Barriers to Diversity in the Aotearoa Tech Sector
- Emma Godwin
Executive Summary
Tech is a fast-growing and high-value sector in Aotearoa.1 With increasing workforce demands and competitive salaries, tech has the potential to provide stable, high-paying jobs to an increasingly significant proportion of New Zealand workers if we can capitalise on strong global demand for tech products and services.2 We know that only 5% of the digital tech workforce is Māori and 4.4% is Pacific, while women make up just 29% of the digital technologies workforce.3 Workforce participation by tāngata whaikaha is less known; however, we know that limited digital accessibility is a major barrier for people living with disabilities.4 We know that Māori, Pacific peoples and women are active users of tech, but their low representation in the sector suggests they are largely absent from its development. Historically, immigration has been the primary source of new skills and diversity in the tech sector. 5 If the Aotearoa tech sector and vocational education system want to support a growing domestic tech workforce, both need to understand and address the significant barriers to entry and diversity in the tech workforce. Barriers to inclusion exist from the household right up to the workforce. These can become compounded by multiple economic, cultural and accessibility factors. Barriers are grouped according to the environment in which they occur:
• Domestic – household, wider family and community environment
• Primary and secondary education – primary, intermediate and high school
• Tertiary education – university, vocational and PTE programmes
• Workforce – employment in tech roles or within the tech sector.
While the focus of Toi Mai is on vocational education and workforce outcomes, it is crucial that we, and all involved in the digital technology future of Aotearoa, take a systems approach to analysing and addressing these barriers. This includes ensuring Māori have a central role in shaping digital technologies going forward. For Toi Mai, this report is the beginning of a conversation on the diversity issues in the tech sector today and how government, industry and community might tackle these issues together. With that, it provides context to our upcoming research, policy advice and workforce development plans. It also provides key recommendations aimed at improving diversity outcomes at multiple levels.
CLICK HERE to access the report in PDF, Word, Braille, large print, audio, Easy Read, and an NZSL video translation.