The Australian tech industry’s most influential leaders, pioneers and innovators have gathered for a ministerial roundtable to discuss the future of skills in the digital landscape.

Co-convened by Microsoft and the Tech Council of Australia, the roundtable brought together current and prospective signatories of the 20 % Alternative Pathways Pledge.

An initiative of the NSW Digital Skills and Workforce Compact, the pledge is a commitment that 20 per cent of all digital entry-level hires will come from alternative pathways by 2030.

Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education, Steve Whan, chatted with the industry players about ‘stretching the net’ to capture more diverse talent and meet the expected 85,000 digital worker shortfall.

“By getting outside the traditional recruitment areas, we are creating more entry points and opportunities for people, especially those from underrepresented groups, to enter an industry facing a serious skills shortage,” Minister Whan said.

Under the pledge, alternative pathways are non-university routes that include vocational education and training (VET) courses, traineeships, micro-credentials, earn-while-you-learn models, bootcamps, and vendor certifications. 

Microsoft Managing Director, Steve Worrall, said solidarity within the tech industry would generate growth in the sector and community.

“The demand for digital skills continues to grow and meeting it requires bold, collective action,” Mr Worrall said.

“By uniting around the strongest ideas and most inclusive approaches, we can accelerate the impact of the pledge: opening doors to new talent and building a more diverse, future-ready workforce.”

Modelling indicates that by increasing alternative pathways to a fifth of entry-level hires could unlock an additional 31,000 workers from diverse backgrounds by 2030, generating among new tech workers a:

• 7 per cent increase of women

• 4 per cent increase of people living with disability

• Double the share of First Nations Australians

Accenture’s Australian and New Zealand Talent Strategy lead, Amanda Ewing shared how her organisation had embedded inclusion into both hiring and retention practices to attract and develop people with a variety of different backgrounds, perspectives and experiences.  

“We’re expanding the sourcing channels we are using to bring in talent from new pathways, and we’ve developed programs to help our new hires maintain strong cohort connections even after the initial months of joining,” Ms Ewing said.

“We’re also investing in our team structures through initiatives like job shadowing and coaching, helping individuals build skills and gain a clearer understanding of their career pathways.”

Future Skills Organisation CEO, Patrick Kidd, said alternative pathways could help the dynamic industry stay up to speed with itself.

“The world we live in is highly fragmented and in the fast-changing environment of tech, we’re finding that traditional approaches to education and training are slow to respond to the skills needed,” Mr Kidd said.

“One of the great benefits of the Digital Compact is that it brings together industry, training providers, and government organisations to clearly identify what is needed and determine the best ways to respond."

The next public signing of the pledge by Digital Compact Partners will be held on Thursday, 31 July 2025. Learn more about how your organisation can be part of a landmark commitment from the digital sector by visiting 20% Alternative Pathways Pledge.