The Dream Collective and AWS launch “SheDares” in New Zealand to help address IT skills shortage and encourage women to
consider a career in tech
New free online learning program aims to help New Zealand women leverage transferable skills and overcome barriers to
career transitions
Auckland, New Zealand, 11 August 2021: The Dream Collective, a global diversity, equity, and inclusion consultancy, in collaboration with Amazon Web Services
(AWS), has today launched SheDares in New Zealand. SheDares is a free, online, interactive learning program, which aims to inspire professional women to
consider pursuing a career in the technology industry, and show them the pathways to entry.
The Dream Collective conducted focus groups in New Zealand to understand barriers to women considering a role in the
technology industry. The research showed these include the perception of a steep learning curve, not knowing where to
start in terms of exploring tech career pathways, and a lack of visible female role models. Many women believe a role in
tech requires deep technical knowledge and skills, that tech is not synonymous with human interaction, and that the
industry’s rapid speed of change makes it an uncertain career choice.
The SheDares curriculum was designed to help women overcome these barriers. The free program features four online
45-minute self-paced modules focused on expanding perspectives, understanding transferable skills, and equipping
participants with pathways to build skills and find job opportunities. Modules include practical advice for breaking
into the technology industry, worksheets to apply new learnings, a career skills quiz, and fireside chats with women
sharing advice about how they successfully transitioned into tech.
Sarah Liu, Founder and Managing Director of The Dream Collective, said, “According to the Harvard Business Review, women
place higher barriers on themselves during the job application process. SheDares was created to equip women, especially
those from a non-tech background who wouldn’t ordinarily consider a role in tech, to pivot into this high-growth sector.
If you love working with people, if you are creative, and if you want to help solve the world’s biggest problems, then
the tech industry is an ideal environment for you, and I encourage you to consider the opportunities the sector
presents. As the fight for top talent grows, companies right now are investing heavily in talent and culture. There has
never been a better time to consider a pivot into tech.”
Maliha Gangat, a Business Analyst at the University of Canterbury, recently completed the SheDares program. She says “I
appreciate this growing community of supportive women from different age groups and professional backgrounds coming
together to uplift each other. The program gave me the confidence to meet and reach out to different women in tech,
learn from their experiences, and share my stories and experiences. The quizzes helped me confirm that I can be a good
communicator and leader, and I should take up more challenges that require those skills – pushing myself out of my
comfort zone.”
Findings from a new research report, titled Digital Skills Aotearoa: Digital Skills for our Digital Future, commissioned by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) with NZTech, show that New Zealand requires
4,000-5,000 new digital technology professionals each year. Only 27% of the IT workforce in New Zealand are women. The
research reveals more needs to be done to address the low levels of diversity in the digital skills pipeline in order to
grow and diversify the local talent pool.
Haren Samarasekera, head of small and medium business for Amazon Web Services in New Zealand, said, “There is a major
tech skills shortage in New Zealand at the moment, and AWS is helping to address this by providing a range of training
programs that feed talent into the local workforce. Through SheDares, we hope to foster a more diverse, inclusive,
accessible, and equitable industry. We believe diversity is a critical driver of innovation, customer service,
creativity, and business growth. By encouraging women to consider a career in tech through the SheDares program, we aim
to help increase diversity in New Zealand’s digital workforces, address the digital skills gap, and build resilience in
our economies.”
After completing the modules, participants can access three practical pathways, designed by AWS, to help them prepare
for a new career in tech.
The Build Skills pathway – for women who are interested in a career in the tech industry, and want to get started by building knowledge to help
enter the industry. The pathway provides practical recommendations for deeper learning. This includes cloud training
courses designed by AWS experts to build cloud skills and help prepare for AWS Certification exams, which demonstrate
cloud expertise to colleagues and potential employers.
The Ready to Pivot pathway – designed for women who are excited by the tech industry and looking for the right opportunity. This pathway provides
information and links to job opportunities at Amazon and with our customers and partners. The path also includes
information about targeted job placement programs, including AWS re/Start for unemployed or underemployed individuals, and AWS Tech U, an accelerated workforce development program.
The Explore a Little More pathway – directs participants to upcoming events that may interest them, such as an AWS workshop on innovation, hiring
webinars with tips and tricks on how to interview for a role in the tech industry, and an AWS Cloud Essentials webinar
to learn fundamental concepts of cloud computing and how it helps unlock business value. The Dream Collective and AWS
will supplement the self-paced training with live panel events held throughout the year. These panels give women the
opportunity to engage in live conversations with senior technology leaders who have pivoted their careers, including
speakers from both AWS and industry partners.
