November 2023 Update
2023, what a year.
Who would have thought 2023 would see a lower demand for interns than 2020? Turns out those macroeconomic forces are real, and it’s a really rough time to be searching for an entry-level job in digital/technology in Aotearoa.
We’ve had record candidate engagement this year, the highest number of people seeking internship and grad roles since our programme started 17 years ago. We have also seen very strategic hiring decisions made by employers, evidence of a strong desire to diversify the tech workforce in Aotearoa, with record numbers of underrepresented candidates represented in our “class of 2023” cohort.
Highlights
2023 Candidates
We have had the highest-ever number of live candidates on the Summer of Tech platform. Engagement with our events has also been high, and we have had the highest number of engaged volunteers helping our small team support candidates to prepare for recruitment and work.
Events
Summer of Tech’s most attended bootcamps this year were all online:
How Different Companies Interview (291 attendees)
Meet & Greet ProTips - Alumni Panel (276 attendees )
Getting Ready for Summer Recruitment Season (258 attendees)
Alongside our sponsors and industry volunteers, we have delivered 84 free student events, including:
32 Career workshops
17 Career Clinics
22 Technical workshops
2 Office Hours sessions
7 Recruitment Events
Twenty-one of our events were in-person this year, and 64 were delivered online.
Most of our online events were recorded, and there have been over 10,000 views this year. The most popular video was “How to create a good candidate profile”.
With the help of 87 passionate and supportive industry volunteers, we were able to provide 1:1 support:
6 CV review sessions, where we provided feedback to over 360 CVs, portfolios, cover letters and GitHub profiles
6 Mock Interview sessions, 329 students had the opportunity to practise their interview skills with industry volunteers
Lowlights
This year, we’ve seen very low and slow job listings, with employers telling us it’s a tough year and they’re being cautious about hiring newbies.
So far, 67 organisations have hired (40% fewer than last year), with the average number of hires per organisation down from 3.8 last year to 2.8 this year.
There are fewer educational pathways; we only have 21 institutions with successful placements through Summer of Tech, compared to 30 last year. Only 10% of successful candidates this year come from non-traditional institutions, and 90% have studied at traditional universities and polytechs (Te Pukenga).
1 1/2 months to go!
The good news is, if you’re still looking to hire Aotearoa’s top tech talent… WE CAN HELP! We have very capable candidates, who are keen and ready for their first tech job. Please join us to give them valuable work experience and offer space for our abundant tech talent pipeline to flourish and contribute to our tech industry.
Employers can register, list jobs and engage with candidates on our platform until 31 December 2023.
Contact us if you have questions about how to get started.
Insights from our first 100 placements
Despite an oversupply of candidates, wages have continued to increase slightly.
You might have heard about “underrepresented” people in tech. From the Digital Skills for Tomorrow, Today industry report in August this year:
Underrepresented in the digital technology workforce: 29% women, 4.8% Māori, 4.4% Pacific people
In 2023 we have seen a very deliberate effort by Summer of Tech employers to hire underrepresented candidates, with data from our first 100 placements including 52% women and 14% Māori & Pasifika.
We want to thank EVERYONE who participated in our programme this year, with a special shout out to our Super Mentor volunteers who have provided many hours of career coaching and encouragement to candidates struggling to find their first role in Aotearoa.
Remember, there’s still 1 1/2 months to go! We have outstanding candidates who are very motivated to take up opportunities.
If you have a project and someone keen to mentor a newbie, don't hesitate to contact us - we’d love to connect you to an intern or grad in 2023!