Tech is a vital sector of New Zealand’s economy, increasingly recognised for its role in driving both job growth and offshore investment. With its fast-growing export potential, the sustainability of our country’s economic future is intrinsically linked to the health of our tech industry.
The question for business leaders then is how do we ensure this growth is not only sustained but also amplified? As we look to the future, it’s clear that growing our skilled domestic workforce is paramount. The challenge lies in fostering our future talent, addressing the diversity gap, and providing the right career opportunities for our next generation of tech professionals.
“We need the curiosity, energy and smarts of the next generation of IT professionals to keep our New Zealand tech sector competitive, sustainable and grow into the massive economic engine I believe it can be, and we need to invest in our next generation to keep them here, or risk losing our excellent homegrown talent to offshore opportunities,” says Richard Vaughan, Managing Director Younity.
In this article we examine the landscape of tech talent in New Zealand, explore the strategic imperative of diversity, and outline tangible actions organisations can take to bridge the one-to-two-year experience gap for emerging talent.
The Current Landscape: Digital Skills in Our Youth
The future of New Zealand’s workforce will be shaped by digital fluency, with the education system playing a crucial role in preparing the next generation of students with digital technology skills. Recognising this need, the Ministry of Education formally integrated Digital Technologies into the national curriculum in 2018, building on its original introduction in 2007. The subject is offered through NCEA, New Zealand’s main secondary school qualification, and covers a broad range of areas including computer science, electronics, IT systems, programming, digital design and graphics.
Based on figures released by the Ministry of Education Year 13 enrolments in NCEA digital technology fell steadily between 2020 and 2023, dropping from 13,403 to 12,002. However, in 2024 enrolments rebounded strongly, climbing to 13,240 and returning close to pre-2020 levels.
While some students remain uncertain about future career prospects in technology, particularly with the rapid advancement of AI, there continues to be strong pathways and opportunities continue to be available to those entering the sector. Domestic enrolments in tertiary-level IT qualifications grew by 8.6% between 2023 and 2024, confirming that a career in tech is a top consideration for students.
Furthermore, internship and graduate programmes continue to grow in demand across the country, providing mutually beneficial outcomes for both students and employers.
For students these programs offer practical work experience and mentorship, helping bridge the gap between revised theory and industry practice. For employers they are a smart tool for talent acquisition, providing access to new ideas and a chance to mentor and recruit the next generation of professionals.
The Diversity Gap: A Strategic Imperative for New Zealand Tech
While the data shows promising growth in student interest and career pathways, the future of digital technologies in New Zealand depends on more than just a skilled talent pipeline. Growing the tech industry should not solely concentrate on advancements within the field, but on building a more diverse and representative sector of our economy.
The current landscape, while improving, still presents significant barriers to equitable participation. The gender gap is a key issue, with women representing just 29% of New Zealand’s IT workforce.
This disparity starts early, with women making up only 40% of NCEA technology students and a mere 24% of IT graduates. The decline in participation is a key point highlighted in the NZTech Digital Skills Aotearoa report (2023), which notes that systemic issues like unconscious bias and streaming also worsen education outcomes for Māori, Pacific peoples, and whaikaha (people with disabilities).
To address these challenges and ensure a more inclusive and innovative tech sector, a collaborative, industry-wide effort is essential. The Ministry of Education is committed to researching the reasons for underrepresentation, and the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) is actively publishing data on equity in STEM pathways.
Additionally, initiatives are underway to empower educators and career advisors, helping them guide students toward the vast range of tech careers available and highlight the value of their transferable skills.
Looking Ahead: Growing Our Next Generation of Tech Professionals
Beyond these systemic efforts, a proactive investment from the public and private sector in emerging talent is key to building a stronger, more diverse tech sector.
Organisations have several effective ways to engage with and nurture emerging talent. These can include structured graduate programmes that provide clear pathways to full-time roles, or more flexible internships, whether paid or unpaid, that can be aligned with a student’s university programme or offered as intensive summer placements.
When we think of mentorship, senior leader positions often come to mind, where in some cases they mentor larger groups at a time. While their guidance is invaluable for providing high-level, strategic insight and career perspective, the most effective mentorship models often leverage talent at every level.
This includes senior team leaders as well as intermediate-level professionals. The latter are often just a few years ahead of an intern, making them uniquely positioned to provide relatable guidance and actionable advice on skills and professional habits that are immediately relevant to a junior role.
This approach offers immense benefits for both the emerging talent and the mentor themselves.
