18/07 8 March 2007
$70 000 sponsorship to support women in ICT
The Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Helen Coonan, today announced $70 000 in Australian Government funding to support women in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector.
“Women account for less than 18 per cent of all ICT employees in the Australian ICT sector. The Australian Government is committed to increasing the productivity of Australia’s ICT sector through the improved retention and progression of female ICT professionals,” Senator Coonan said.
“In an environment where the demand for ICT skills is increasing, retaining ICT professionals is crucial for individual businesses and the wider economy.”
Coinciding with International Women’s Day, the Australian Government is providing sponsorship of $70 000 to a training initiative aimed at encouraging the development of an ICT workplace that is attractive and flexible for women. The training initiative will be led and part funded by the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) and the Australian Computer Society (ACS).
“This training initiative will provide female ICT professionals and their employers with the confidence, knowledge and skills to address the cultural and workplace barriers that limit their ability to maintain and progress careers in the ICT sector,” Senator Coonan said.
This initiative follows the Australian Government’s partICipaTion Summit, held in Sydney in September 2005. The summit sought to identify the barriers facing women in the ICT sector and discussed ways to encourage more women to study and work in ICT.
The summit found that the ICT sector needs to focus on its strengths as a flexible and dynamic work environment for women. In addition, the sector needs to change the outdated perceptions of a career in technology and foster the careers of talented individuals when they enter the profession.
The AIIA and ACS training initiative will build on and complement the current resources and training opportunities available to women, such as the Australian Government’s Women’s Leadership and Development Program, administered by the Office for Women.
“This program builds on the work the AIIA and ACS are doing together with the Industry Leaders Group. The Group is identifying solutions and developing long-term strategies to ensure our industry has the skills for the future,” AIIA CEO Sheryle Moon said.
“The SET Up for Success program is about ensuring that the growing ICT sector is able to provide talented women with attractive and flexible career opportunities,” Ms Moon added.
Media Contact: Katherine Meier - 0417 441 141