Women belong in Cyber and Tech
PwC Australia's She's Here in Cybersecurity & Technology Programme is tackling the representation gap by opening new career pathways for women in cybersecurity, digital, data and technology.
She’s Here in Cybersecurity and Technology Programme
Where human meets digital, PwC Australia is closing the technology recruitment gap by opening new career pathways for women in cybersecurity, digital, data and technology. Women are vastly underrepresented in the technology industry, and only make up one fifth of IT graduates in Australia. In a field where women can and should contribute to the solutions that keep our world secure and advance technology innovation through their unique perspectives, diverse experiences, and innovative ideas, it's a gap we simply can’t ignore. With equal access to education, resources, and opportunities, women can help create a more inclusive and sustainable future for everyone. By inspiring more women and girls to embark on a technology career, we can foster a more diverse and innovative workforce that addresses the world's most pressing challenges.
Key to this change is our partners being true connectors at the intersection of human and digital. Being human-led and tech-powered, and working together with our clients, we’re solving as a community to advance humanity and help society move forward. It’s about connecting the dots, ideas, and people and making sure that tech isn’t the first thing we lead with. Instead, the team at PwC Australia's Cybersecurity, Cloud and Digital, and Technology teams lead with a problem lens, driven by the curiosity of our people, to reframe problems in unexpected ways. From a recruitment perspective, it’s essential to employ people from diverse backgrounds, with business skills and curious minds, that can see the bigger picture, and are capable of connecting these dots.
That’s why PwC Australia is committed to a culture of care and belonging - fostering a place for people to build their futures and a place that provides everyday support to learn and grow. We’re proud of the role women at PwC play in pushing the technology sector towards a progressive and exciting future that modernises and re-thinks solutions. One of these ways is through a strategic focus on inclusion and diversity. Diverse teams where everyone belongs lead to smarter and more innovative solutions, and it’s our mission to cultivate a more inclusive cybersecurity and technology workforce. From diverse teams to disruptive technology, we are bringing together the people necessary to deliver sustained outcomes for both society and business alike.
A lack of role models can be one of the challenges for women considering a career in technology. This is just one of the reasons why PwC Australia created the She’s Here in Cybersecurity and Technology Programme. Established in 2021, the programme’s mission is to discover, inspire and develop women leaders in cyber and technology by bringing an authentic voice to issues we believe need addressing.
“As a woman working in Cybersecurity, it’s my responsibility to role-model and advocate for the amazing opportunities and career experiences in this space.”
The programme creates opportunities for all women at PwC Australia to connect, network, and talk about things that are important from a woman's leadership perspective. This includes an increased awareness of unconscious bias, negotiating pay, as well as providing the space to connect with other women who have gone through similar career paths, or have similar stories to share.
The three principal goals of the She’s Here programme are:
- Build a community and share best practices
- Attract, develop and retain women talent
- Increase the visibility of women both internally and externally.
All of which is brought to life via six segments 1) She’s Here to Learn, 2) She’s Here to Grow, 3) She’s Here to Connect, 4) She’s Here to be Supported, 5) She’s Here to be Heard, and 6) She’s Here to Talk. The programme aims to have an impact both within and beyond PwC, with specific activities and events which actively engage high-schools and universities to role-model women working in the sector and create awareness of the different career pathways into technology. “We owe it to women that are either already in the cyber and tech industry, or considering joining or pursuing studies, to be a voice on why it’s incredible to work in this industry” Mary Attard, Cybersecurity & Digital Trust Partner, PwC Australia
The Results
PwC Australia is committed to solving society's most complex challenges by leading the development of human-centred technology and secure digital solutions. As a community of solvers, we come together in unexpected ways to build, earn and share trust for today, and tomorrow. By empowering women’s voices, we’re letting women know that not only is there a place for you in technology, but that the industry needs your unique perspectives. We are proud to provide opportunities for women considering a career in technology or cyber. We are focused on being a place where women can bring their curiosity and drive for learning and we’ll teach them the rest. That’s The New Equation.
A support squad of 13 invested PwC partners bring the mission of the programme to life and the number of programme members has already grown to 350. Furthermore, 40 female students from five rural high schools across New South Wales were hosted in PwC Australia’s Sydney office to participate in an interactive week long experience programme in cyber and technology. And the She’s Here programme is elevating its external reach further. The programme has recently secured a platinum partnership with Vic ICT for Women Grad Girls for 2023.1 This programme endeavours to raise awareness of the diverse career opportunities available in the fields of Cyber and Technology to High School and University students, with the aim of bridging the gaps in the talent pipeline from academia to the workforce.
The programme through the support of leaders and mentors has helped improve recruitment outcomes for women in the sector, and women can now look up and see really valuable, good people in senior places that they can look up to. PwC Australia through the She’s Here programme is committed to do more, be more, and affect more change: by helping to build the next generation of a diverse and tech-skilled workforce.
Participant testimonials
“I loved the speed mentoring aspect of the event. It was great that this provided an opportunity to speak with all of the partners and ask them questions directly.”
“It was great that the event created a safe space. Getting to hear the panellists share their experiences was an amazing experience.”
“It was great to take a break from the day and think about gender and hear the really honest stories and sharing from the PwC women panellists.”
“I didn’t really think that Cyber would be this interesting. I didn’t even know that ethical hacking was a thing until this programme! Amazing!”
“I didn’t consider that technology or cyber would have any room for creativity. I was wrong. I loved the escape room, it was all about the people and how they think”.
Footnotes
