Hopeful techies and people looking for a career change will be able to get a head start working in the industry with tech company Code Like a Girl’s new internship program.

The internship will partner successful applicants with prominent tech organisations, and assign them mentors to work for one day a month.

Code Like a Girl (CLG) Co-Founder Vanessa Doake said although the internship isn’t exclusively for women, it does serve as another pathway for women to enter the industry.

“This is another way in which people can – without too much risk – easily get experience. They’ll still get paid, be able to learn, get access to industry connections and networks, and all going well they may end up taking on a permanent role within one of these organisations.

“The experience is what we’re wanting to open up,” she said.

Doake said the aim of the internship to provide a cost-effective and straightforward way to gain industry experience, especially for people who are interested in tech from a career change point of view but cannot go back to university or complete immersive programs due to cost or time restrictions.

The internship allows applicants to work for three, six or 12-months on a part or full-time basis with their partnered organisation, choosing from a variety of roles.

Doake said what sets this internship apart from other coding internships is its nationwide scale, the flexibility it offers to interns, remuneration, the variety of roles offered, and the fact it allows applicants from any stage in their career – whether they are tech-focused or not.

The CLC internship is currently offered by five partnering tech companies: accounting software giant Xero, software companies EstimateOne and Cogent, and digital agencies August and Deepend.

Applications will initially be assessed by CLG based on their existing skills and areas of interest, before being assessed by their chosen participating company.

With women accounting for less than a fifth of the IT workforce in Australia and the sector requiring approximately 722,000 workers by 2022, this internship serves as a much-needed boost for the industry. Doake echoed this sentiment, saying tech is a new frontier in wealth and job creation.

“At the moment we risk leaving a lot of people behind, particularly women, who currently aren’t involved in the creation of technology,” she said.

“I hope the internship provides opportunity for everyone to participate, regardless of their background.”

The first lot of interns will be launched in January 2018 in Melbourne; however, interns may choose to begin at any time next year.

This is the first internship program and national initiative offered by CLG, which continues to run education and coding-based events in Sydney and Melbourne. The organisation is known for encouraging more females to code, as well as creating a large community of women with industry-level skills.

Those interested in an internship can apply here. Organisations interested in partnering with CLC can apply here.