Baidam ties tech hiring to Deadly Coders training fund

Baidam has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Deadly Coders, an Indigenous-owned not-for-profit that supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students through STEM education and pathways into technology jobs.

The agreement links Baidam's recruitment activity to funded training placements at the Deadly Coders Academy, using a set ratio that ties recruitment outcomes to sponsored student places.

Under the arrangement, Baidam will fund one academy placement for every 10 job placements made by its recruitment team. Each placement is valued at $20,000.

Deadly Coders runs job-skilling bootcamps and workshops that combine technology learning with culturally appropriate delivery. In this partnership, the academy model includes eight weeks of training and a paid learning schedule.

Students will receive eight weeks of industry-relevant technology training through a four-days-per-week paid learning model, with optional internship opportunities.

Baidam described the agreement as a shared response to digital skills gaps and uneven access to technical careers, with a commercial mechanism to fund training places through recruitment outcomes.

Anita Sheridan-Roddick, Baidam's National Sales Director, said the MOU formalises an existing relationship between the organisations.

"The MOU with Deadly Coders formalises our strategic collaboration, which is focused on our shared ambition to create meaningful impact and help bridge the technical inequity gap. We believe it will create remarkable new career opportunities for First Nations students," Sheridan-Roddick said.

Alternative routes

The organisations position the program as one route into technology roles alongside university and other traditional training pathways. The collaboration emphasises recruitment and assessment approaches that recognise different educational experiences.

It highlights non-traditional routes into the sector, focusing on identifying talent through attitude and aptitude. The approach reflects a broader shift in parts of the tech labour market, where employers consider portfolio work, short courses, and bootcamp training alongside formal qualifications.

Beau Hodge, Baidam's Chief Operating Officer, said the link between recruitment activity and funded placements is central to the model.

"We know that traditional learning systems don't work for everyone. By linking our commercial recruitment success to the Deadly Coders Academy, we can ensure that when a customer chooses Baidam, they are directly funding a life-changing opportunity for a young Indigenous person," Hodge said.

Scaling delivery

Deadly Coders aims to deliver digital technologies education to every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student in Australia within the next decade. The MOU signals industry support for that goal and provides a defined funding pathway for a portion of academy places.

Andrew Brodie, Deadly Coders' Director and General Manager, said employers and government have raised concerns about a growing gap between university pathways and the changing skills needs of the technology sector.

"Industry and government are telling us there is a growing gap between traditional university pathways and the rapidly evolving needs of the Australian tech sector," Brodie said. "Universities are not keeping pace with industry requirements, which is why alternative, community-led pathways into tech careers are more important than ever. Our partnership with Baidam proves these models can deliver real employment outcomes."

The agreement centres on job-skilling bootcamps designed around workplace-relevant skills. The paid learning structure is positioned as a way to reduce barriers for participants who might otherwise need to prioritise income over training.

Baidam is an Indigenous information technology provider focused on security services. Founded in 2018, it has built a cybersecurity practice and launched what it describes as Australia's first Indigenous-operated Security Operations Centre.

Its clients include ASX 200 companies and government departments across local, state, and federal levels. Baidam is certified by Social Traders and is a member of Supply Nation.

Deadly Coders is an Indigenous-owned and managed not-for-profit organisation that runs workshops and bootcamps to build interest and skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

Both organisations said the MOU establishes a structure for continued collaboration. Under the funding mechanism, the number of sponsored academy placements will track Baidam's recruitment activity over time.