The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) is championing gender diversity in technology through its ‘CloudUp for Her’ program, a collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS). This innovative initiative aims to provide women with foundational cloud skills and certifications, with a particular focus on AWS technology. The success of this program is highlighted by the overwhelming response from women, with over 1200 registrations, making it a remarkable achievement within the Asia-Pacific region.
The seven-week course is tailored for individuals who may have little to no prior experience with public cloud technology. It equips participants with essential skills and capabilities in public cloud with a specific Amazon Web Services angle. Moreover, the program acts as a stepping stone for women, encouraging them to explore more advanced public cloud courses, thereby boosting their confidence in cloud-related roles.
Empowering Women in Cloud Technology
One of the notable features of this course is its flexibility. Women can choose between in-person or remote sessions, accommodating various learning preferences. Upon completion, the industry-wide certification can be applied not only within CBA but also beyond, opening up new career prospects for women venturing into technology-related fields.
Victoria Ledda, CBA’s executive general manager for institutional banking and markets technology, expressed her excitement about this program, highlighting the diverse range of participants. It’s not limited to those already working in technology; there has been significant interest from various departments within CBA, including finance, risk, operations, and business. This underscores the growing importance of cloud technology, which is becoming increasingly critical across all sectors.
Cloud technology is a key component of CBA’s technology strategy, and AWS is a pivotal partner in this endeavor. The program is the result of a co-investment between CBA and AWS, and its success will be assessed to determine future offerings. The ultimate goal is to run these courses regularly and introduce more advanced cloud-related training to continue upskilling and empowering women.
Means of bridging the gender gap in technology
Victoria Ledda, who herself embarked on a similar cloud technology course a few years ago, emphasizes the potential for personal and professional growth through this program. She underscores the pivotal role of public cloud technology in her current role and its transformative impact on her career. Ledda sees this initiative as a means of bridging the gender gap in technology and nurturing a robust community of women with technology skills at CBA.
As CBA strives to reach its gender diversity target of 40 percent female representation by 2025, the ‘CloudUp for Her’ program represents a crucial step in inspiring more women to pursue technology roles and careers. The program is a testament to the bank’s commitment to supporting gender diversity in technology and empowering women for the future.