SheDares is now available online. For more information and to get started, visit https://www.thedreamcollective.com.au/programs/she-dares/.
ABOUT THE DREAM COLLECTIVE:
The drive behind everything we do is to see more women in leadership. The Dream Collective is a global diversity, equity
and inclusion consultancy that works with organisations to help attract, retain and advance female talent through
leading diversity, equity and inclusion practices. Founded by serial entrepreneur Sarah Liu, thousands of emerging
leaders and female talent have progressed through The Dream Collective’s programs and events since its inception in
2012. The company has a strong client portfolio, and boasts a global presence, exporting its diversity and inclusion
products to a number of international markets, including Australia, Japan, China, Singapore, Pakistan, New Zealand,
Taiwan, Malaysia, and the United States.
--CASE STUDY:Maliha Gangat
Christchurch
Business Analyst, University of Canterbury
What about the tech industry most appeals to you now you've completed the SheDares program?
Personally, I know that there are a lot of women in the tech industry, but they are not getting the right exposure or
mentorship from their leaders. The SheDares program gives a platform for women from different walks of life to come
together, network, build skills and support each other in achieving their goals.Any apprehension around making a move into tech in the future?
I am already in the tech industry, however I would like to create an impact on young girls to learn skills and work in
the tech industry. As of today every organisation is a tech company first.Why do you think it's important we see more women in the tech industry?
The term feminist is often misinterpreted as thinking only about females. A true feminist is someone who uplifts and
makes sure that anyone from any gender, culture etc., is given the same equal opportunities. Having more women in this
industry will bring balance and give a new perspective to people, that it is your skills which divide you, not your
gender.When you hear the words 'tech industry' what images does that conjure up for you?
If you asked me this question a few years ago – my answer would have been that it is a male dominated industry. But now
my answer would be that yes, it is a male dominated industry however, there is slowly a rise in women who are working in
the tech industry. There is a long way to go, but the movement has started.What about SheDares most appealed to you, what have you taken away from the program?
The fact that there is a platform for women from different backgrounds to come together and support each other like a
community is something that has appealed to me.What skill did you learn during SheDares that you didn’t have before?
After taking the quiz in each of the modules, it helped me confirm that I can be a good communicator and leader, and I
should take up more challenges that require those skills – pushing myself out of my comfort zone.What did you enjoy most about the SheDares course?
The design of the whole course, it was a very unified learning experience which gave me the confidence to meet and reach
out to different women in tech, learn from their experiences and share my stories and experiences.What about the SheDares course did you find surprising?
That it is like a growing community of supportive women from all different age groups, different professional
backgrounds, coming together and uplifting each other.Can you provide a little more information on what your current role in tech involves?
My current role requires me to help the organisation improve their processes for internal as well as external
stakeholders. This requires me to be technically sound as well as have a business acumen, since I have to explain the
technical processes to a non-technical person and align the business requirements with the technical requirements. This
gives me the opportunity to engage with different stakeholders, who are far more experienced than me in their area of
expertise and learn from their experiences. I have to ensure that all the requirements whether they are technical or
non-technical, are captured effectively and keep adhering to the cybersecurity policies to safeguard the business,
stakeholder’s privacy, and information. My career objective is to help businesses gather meaningful insights from the
data to improve their business processes and day to day activities.
What do you plan to do with the information gained from SheDares?
I understand that there are a lot of women out there who are confused that being in tech means that one must be a
developer, engineer, or an analytical person. However, the opportunities and scope of work are very widespread and there
are a wide variety of roles for people from diverse backgrounds and skill sets. I would like to use the platform of
SheDares to raise awareness among young women professionals and encourage them to join the technology sector to lead the
sector ahead.
What plans do you have to champion more women into a career in tech?
I have seen many women doing a particular thing in their job, but their job title is the complete opposite. For example,
someone gathering insights from the day-to-day data has a job title of admin, and when they want to switch, they will
only look for jobs in the admin area, whereas that person should be looking for jobs which match their skills, not their
job titles. Anyone can have any title, but it is the skills which makes one capable of doing the job. I would want to
make them aware, if you know something that does not match with your job title, this does not mean you cannot do it, let
your skills speak for themselves. Moreover, there is a lot of stigma attached to women working in the tech sector. I
would like to create an example for young women to overcome these obstacles and be courageous to show the world that it
is very possible to be successful in tech being a woman.