Almost half of respondents to the latest Alternative Pathways Pledge Survey have achieved their target for recruiting entry-level digital workers through alternative education and training pathways.

The 20% Alternative Pathways Pledge is the flagship initiative of the NSW Digital Skills and Workforce Compact, a partnership working to strengthen digital skills and create more inclusive pathways into the digital workforce across NSW.

The Pledge encourages participating organisations to allocate 20% of their entry-level roles to candidates who have followed alternative education and training pathways.

It currently has 59 signatories drawn from a diverse range of organisations and sectors, demonstrating the broad application of alternative pathways across the digital workforce.

Executive Director, Skills & Workforce Programs, Suzie Matthews said the latest annual survey showed encouraging progress among respondents.

“Forty-two per cent of respondents have achieved the Pledge target, showing that alternative pathways can form a meaningful part of entry-level digital recruitment,” she said.

“The diversity of participating organisations also demonstrates that this approach can work across different sectors and workplaces.”

The survey found 43 per cent of respondents had maintained stable entry-level recruitment numbers despite the workforce uncertainty often experienced across the digital sector.

Importantly, 36 per cent reported that signing the Pledge had prompted changes to their recruitment and onboarding practices to better include candidates from alternative pathways.

“This is the kind of organisational change needed to broaden access to digital careers and support lasting workforce transformation,” Ms Matthews said.

Since the Compact was established in 2023, its focus has evolved from determining whether a collaborative approach could address digital workforce challenges to exploring how its reach and impact can be expanded.

The Compact is a partnership between the NSW Government, digital industry, and education and training sectors. It uses a collective-impact approach to help address projected digital workforce shortages across NSW.

Learn more and find out how to get involved: NSW Digital Skills and Workforce Compact.