ShadowTech26 brings 1,500 girls into tech workplaces

Tech Women will run its ShadowTech26 programme for more than 1,500 secondary school girls from more than 90 schools across New Zealand.

Aimed at girls in Years 9 to 11, the programme will place students with more than 65 host organisations in nine locations: Nelson, Dunedin, Timaru, Wellington, Christchurch, Palmerston North, Auckland, Waikato and Tauranga. Students will spend a day inside local technology workplaces, taking part in tours, workshops, practical activities and sessions with staff.

ShadowTech is designed to give students direct exposure to technology careers at a time when women remain underrepresented in New Zealand's digital skills pipeline. Data cited by Tech Women from the forthcoming fourth edition of Digital Skills Aotearoa shows women made up 27 per cent of IT degree-level enrolments in 2024.

The same data shows women accounted for 31 per cent of IT degree-level graduates, up from 19 per cent a decade earlier. The figures suggest some progress in completion rates while also highlighting the smaller share of women entering the study pathway.

Local employers will host students, giving them a chance to observe workplace environments and learn about roles beyond software development.

Tech Women Executive Director Yvonne Gill said the programme is intended to make the sector more visible to young women as they consider subject and career choices.

"ShadowTech gives girls the chance to see technology up close - not as an abstract subject, but as a real career pathway filled with creativity, problem-solving and opportunity," Gill said.

She said the initiative also reflects the breadth of work available in the industry.

"We know there's more to working in tech than just coding. Through ShadowTech, students get to see real roles, meet people working in the sector and understand that there's a tech job to suit everyone," Gill said.

Skills pipeline

Technology remains one of New Zealand's larger sources of skilled employment, and industry groups have repeatedly raised concerns about the supply of workers entering digital roles. Efforts to widen participation have increasingly focused on earlier intervention at school level, especially for girls who may not otherwise consider the field.

That has helped shape programmes such as ShadowTech, which aim to connect employers, schools and students before senior secondary subject choices narrow later options. By placing students inside workplaces rather than relying only on classroom information, organisers hope to make career pathways easier to understand.

Gill said the programme also reflects the broader need for more women in the sector.

"New Zealand needs more young women choosing pathways into technology," she said. "Tech is one of our highest-paid and most in-demand industries, and a diverse workforce is essential if we want the sector to keep growing, innovating and solving the problems that matter. When more voices and perspectives are represented in tech, we create better outcomes for everyone."

National reach

This year's programme is one of the larger school-to-workplace outreach efforts in the sector, with more than 1,500 students expected to take part nationwide. Participating organisations include companies and other employers that will open their offices and teams to students for the day.

Supporters include Deloitte and Westpac as Gold sponsors, with AWS, CyberCX, TechStep and Tuatahi First Fibre as Bronze sponsors. Other supporters are 2degrees, HP New Zealand, Ricoh New Zealand, WellingtonNZ and Visa.

Gill said early contact with employers and role models can influence how students view their options.

"Early exposure matters," she said. "When girls can step into a workplace, meet role models and see the breadth of careers available, it helps shift what they believe is possible. We want every student to leave ShadowTech feeling informed, inspired and confident that a career in tech is absolutely for them."

She added: "We're incredibly grateful to all our sponsors, participating schools and host organisations who help make ShadowTech possible. Their support gives students the chance to step inside real workplaces, meet role models and imagine a future for themselves in technology."