MEDIA RELEASE

---

Federal IT Skills Package Falls Short, says ACS

ACS President Calls for Direct Intervention & Funding to Educate More IT Professionals

Monday 3 May 1999 - The Australian Computer Society (ACS) has called for direct intervention by the Federal Government to address the growing shortfall in qualified IT professionals.

The call, from ACS President Prins Ralston, comes in response to the Government's announcement last week of a package of measures to help overcome the skills shortage.

"While we acknowledge the Government's efforts in this area and are pleased at their clear recognition of the IT&T industries' significance for Australia's economic prosperity, this package simply does not go far enough," said Mr Ralston.

"We urgently need more university places to educate IT&T graduates because demand is already fast outstripping supply and not enough is being done to reverse the situation."

The Government predicts that if current growth levels continue, Australia's universities will produce 10,000 IT&T graduates in 2005, an increase of just 3,000 over the next six years.

"Ten per cent annual growth in student numbers is simply not enough when you consider the IT&T industries have been growing at over 25 per cent per annum with no indications of slowing," said Mr Ralston.

"The Government appears to be relying on private enterprise to fill the holes, but they will only provide product-focused skills which will quickly date as new technologies emerge. While product-specific training forms a necessary part of the IT&T education mix, we see a greater need for well-rounded IT professionals with the comprehensive, in-depth training that can be applied to a broad range of platforms and technologies."

Mr Ralston commended proposals to improve information flows between industry and the education sector, but questioned the need for promotional campaigns to boost awareness of IT&T careers and training.

"The existing tertiary places are already heavily oversubscribed and hundreds of students are turned away from our universities every year. Raising awareness will simply exacerbate this problem unless the Government intervenes to fund additional places for IT&T degree courses," he said.

"If, either by injecting new funds or redirecting existing monies, we can produce more IT&T graduates within our education system, we have the opportunity not only to address our own needs, but also to develop our capacity to export IT&T expertise to other markets worldwide."

The ACS President pointed to the US Government, which intervened two years ago to double the number of IT&T university places, creating a enormous pool of professionals-in-training. By comparison, he said Australia had chosen to rely on market forces which were clearly not keeping up with demand.

"We're already behind the eight ball on this one, but there are alternative options, such as encouraging students in other disciplines to switch to a technology course, or taking recent graduates and giving them a one-year intensive post-graduate degree in IT&T," he said.

Mr Ralston repeated the Society's support for any Government initiatives that would help to address the skills crisis and affirmed its continuing role to assess the skills and knowledge of IT professionals entering Australia from overseas.

"We are committed to playing our part to equip Australia to succeed in the global information economy and supporting the Government in any efforts that lie within our sphere of expertise," he said.

Details of the Government's skills package are available online. .

This media release is located on the ACS web site at http://www.acs.org.au/news/skilresp.htm

ENDS

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

Arthur Dyster, ACS CEO, Email: arthurd@acslink.net.au, Tel: (02) 9299 3666 or (0419) 610 613

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