Reskilling initiative helps survivors gain tech jobs & independence

Humans of Purpose has released a blueprint proposing the reskilling of domestic violence survivors to address Australia's tech sector skills shortage.

The social enterprise's initiative centres on providing digital skills training, career mentoring, and personal development for women who have experienced domestic and family violence, aiming to both alleviate tech talent gaps and increase financial independence among survivors.

Sarah, a mother of three from western Sydney and currently expecting her fourth child, shared her experience of how retraining in digital tech transformed her prospects after fleeing an abusive marriage. She said, "having fled a previous marriage due to domestic violence I never thought I'd be able to find a job that not only gave me financial independence, but a highly paid career."

The founder of Humans of Purpose, Melanie Greblo, drew on her own experiences to develop the initiative. Greblo explained that her personal challenges with domestic violence and balancing employment during court proceedings inspired the programme's design.

According to the organisation, the Humans of Purpose Academy has so far trained over 250 survivors, who typically see a 30 percent increase in earnings—amounting to more than AUD $600 per fortnight—after six months of training and a paid work placement.

The blueprint comes at a time of changes to the Family Law Act, which introduces financial consequences for perpetrators of family violence, spotlighting the importance of economic autonomy for survivors.

A recent report by RMIT and Deloitte highlighted the scale of potential economic benefit, showing that if 137,300 women were reskilled into technology roles, collective wage gains for women could reach AUD $4.3 billion, with AUD $6.5 billion in additional annual benefits for businesses. The report estimates that 661,300 women could shift into technology roles with appropriate training.

Greblo stated, "We believe the reskilling of women into the high-demand technology sector could be one of the greatest economic opportunities of our generation - particularly including those who have survived domestic and family violence."

She emphasised the attraction of the tech industry for survivors, citing its flexibility and remote work options, which can be crucial for women managing complex challenges after leaving abusive relationships. She noted, "One of the benefits of the tech industry is the ability to have flexibility and remote work options which can be a life saver for women who have fled an abusive partner and often face multiple and complex challenges to attending a physical workplace."

The Academy operates through a virtual hub and offers a combination of digital skills training and wrap-around support for women referred from crisis and housing services. Within the past year, 58 percent of participants reported an improvement in their digital skills, 75 percent reported improved job readiness, and 64 percent reported improved overall wellbeing. Additionally, the programme claims that each woman employed through their model reduces annual welfare dependence by AUD $6,136. Participants also reported a 122 percent increase in their sense of belonging and a 105 percent boost in feelings of safety.

Greblo described the scope and ambition of the programme, stating, "It's an aspirational model but it's working for us. We want these women to have highly skilled and highly paid careers. It's about lifting our gaze and looking beyond what can help them day to day. This is about creating careers they thrive in and long term financial independence."

She added, "We believe this could be a model for other businesses to help break down the barriers to employment that these women are currently facing."

Recent figures show that one in four Australian women have experienced physical or sexual violence from a current or former partner. Financial dependence and lack of employment opportunities are among the main factors hindering survivors' ability to leave abusive situations.

Greblo commented on the broader applicability of digital skills, saying, "There is huge potential for upskilling and training particularly around digital skills and platforms that they might not have previously used. AI is poised to significantly transform the global labour market over the next decade and by equipping women with these skills we can accelerate them towards well paid careers." She added, "What we also see as a part of this retraining is a huge uplift in their self esteem and self-confidence as well."

Looking ahead, Humans of Purpose aims to support 10,000 survivors to return to work and seeks to increase its network of employer partners offering survivor-friendly workplace environments. Greblo said, "Our goal is to eventually have supported 10,000 survivors in returning to work and expand our network of employer partners to provide survivor-friendly workplaces."

To fund these ambitions, the organisation is launching a capital raise targeting AUD $2 million from philanthropists and impact investors in order to expand its programmes and reach more women.