A new report from Australia’s tech sector has laid out plans that will help the Australian Government reach its target of 1.2 million tech-related jobs by 2030.
Tech industry groups came together at Australia’s Digital Employment Forum to launch their report “Getting to 1.2 million— Our roadmap to create a thriving Australian tech workforce”.
“These jobs are critical to Australia’s future. They are amongst the fastest-growing, best-paid, most secure, and most flexible jobs in Australia. They have half the gender pay gap of other high-paying industries,” TCA Chief Executive Officer Kate Pounder said.
“These jobs are critical to every major industry in the Australian economy – as demonstrated by the broad range of employers and educators participating in the Digital Employment Forum, from sectors as diverse as retail, banking, mining, government, professional services, software and telecommunications, all with a shared vision to create pathways into jobs.”
As the Australian Government takes its first step to meeting its tech jobs target, which is introducing legislation to create a body dedicated to understanding and addressing the nation’s skills crisis, Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic said they would act upon the report’s calls for action.
“The report finds that Australia will need an additional 650,000 tech workers by 2030 to meet the 2030 target and we can only do that if the tech industry and the government works closely together,” Minister Husic said.
Under the report, tech industry groups are calling for the government to increase the understanding and awareness of job opportunities in the tech sector, fix the gaps in tech education and training products and pathways, improve the diversity of the tech workforce, target skilled migration to areas of high need and greatest shortages and improve industry-level supply and demand analysis.
“One of my early priorities as Minister will be to organise a roundtable to meet with key stakeholders in the tech sector to work towards shared goals,” Minister Husic said.
The Australian Government is already taking action that is in line with the recommendations of the report by building the national training system, backing final year student and graduate entrepreneurs, and buying and making things in Australia.
“We will make tech a top priority area for the 465,000 fee-free TAFE places and additional 20,000 university places this Government will deliver,” Minister Husic said.
“Our Future Made in Australia plan will spark demand for Australian-made products. We’ll create good jobs and give Australians the skills to secure them,” Minister Husic said.
The minister also said that the Australian Government was committed to improving migration settings such as clearing the backlog of skilled visa applications in order to support high productivity and wages across all sectors.
Australia’s Digital Employment Forum brings together major tech employers and educators to transform the way Australia attracts and trains workers. The forum is facilitated by the TCA in conjunction with the Australian Government funded Digital Skills Organisation pilot.
Source: Minister for Industry and Science Media Release. Content has been edited for style and length.