Ahead of this week’s Federal Government Jobs and Skills Summit, there has been much discussion around tech jobs and the role of women in the sector.
Melbourne tech company Envato is looking to address both issues by doubling the size of its entry-level developer internship program for female engineers.
The program provides a full-time role for female engineers interested in entering the technology sector, with a mentorship role for up to 12 months before taking on a junior engineer role.
Envato expanded the program from two to four roles with two annual meals; A new second round in June and September.
Interns are embedded in delivery teams and involved in all areas of the business, building, deploying and supporting comprehensive software solutions for Envato. The program aims to provide unique and alternative ways for female engineers to start a career in the tech sector, regardless of their experience level.
In the year Since its launch in 2018, nine trainees have graduated from the program and six are still employed in various positions within the engineering team at Invato. The women involved have diverse backgrounds as winemakers and editors before moving into engineering.
Junior engineer Faith Silvia is one of them, who sings the praises of the program, describing it as “the holy grail of developer startups.”
“I was fully supported in the very important transition from boot camp to junior developer and took the time to really learn the basics,” she said.
“This internship allowed me to lay a solid foundation in the fundamentals of day-to-day software engineering. But most importantly, I learned how to solve problems and think through my work. One of the program’s key takeaways — if not the main takeaway — is to develop your communication skills and learn how to work effectively as a team to solve problems.
Envato Chief Technology Officer Anthony Bergon said the time was right to expand the already popular program.
“Demand is always more than we can support, and that has only increased in the last 12 months,” he said.
“We’re always looking to expand to provide more opportunities for women looking to start a career in tech, and we’re excited to now be able to do more to help.”
