MEDIA RELEASE

Australian IT Profession Comes of Age

ACS Achieves World First with Acceptance into Australian Council of Professions - Provides Leadership to Asian Computer Societies

Wednesday 8 December 1999 -

ACP President, Dorothy Jewell, welcomed the ACS into full membership of the Council, effective from 1 January 2000, at a special ceremony in Sydney today.

The move follows years of work by the ACS to meet established standards for professional societies and, according to ACS President Prins Ralston, recognises the increasing importance of technology as a key industry requiring professionals with a high degree of expertise and defined standards of business ethics and conduct.

"As technology continues to permeate every aspect of our lives, there is a growing need for a more professional image across the industry to ensure a consistently high standard of product and service delivery," said Mr Ralston.

"This initiative has significant implications for people working within the IT profession - both for individuals wanting to be recognised for their expertise and experience, and for employers needing some objective assurance regarding the quality and qualifications of potential and existing employees.

"Most people wouldn't consider using someone who wasn't a Certified Practising Accountant to handle their finances or a doctor who wasn't a member of the Australian Medical Association. The ACS can now offer the same kind of professional guidance and certification for the IT industry as these other professional bodies provide in the more established industries," he said.

"Since the ACS has now earned a place in the Australian Council of Professions, we have a situation where IT practitioners will be recognised by other "peer" professionals, such as doctors, architects, accountants and engineers, as sharing compatible "special" knowledge, ethical standards and behaviour.

"This can only serve to enhance the standing of our profession both in business and the wider community," said Mr Ralston.

ACP Membership Opens Doors for ACS

ACP President, Dorothy Jewell, said membership of the Council would enable the ACS to network and share expertise with other more established professions.

"The ACP's charter is to defend professionalism and provide opportunities for networking between the various professions, as well as providing input into policy issues like professional standards, competition policy, and professional liability," she said.

"Not only will the ACS benefit from building relationships with organisations that have dealt with key professional issues, but the cross fertilisation will certainly add a new dimension to the Council's perspective on these issues.

"We're delighted to have the Computer Society as part of our constituent body and will be looking to their particular expertise to advise us and help the rest of the professions that are struggling to come to grips with all the changes in the IT arena," said Ms Jewell.

Federal Government Congratulates ACS on Professional Milestone

The Federal Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Richard Alston, welcomed the announcement as a significant milestone for the IT profession.

"The Government congratulates the ACS for its efforts to raise the professional status of those working in the IT industry. Australia has always enjoyed a solid reputation as an IT innovator and the ACS has demonstrated that this applies to more than just technology," Senator Alston said.

"The Society is also congratulated for working with other computer societies throughout the Asia Pacific region, encouraging them on their journey towards full professional status."

Australia Shows the Way to Asian Computer Societies

Mr Ralston has just returned from a week in Singapore where he attended SEARCC'99, the annual conference of the South East Asian Regional Computer Confederation. While there, he briefed the Presidents of computer societies throughout the region on the steps the ACS had taken to gain professional status.

"Australia is the first nation in the world to recognise a computer society as a professional body in its own right and our sister societies are keen to emulate our success in their own countries," said Mr Ralston.

"The next step for the ACS is to work closely with Government to achieve an appropriate level of regulation to safeguard the interests of the community, such as preventing non-registered IT practitioners from working in certain areas of the industry like safety-critical systems."

NSW Government Throws Support Behind Professionalism

The NSW Minister for Information Technology, Kim Yeadon welcomed the announcement saying it was significant to the IT industry as it acknowledged the important status of the growing sector.

"The ACS team has worked since 1996 to be recognised as the first professional IT representative body in the world," Mr Yeadon said.

"That work will reap great rewards as IT professionals can now be considered in the same light as doctors, engineers, lawyers and other recognised professionals.

"I congratulate the ACS for their commitment to the industry."

This media release is available on the ACS Web site at http://www.acs.org.au/news/acp.htm

ENDS

PHOTOS FROM EVENT

SPEECHES FROM EVENT

ACS President, Prins Ralston

ACP President, Dorothy Jewell

The Australian Computer Society is the recognised association for information technology (IT) professionals, attracting a large and active membership from all levels of the IT industry and providing a wide range of services to its members. It is the public voice of the IT profession, the guardian of professional ethics and standards in the IT industry, with a commitment to the wider community to ensure the beneficial use of IT. See the ACS Home Page for more information.

Media Enquiries:

Prins Ralston, ACS President, Tel: (0411) 755 069, Email: prins@bmconsult.com.au

Dorothy Jewell, Australian Council of Professions, Tel: (07) 3366 4314, Email: atjewell@tpgi.com.au

Caroline New, Caroline New PR, Tel: (02) 9980 8060 or (0411) 889 456, Email: cnew@acslink.net.au