Diversity initiatives celebrated by digital tech industry

The second #TechDiversity Gala Dinner saw the Victorian digital technology industry come together to recognise those behind important diversity initiatives.

The #TechDiversity alliance partners with the Victorian government, as well as organisations and businesses, to help raise awareness of the importance of inclusion across the technology sector.

In addition to naming an overall #TechDiversity Champion, the evening at Melbourne Town Hall included keynote addresses from Phillip Dalidakis, Minister for Innovation, Small Business and Trade, Amanda Gome, business journalist, publisher and head of Notable Media, and Marisa Warren, Global Startup & Enterprise Advisor and founding director at ELEVACAO Foundation, who presented the #TechDiversity Champion Award.

Dalidakis said, “Victoria is already leading the country in innovation and this is how we are going to make the industry great, with true inclusiveness at the heart of it — that is what will differentiate us from the rest of the world.”

He also unveiled the inaugural ‘Victorian Innovation Minister’s Diversity Award’ directly sponsored by the government, with the award going to ‘Code Like a Girl’ for providing school-aged girls with the tools, knowledge and support to enter and flourish in the world of coding.

Avanade Australia Culture Team was named #TechDiversity Champion of 2016 for their two projects ‘Proudly supporting LGBTI at Avanade’ and ‘Realising results through diversity and inclusion initiatives’.

Avanade Australia has implemented a large number of diversity and inclusion initiatives across the company, spanning gender, flexibility and wellbeing, culture, corporate citizenship, outreach, male champion of change and LGBTI+. Initiatives include an annual dinner to address science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), diversity and business outcomes, a campaign for improvements to parental leave policy, including paid superannuation contributions and same level of leave regardless of gender, a nationwide campaign focused on LGBT+ awareness and a webinar encouraging women to pursue STEM careers. Based on national success, Avanade is emulating the diversity initiatives throughout the company globally.

The aim of the #TechDiversity Awards and recognition program is to showcase the successful initiatives being implemented, enabling other organisations to learn and emulate these successes. There were 12 groups who received #TechDiversity Leaders awards across the education, business, government and advertising categories.

Image credit: iStockphoto.com/Les Cunliffe