Women seeking a career change into the skills-short digital tech industry are about to get a much-needed boost. 

Launching today - on International Women's Day - is DevelopHer, a programme by leading business platform MYOB that aims to increase the number of women in technical roles. 

After five successful years in Australia, MYOB has introduced its highly sought-after DevelopHer programme for the first time in New Zealand. The programme's goal is to bridge the skills gap in the IT industry. 

DevelopHer provides successful candidates with a paid full-time internship focusing on technology development at MYOB, which was recently named #2 in GradNewZealand's list of the top 100 graduate employers. 

After completing the internship, candidates move into a developer role, followed by an offer of full-time employment with MYOB as an associate developer. 

Technology development skills are in high demand in New Zealand but diversity is a concern in the sector. Women account for just 27 per cent of those working in digital technology roles. 

MYOB Head of Employee Services Felicity Brown said MYOB are thrilled to be launching DevelopHer in New Zealand on International Women's Day, helping empower more local talent to pursue a successful career in the technology sector. 

"With the economic potential technology and SaaS (Software as a Service) growth holds for New Zealand, it's more important than ever that we look to bridge the skills gap by nurturing the talent we already have on our home soil," she said. 

"One opportunity to do this is by providing more platforms where women can start and develop a career in technology development." 

Brown said the DevelopHer programme aimed to "break the bias" when it comes to gender diversity in technology. 

It offered women with no technical experience an opportunity to start, upskill and progress a career in this fast-growing sector. 

"The paid programme provides candidates with supportive mentors and is designed to offer an optimal learning environment that will see them thrive," she said. 

"It's a great beginning to an exciting and boundless career." 

The DevelopHer Programme 

* Two candidates in New Zealand offered an online scholarship with MYOB tertiary partner, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), a paid salary while they learn, and exclusive tutorial and coaching sessions. 

* On completion, women receive either a Graduate Certificate of Application Development or credits toward a Computer Science Degree from RMIT – plus full-time employment at MYOB as a Protégé Developer in the MYOB graduate programme. 

* For more information, or to apply for one of the two places in the first-ever New Zealand DevelopHer intake, head to: MYOB