Improving training delivery

Five Sydney schools are piloting an innovative program to enable high school students to land well-paying technology careers straight out of school, without going to university post-school.

Aimed at easing Australia’s digital skills crisis, the program draws on the traditional apprenticeship model, where someone leaves school and jumps straight into a trade. This pilot helps students build the skills needed to be job-ready for an entry-level tech role. Once they demonstrate they are proficient, they can step into a role and continue to upskill and build their tech career.

The pilot involves 1,500 students in Years 10, 11, and 12. Aptitude tests will determine their skills, natural abilities and potential to take up the technology roles Australia desperately needs filled in the next two years.

Once students are evaluated and matched with entry-level tech job, they can choose from 11 industry-recognised and accredited online training programs. These programs cover job roles such as cybersecurity, software development and data analytics.

Several big employers in Australia committed to hiring people from this initiative, lead by leading social impact organisation, WithYouWithMe, in partnership with the DSO.

“My interest in the program was piqued because I am aware of a huge lack of talent to fill a booming sector. As an academically selective school, almost all of our students, and their families, are focussed on a tertiary education, often with aspirations in the more traditional career paths of engineering, law and medicine. My motivation for engaging our students in this work was to broaden their horizons of other possible career options and pathways in, in this case, digital skills.

Education to employment provider Generation Australia (GA) is providing unemployed and underemployed Australians with the opportunity to reskill into in-demand tech jobs and connect them with employers seeking this talent.

At the same time, their approach is helping to create a more inclusive workforce by accessing diverse talent from across Australia. Over half of the learners in GA’s programs have dependents, 84 percent are from a CALD background (culturally and linguistically diverse), and 56 percent are women.

Accenture has been a strong supporter of GA’s approach and initially provided GA with pro-bono support to co-design a cloud computing program that would produce job-ready graduates trained in technical and behavioural skills.

The firm hired its first four graduates from the cloud program into technology architecture delivery and graduate analyst roles. Inspired by the success, Accenture followed on with support to co-design a salesforce development program.

As the partnership evolved, Accenture invited 20 GA learners into its Technology Bootcamp program in 2022, and established its first ever job advert exclusively for GA graduates. In total 35 GA graduates have been offered roles at Accenture.

“This partnership provides a fast-tracked pathway into in-demand, career-launching jobs for those who may be facing barriers to employment. It illustrates the way employers need to change their approach to hiring new talent.

The Victorian Government is building the state’s digital workforce by training and upskilling mid-career Victorians to transition into digital careers.

The Digital Jobs program is supporting up to 5,000 mid-career workers to complete 12 weeks of industry-backed training, and providing opportunities to then apply their new digital skills in 12-week digital work placements with Victorian businesses and government organisations.

The program features a range of industry-backed courses to suit different interests and skills levels, delivered by universities, TAFEs and private providers. All training programs are assessed by industry experts to ensure these meet industry needs.

Interest in participating in the program was very strong, with 3,300 people selected from 24,000 applicants since the program was launched in mid-2021, with 77 percent successfully completing training. The program brings a diverse range of participants to a sector that has traditionally recruited young males. Most applicants are over 30 years, with 58 percent women and 58 percent from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Digital Jobs has demonstrated there is a large untapped pool of mid-career talent interested in transitioning into a digital career. Adding digital skills to someone’s existing knowledge, work history, and skill sets opens many new career opportunities for people while giving employers access to the digital talent they need to grow.

For more information on Digital Jobs visit vic.gov.au/digitaljobs

John Austin spent many years working in sales roles in the IT industry. He joined the Digital Jobs program and is now a cyber security specialist at carsales.com, the largest online automotive, motorcycle and marine classifieds business in Australia. “I have a lot more confidence to take on new digital skills. The course gave me a new lease on my career,” John said.

Ghada Mahmoud moved from Egypt to Australia. She joined the Digital Jo