For the intern, a mid-level mentor provides a clear and relatable view of a career path. For the mentor, taking on this role is a powerful step in their own career development. It allows them to cultivate leadership, communication, and management skills in a practical environment. Mentoring reinforces their own expertise, boosts job satisfaction, and is an excellent way to demonstrate readiness for a people-management position.
The One-To-Two-Year Experience Gap
The one-to-two-year experience gap is a common challenge faced by new graduates ready to start their careers in tech. It’s a challenging period where graduates struggle to land their first full-time role because many “entry-level” positions require one-to-two years of prior work experience.
By engaging with graduates early, companies secure a direct line to emerging talent, allowing them to shape future professionals who are a perfect fit for the organisation’s culture and needs. This approach not only strengthens a company’s talent pipeline but also builds a more diverse and innovative workforce.
“The simplest fix for the 1-2 year gap is early, structured experience – internships, projects, and mentorship that let students apply their skills with real teams and timelines. Employers get fresh thinking and energy; students get the confidence and track record that unlock that first permanent role. It’s a small investment that compounds into loyal, job-ready talent,” says Ruth McDavitt, CEO Summer of Tech.
Helping to bridge this gap is simpler than it may seem. By offering structured internships, work placements, or even volunteer opportunities, employers can provide students with the real-world experience they need.
“For me, as a new IT grad the Summer of Tech internship was incredibly valuable. I got to put what I’d learned into practice, work with different teams across the business, and by the end, I was offered a permanent role. It gave me a solid start to my career in tech,” says Lauren Halka, former Summer of Tech intern.
In return, organisations benefit from fresh perspectives, enthusiasm, and up-to-date knowledge. It is a mutually beneficial relationship that turns a challenging period for graduates into a powerful recruiting opportunity for employers.
Key Pathways for Organisations
Investing in the next generation’s talent pipeline can be done through a number of key pathways:
Graduate Programmes
These provide a structured pathway for new graduates to transition into full-time roles, often including rotations through different teams to provide a broad understanding of the business.
Internships
Whether paid or unpaid, internships are a flexible way to bring students into your business. You can align these opportunities with a student’s university programme or offer them as intensive summer placements, creating a talent pipeline at an early stage.
Mentorships
Mentoring doesn’t always need to be a formal programme. Industry professionals can connect with students through networking events, career guidance sessions, or student-led events at tertiary and polytech institutions. Providing this kind of informal guidance is a powerful way to shape a student’s career path.
Opportunities to Mentor and Connect
Organisations and individuals can tap into existing initiatives to partner with and source tech graduates. These include:
Summer of Tech
Summer of Tech (SoT) is one of New Zealand’s foremost connectors between tech students and entry level jobs in the tech sector. The programme helps students transition into a professional career while providing companies with tools and events to easily source incredible junior talent.
“Internships aren’t charity; they’re a hiring strategy. Typically, over 80% of Summer of Tech interns stay on with their employer after summer, giving employers a pipeline of trained, culture-fit talent that add value to their business,” says Ruth.
TupuToa
A partnership with TupuToa is a strategic way for your organisation to support a more diverse tech workforce and invest in the emerging talent of Māori and Pacific graduates. By joining their network, you not only strengthen your own workforce and cultural capability but also contribute directly to a positive social impact in our communities.
“Every internship opens a door. It shifts what our young Māori and Pacific people see as possible for themselves. When businesses back this kaupapa, they’re not just giving someone a chance – they’re helping break down barriers and grow the future leaders of Aotearoa. That’s impact that lasts,” says Aroha Armstrong, CE of TupuToa.
Tertiary/ polytech institutions
Connect directly with universities and polytechnics to offer students practical work placements. This is an effective way to provide students with valuable field experience that can often help them earn credits toward their degree.
Laying down a challenge
At Younity, we believe in investing in the next generation of talent. While we don’t have specific roles to onboard tech graduates, we are proud to be investing in young graduates and career professionals who are contributing significantly across our departments.
“We believe in building careers and investing in our people, and over the past two years have started adding students and grads to our workforce, it’s been a win-win situation for everyone involved. We get fresh ideas and new points of view, they get the opportunity to prove themselves and practical work experience,” says Richard.
He goes on to say that backing the next generation by making a tech career more accessible is the key to a thriving, world-class tech sector in New Zealand. “Internships, mentoring, and graduate programmes are proven ways to build that pipeline, it’s also how we pay it forward, and I personally think it’s the responsibility of all business leaders, in appropriate organisations, to invest our time and effort into helping our next generation to flourish.”