Improving training delivery

Employees at Queensland’s (then) Department of Employment, Small Business and Training (DESBT) wanted to take their digital skills to the next level.

They were already digitally literate but wanted to advance their digital skills so they could use technology to better help people across Queensland.

To achieve this, in 2022 the department partnered with the DSO to run an advanced digital skills pilot for regional teams working in service delivery and customer care.

The employees used self-assessment tools to figure out what digital skills they needed to work on and then did tailored online training to improve those skills. All the digital skills were based on the DSO’s Skill Standards, which align to employer needs.

The training gave DESBT employees the extra digital skills needed to help them do their jobs better and set them up for career progression.

“The Digital Fluency Pilot has broadened my IT skills and given me confidence to help others with different applications including Teams, and general technical issues. The pilot helped me to increase my Digital Fluency through enhancing my knowledge and understanding of the bigger picture of how technology can play a bigger role across all aspects of my life.”

The cyber threat is becoming more sophisticated every year and the cyber security sector is suffering from a skills deficit.

DSO joined forces with the Canberra Cyber Hub to create the Cyber Security Work Integrated Learning Pilot. Co-designed with industry, its aim is to help close the skills gap between training, education and the workplace – delivering job-ready employees to employers, fast.

The pilot offers Canberra cyber businesses the opportunity to work with capable interns, some holding security clearances and with prior learning in the industry, to expand their business offerings and Canberra’s cyber workforce.

For interns, it provides a combination of on-the-job training and world-class training, enabling them to earn while they learn and get certified to secure their future.

The pilot started in April 2023. Demand from employers and interns exceeded the places available by more than 100%.

“This is proving to be a great opportunity for companies to access funded cyber training so they have staff with the right skills to hit the ground running. This training is skills led and uses micro-credentials, which we think is the way to go”

Karen Schilling
Director, Canberra Cyber Hub

A key objective is to make it easier for registered training organisations (RTOs) to deliver relevant digital and technology skills training. To do this the DSO partnered with Generation Australia (GA), an education to employment provider.

The goal was to create a formal process for the DSO’s future pilot projects with RTOs. This meant bringing together GA’s experiences with the activities, outputs and lessons learned from the DSO’s completed projects.

Six RTOs trialed the method and process as part of a course to teach people how to be a threat operations analyst or a software developer. It was also used by a large organisation upskilling customer facing staff.

Based on the trials and RTO feedback, GA has supported the evolution and expansion of the process into Networks of Digital Excellence (NoDEs), to support RTOs delivering employer-led skills-based approaches. Plans are now in place to scale NoDEs to support RTOs and surface agile and adaptable forms of training.

“We are part of a global network of Generation affiliates, which have created employment pathways for 70,000 people around the world. We see a lot of different training approaches and are confident that Networks of Digital Excellence can become a class leading capability which bring value to RTOs.”

Malcolm Kinns
CEO, Generation Australia

The Batchelor Institute partnered with the DSO to run a pilot program to teach digital literacy skills to First Nations peoples in remote communities, who can face some of the greatest challenges in terms of confidence and skills for digital inclusion.

This pilot commenced with engaging stakeholders like the Central Land Council and community groups at Santa Teresa to identify needs to ensure the most appropriate training model was delivered in the area.

The pilot program was designed to increase the digital literacy of residents in remote areas of the Northern Territory. It was completed by 32 students in Santa Teresa and Tennant Creek.

After completing the course, students were better equipped to use computers, mobile phones and tablets – skills that not only support everyday tasks like banking transactions or medical appointments, but also enable further study or work prospects.

The lessons from this pilot model are expected to be expanded to other remote Territory communities.

“Fundamental digital skills are a step towards learning lots of other new things. They can improve confidence in people from First Nations and remote communities to use technology for everyday life, learning and work”

Palwinder Grewal
Batchelor Institute lecturer