ACS Employment Survey: ICT Professionals working longer hours, while unemployment rate remains unchanged
ACS announces mentoring program to assist member career development
28 October 2011: The ACS (Australian Computer Society) today released the results of its 2011 Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Employment Survey. The report reveals unemployment rates have experienced minimal change since 2009, whilst the average workload is increasing.
ACS CEO Alan Patterson said, “The results indicate the ICT labour force is steady and the overall employment outlook is positive in the post the GFC period.”
The ACS members survey shows the number of ICT professionals working more than 40 hours a week has risen to 74.9 per cent, compared to 65 per cent in the last survey in 2009.
Mr Patterson said the increase in working hours, which are above the prescribed working week of 35 hours, could be partly attributed to people trying to ensure job security. Over a third (36.4%) of respondents claimed they had worked more than 45 hours per week and a further 21.3 per cent reported working 50 or more hours per week compared to just over 10 per cent in 2009.
In other findings, 24.2 per cent of respondents reported experiencing some form of unemployment in the past five years, which changed marginally from 24.7 per cent in 2009. Mr Patterson said, “Regardless of the varying economic conditions we’ve seen minimal change in unemployment rates. In spite of this, professionals are working longer hours indicating an increased demand for ICT skill sets.”
Meanwhile, the number of people working full time has risen to 82.9 per cent since 2009 (76.15%), spurring a decrease in part-time employment from 7.34 per cent in 2009 to 3.1 per cent in 2011. Mr Patterson said, “The findings suggest that full-time employment levels are strengthening as Australia moves to embrace an evolving digital economy.”
ICT professionals aged 35-44 reported the lowest incidence of unemployment in the preceding 12 months at 6.5 per cent. In contrast, survey respondents aged under 25 years had the highest number of unemployment in the previous 12 months.
ACS President Anthony Wong said, “The higher unemployment rates amongst people aged under 25 years is influenced by the number of people who have just completed their studies and only recently entered the job market. Given Australia’s current ICT skills shortage, it is important that graduates are given the opportunity to progress within the industry. High school and university students who are considering a career in ICT should also feel confident in the opportunities on offer. A vital part of addressing current skills shortages is to position the profession as a rewarding career path with many directions.”
The ACS has today announced its new Mentoring Program, an initiative designed to help professionals reach their ICT career goals.
Mr Patterson said, “This program, which will start in early 2012, will provide ICT professionals of all ages with the ability to learn from industry experts, building confidence and career prospects. We hope the program will provide professionals with a new sense of focus and direction as well as highlight the importance of professionalism in the industry.”
Other key findings in the ACS Employment Survey Report:
- Workers in South Australia saw the highest rate of unemployment (15.8%) at some time in the preceding 12 months. The ACT had the lowest rate (3.9%).
- Over 9 per cent of respondents reported having experienced unemployment at some time during the preceding 12 months. The average time spent unemployed amongst this group was 14.9 weeks.
- Older workers dominated Chief information Officer roles, reporting an average of 24.9 years of professional ICT experience. Web Developers were the least experienced possessing an average of 3.9 years of professional ICT experience.
- Over two thirds (67.6%) of the survey respondents in 2011 have worked more than ten years in the ICT industry in Australia, an increase from 57 per cent in 2009 and 62 per cent in 2007.
- Nearly three quarters (74.2%) of respondents judged further professional development to necessary every 1-2 years.
- Over three quarters (77.8%) of respondents say they have undertaken some form of training in the last year, a slight decrease from 80 per cent of respondents in 2009. However, in 2011 employees reported a heavy reliance on the individual indetermining training needs: 44 per cent saying they had the responsibility of doing so, compared to 38.92 per cent in 2009. Just under half (49.7%) of respondents in 2011 determined the need in conjunction with their employer compared to just under 60 per cent in 2009.
- The most significant impediment to undertaking further training and professional development was finding the available time to do so (44.7%), followed by the financial cost of courses (23.4%).
Mr Patterson said, “In more positive findings, we are seeing less age discrimination. When asked if respondents had experienced ageism when applying for ICT positions, 13.3 per cent of respondents said yes compared to 20 percent in 2009. There appears to be growing acknowledgement of the contribution of older, experienced ICT professionals. We hope that employers recognise that discrimination in the workplace has no place within the ICT industry.”
“The ACS strongly believes that professional development in the ICT workforce is key to maintaining career progression. This includes building on skills and continued education to uphold the standards of Australia’s ICT profession at a global level. It further highlights the value of development and training to the ICT sector when almost three quarters of professionals believe retraining is necessary every 1-2 years. The new ACS mentoring program to be launched in 2012 aims to enable ICT professionals to reach new levels of success,” said Mr Patterson.
Mr Wong said, “Employment stability within the ICT industry is important to support innovation for Australian business and productivity. Additional backing from the Australian Government and the private sector is needed to support ICT education and employment opportunities. The current challenge for Australia is to address the reality that ICT skills sets are going to increase in demand for the foreseeable future due to the growing digital economy.”
The 2011 ACS Survey Report is the seventh in the series providing detailed information on the employment conditions for ICT professionals in Australia. Its aim is to assist ICT professionals and those contemplating a career in the industry with a useful overview of employment conditions in the profession.
Media information:
Camille Alarcon
e: camille@launchgroup.com.au
p: 02 9492 1089 m: 0488 176 188
Clementine Stuart-Russell
e: clementine@launchgroup.com.au
p: 02 9492 1034 m: 0414 490 092
About the ACS:
The ACS (Australian Computer Society) is the recognised professional association for those working in Information and Communications Technology, seeking to raise the standing of ICT professionals and represent their views to government, industry and the community. A member of the Australian Council of Professions, the ACS is the guardian of professional ethics and standards in the ICT sector, committed to ensuring the beneficial use of ICT for all Australians. It provides both members and non-members with opportunities for professional education, networking and certification, as well as enabling them to contribute to the development of their profession. Visit www.acs.org.au for more information.
About ACS Employment Survey Report: The Australian Computer Society Employment Survey Report is the seventh in the series providing detailed information on the employment outlook for ICT professionals in Australia based upon survey responses. Its aim is to assist ICT professionals; those contemplating a career in the industry, and other industry stakeholders, with a useful overview of employment conditions and attitudes in the profession. This report was analysed and written by the Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists & Managers, Australia (APESMA) for the Australian Computer Society. The 2011 report provides a detailed analysis of the employment of nearly 1600 ICT professionals working in Australia.