Efforts are underway to get more young women into tech sector jobs, beginning with young teenagers.ShadowTech26 takes place in nine locations over the next two weeks, with workshops and other events aimed at interesting more than 1500 teenagers in a tech-sector career."New Zealand needs more young women choosing pathways into technology," Tech Women executive director Yvonne Gill said.Events were designed to give girls in years 9-to-11 a first-hand look at the opportunities in the tech sector.They included workplace tours, hands-on tech activities, interactive workshops and authentic storytelling from people working in technology."Tech is one of our highest-paid and most in-demand industries, and a diverse workforce is essential if we want the sector to keep growing, innovating and solving the problems that matter," Gill said.She said diversity of voices and perspectives were increasingly important as AI increasingly automates many everyday workplace tasks.Students from 90 schools in Nelson, Dunedin, Timaru, Wellington, Christchurch, Palmerston North, Auckland, Waikato and Tauranga were taking part in the event, along with representatives from more than 60 organisations."ShadowTech gives girls the chance to see technology up close - not as an abstract subject, but as a real career pathway filled with creativity, problem-solving and opportunity," Gill said.Recent research indicates women were under-represented in the digital skills pipeline."New Zealand needs more young women choosing pathways into technology," Gill said.She said the soon-to-be-released Digital Skills Aotearoa 4th Edition shows women made up just 27 percent of IT degree-level enrolments in 2024.Women represented 31 percent of IT degree-level graduates, compared with 19 percent a decade ago."Early exposure matters," Gill said, but there was still long way to go to bring more women into the rapidly expanding tech sector."When girls can step into a workplace, meet role models and see the breadth of careers available, it helps shift what they believe is possible. We want every student to leave ShadowTech feeling informed, inspired and confident that a career in tech is absolutely for them."ShadowTech26 by the numbersMore than 1500 students taking partMore than 90 schools65 host organisationsNine locationsShadowTech26 scheduleTuesday 11 August - Nelson, Dunedin, TimaruWednesday 12 August - WellingtonThursday 13 August - ChristchurchFriday 14 August - Palmerston NorthTuesday 18 August - AucklandWednesday 19 August - WaikatoThursday 20 August - Tauranga