NAB pushes for more women in tech

Five hundred women across National Australia Bank have signed up to be certified in cloud technology under the organisation’s new in-house program. NAB says it is the first company in the world to adopt and run the globally recognised AWS She Builds CloudUp program internally, offering women the opportunity to gain the foundational cloud skills required for AWS certification.

AWS She Builds CloudUp is a flexible, eight-week, community-based learning program designed specifically for women seeking a career in tech or professionals looking to reskill or cross-skill. The program includes digital self-paced modules and weekly virtual Q&A sessions with AWS mentors, along with recorded sessions and shared resources.

Ana Cammaroto is NAB’s Chief Information Officer for Personal Banking & Digital and co-sponsor of the program alongside the organisation’s CTO, Steve Day. Cammaroto said women from all corners of NAB had come forward to take part in the training program.

“According to the Tech Council of Australia, we need one million people working in tech by 2025, and part of the way we can get there is by boosting gender diversity and getting more women working in a traditionally male-dominated industry,” she said.

“There is a common misconception that technical skills are difficult to obtain and even harder to master — which in turn often puts people off from even considering the industry.

“The reality is that many women are already equipped with these skills — they just need the right context and encouragement to transfer them.

“This program isn’t just appealing to those in tech, we’ve had women from all parts of the bank register to take part, ranging from bankers to finance experts through to technologists.”

Research from AlphaBeta commissioned by AWS found that while there is a gap between the share of female (67%) and male workers (74%) in Australia who have undergone digital skills training since the pandemic, female workers are more motivated. 55% of female workers that have not currently taken up training indicate that they want to do so within the next year, a figure that is 14% higher than the share of men looking to start.

“Heading into 2023, our focus will remain on increasing female participation in technology at every level and She Builds CloudUp is a great example of how we will do exactly that,” Cammaroto said.

AWS Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand Rianne Van Veldhuizen said the program was designed to create a supportive environment for women.

“By encouraging women to consider a career in tech or evolve their tech skills, we can help to increase diversity in Australia’s digital workforce,” Van Veldhuizen said.

“AWS She Builds CloudUp is uniquely designed to bring women together in a community-based, supportive environment, which may encourage women to commence, pivot or advance their tech career.”

Both tech and non-tech workers stand to benefit from digital skills training. The AlphaBeta research showed 88% of Australian workers surveyed in non-tech roles who have upgraded their digital skills are benefiting from greater efficiency, 60% reported increased promotion opportunities and 81% reported improved employability.

She Builds CloudUp is open to all NAB employees across the world and is backed by AWS. The program adds to NAB’s existing suite of technology and digital development programs including the NAB Cloud Guild, which has trained thousands of employees in cloud and resulted in more than 4500 industry-recognised certifications.

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