The digital transition is transforming every industry, including travel and tourism. Yet access to digital careers remains uneven, particularly for women and people facing social, economic or employment barriers. Through Tech4Equality, HBX Group is helping bridge that gap by connecting industry professionals with individuals preparing to enter the digital workforce.

HBX Group Tech4equality:

Empowering inclusive digital careers trough mentorship

Launched as part of Make the Difference, HBX Group’s volunteering programme, Tech4Equality is a fully remote initiative developed in collaboration with Factoría F5, a non-profit organisation specialised in digital training and employability for vulnerable groups. The programme provides mentoring, guidance and practical career support to participants seeking opportunities in technology-related professions.

What makes the initiative particularly powerful is its simplicity: professionals share their experience, participants gain confidence and industry insights, and meaningful connections are created that can help unlock new career paths.

 Over a period of two to three months, HBX Group volunteers provide mentoring sessions focused on employability, professional development, interview preparation, communication skills and life in digital workplaces. The programme is conducted in English, helping participants strengthen both technical and professional capabilities.   The initiative brings together people from different backgrounds and functions across HBX Group, demonstrating how expertise from across the business can be leveraged to create social impact beyond day-to-day operations.

The first edition of Tech4Equality brought together 19 HBX Group volunteers, nearly double the initial target, with women representing 68.2% of participants. The programme also supported 19 learners seeking to strengthen their employability and access opportunities in the digital economy.

As of October 2026, 42.1% of participants had already achieved a positive employability outcome. Specifically, 26.3% secured employment or internships in the technology sector, while 15.8% progressed to specialised training programmes to further strengthen their skills and career prospects.   At the time of reporting, 57.9% of participants remained actively seeking employment, although several were still completing their training.   HBX Group is also exploring additional ways to support participants beyond the mentoring programme by increasing their visibility within recruitment processes and future talent pipelines.

Participant feedback was highly positive, with learners rating both their overall mentoring experience and the usefulness of the sessions 4.8 out of 5 on average. In addition, 83% awarded the highest possible satisfaction score, while 92% considered the mentoring sessions highly useful.   The programme also delivered positive outcomes for employee volunteers. Mentors rated their overall experience 4.5 out of 5 on average, and 100% agreed that participating in Tech4Equality contributed positively to their personal and professional development. Additionally, 100% reported strengthening active listening skills, while 89% highlighted improvements in coaching, mentoring and empathy.

The experience of Tech4Equality highlights several practical lessons for organisations looking to expand their social impact while developing employee engagement:

• Leverage existing talent: Employees already possess valuable expertise that can help improve employability and career readiness for people facing barriers to employment.

• Focus on skills as well as opportunities: Confidence, communication skills, networking and interview preparation are often as important as technical knowledge when accessing employment.

• Create meaningful employee volunteering experiences: Mentoring programmes can simultaneously support communities and strengthen capabilities such as coaching, empathy, active listening and leadership among employees.

• Build partnerships with specialist organisations: Collaborating with organisations that understand the needs of vulnerable groups helps ensure programmes are relevant, inclusive and effective.

• Think beyond volunteering: Connecting participants to recruitment processes, internships and professional networks can help transform mentoring into tangible employability outcomes.