Industry association CompTIA has launched the Dream IT program in Australia to increase women and girls' participation in the IT industry.

"The IT industry offers endless opportunities for women but it has been a challenge for our industry to get that message across to young people. Dream IT aims to address that challenge and introduce young women to the range of opportunities offered by technology careers," CompTIA ANZ executive council member and The Missing Link general manager Karen Drewitt said.

The Dream IT program is a global intiative of CompTIA's Advancing Women in IT Community and was launched in the USA in 2014 and in the UK in 2015. The community consists of both women and men working in IT.

"The local community has shown real dedication in preparing for the launch of the initiative. Involving women in IT is an important issue and I urge everyone to get involved in the cause and spread the message," said Drewitt.

The Advancing Women in IT Community aims to empower women and girls with the know-how and skills they need to launch and grow their own IT careers, according to CompTIA.

“A greater number of women in IT will bring a balance of leadership styles and interpersonal skills to the IT workplace, and help alleviate the growing IT skills gap in Australia and New Zealand," said Drewitt.

CompTIA now has a dedicated Australian Dream IT page with presentation resources available to anyone interested in spreading the message. There is also a career resource centre where girls and women interested can find information on IT career options, tips and testimonial from women currently in the industry.

Former CompTIA ANZ vice chair and Tableau Software commercial sales manager Kellie Hackney said: "Young women are often unaware of the opportunities, earning power, and satisfaction they can gain from a career in IT. We are excited for the Dream IT program to inspire women and girls to explore the diverse variety of opportunities available to them in our industry.”

This article was originally sourced from CRN and written by Samira Sarraf.