Businesses can obtain varying levels of accreditation (from ‘foundation’ to ‘leading’) through a list of compliances with the framework across aspects such as hiring practices, parental leave policies, pay transparency and flexible work.
Participating businesses use an app to complete a series of self-assessments to evaluate their benchmark status and then access an action plan with various tools, data and resources.
The evidence-based certification framework was created in partnership with Project F, a social impact company aimed at helping businesses diversity its workforce.
Emma Jones, CEO and Founder of Project F, said the standards provide an easier and more accessible way to change the systems that encourage diversity, equity and inclusion.
“The T-EDI standards offer clear guidance and accountability, empowering companies to implement practical solutions to create and reap the benefits of a diverse and inclusive work environment,” Jones said.
“There is a monumental gap between the number of tech jobs and the number of qualified candidates available to fill them, so there is a national imperative to address the structural issues that have become ingrained in the culture of tech workplaces over decades and get more women into tech jobs, which are some of the most flexible on offer.”
Jones, who led the development of the standards based on six years of research, added that senior leadership teams also need to recognise the importance of investing in a long-term societal impact.
TCA shares the federal government’s commitment to reach 1.2 million tech jobs by 2030. One of its five pillars includes diversifying the workforce — something TCA CEO Damian Kassabgi has been working towards for the past three years.
“The T-EDI standards promote systemic change and take the guesswork out of creating an inclusive workplace,” he said. “Improving diversity and inclusion in tech will better position Australia to address social challenges, and support more women and other underrepresented groups to accelerate their careers in our growing tech sector.”
While women make up 51 per cent of the entire workforce, they make up only 28 per cent of the tech workforce. A study by Professionals Australia earlier this year found that women working in tech and IT are being paid up to 14 per cent less than men, and are twice as likely to be bullied or harassed.
Another study by McKinsey found that only 32 per cent of entry-level tech hardware roles are held by women, while only 16 per cent hold executive positions within the industry.
TCA Non-Executive Director and Group Chief Technology Officer at PEXA (a TCA member) Eglantine Etiemble said Australia’s future prosperity will rely heavily on the tech industry and on our collective ability to develop and attract talent.
“As a nation, we have been so far underperforming in making tech attractive across the workforce as only just a quarter of tech workers are female,” she said. “This deprives us from much-needed talent and from the diversity of thinking we want to see reflected in the products and services we use.”
Etiemble described the T-EDI standards as a clear and actionable framework to define what good looks like, embed equity and drive real progress.
“It provides, as well, great transparency to prospective employees and has the potential to create a differentiating value proposition as an employer,” she said, adding that her organisation has been focusing on improving diversity and inclusion over the past years.
“[We have moved from] 21 per cent to 37 per cent female participation in our workforce in the past two years alone,” she explained of her business, a digital property settlement platform. “The adoption of the T-EDI standards will help us continue raising the bar and ensuring that it is embedded in our practices.”
The standards will be overseen by Project F’s Standards Advisory Council and a board of directors.