Time to upskill Australia’s workforce
Tapping into local skills essential to addressing IT labour shortage, says ACS
6 October 2022
The National Skills Commission’s latest skills priority list shows the importance of boosting Australia’s IT skills training, says ACS Chief Executive Officer, Chris Vein.
“It’s not surprising to see two of the top ten occupations suffering shortages being IT related roles,” said Mr Vein. “ACS has been calling out the rapid growth of the nation’s technology sector in our annual Digital Pulse report for the past eight years and we’re forecasting over 1.3 million Australians to be working in tech jobs by 2030.”
The NSC report found Software and Applications Programmers to be the second most in-demand occupation on the national list with ICT Business and System Analysts being ninth of the top ten job roles suffering shortages.
Addressing these shortages will take more than boosting short term migration, said Mr Vein: “Every country is facing these job shortage issues and Australia is in a competition with every developed country to attract skilled workers. Simply making more visa slots available is part of the solution but so much more is needed.
“One of the quickest ways of addressing our skills shortage is harnessing our national assets, particularly Australia’s educated, flexible and diverse workforce, through upskilling workers and boosting the industry’s diversity.
“Ahead of the last Federal election ACS called for increased funding for reskilling, diversity programs, and support for workers and employers looking to boost their digital skills.
“We’re delighted the Albanese government has adopted some of these measures such as offering more free TAFE places and reviewing the diversity of industry support programs. We’re looking forward to further positive moves in the upcoming Federal budget.”
Mr Vein also pointed out the IT skills shortage is a national issue affecting all industries and regions and not just the capital cities’ tech sectors, saying: “These jobs on this list are not just in technology companies, but across all business and communities. IT is essential for industries such as agriculture, resources and tourism and it’s critical all parts of Australia have enough technology workers to keep their local economies running.”
ACS’ 2022 Digital Pulse report detailing the state of Australia’s IT workforce can be downloaded at acs.org.au.
-ENDS-
Director of Corporate Affairs and Public Policy
ACS is the voice of Australia’s technology sector, representing over 35,000 technology professionals across all industries and across the nation.
Our members work in industry, education, government, and the community delivering the digital services that drive the nation and provide the high-skilled jobs of today and tomorrow.
ACS works to grow the technology sector while making sure IT professionals act ethically, responsibly, and in keeping with the best interests of not only their employers, but the wider community.
Through our network of branches in every state and Territory, our innovation labs, education programs and our history of over fifty years, ACS works to help all Australians be part of the nation’s highest growth sector. Visit www.acs.org.au for more information.