OzTech Roundup is Computerworld Australia’s weekly look at the world of IT. Credit: Getty Images/IDG Australian government wants 1.2M tech jobs by 2030 Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic has announced Australia’s federal government plan to reach 1.2 million tech-related jobs by 2030. The how is by addressing the following: Increasing understanding and awareness of job opportunities Fixing gaps in education and training products and pathways Improving the diversity of the tech workforce Targeting skilled migration to areas of high need and greatest shortages Improving industry-level supply and demand analysis There are 860,000 people working in tech jobs currently in Australia and if no actions are taken the 1.2 million goal could be short of some 186,000 tech workers by 2030, according to the report. The numbers consider the usual influx of tech professionals and takes into account those that are likely to retire by the 2030. To help achieving this goal the government will make tech a top priority area for the 465,000 fee-free TAFE places and additional 20,000 university places it plans to deliver. The industry has been talking about the lack of technology professionals for several years now, so how much more awareness can be created by delivering a nationwide awareness campaign and through a national work experience program for secondary school students is unclear. Another point for possible concern is when it comes to vendor certification “aligned to industry requirements” and what it means. Will industry requirements be defined by the industry and its market-share leaders or by those involved in these particular discussions with the government, and how will this truly benefit local organisations? We’ll have to wait and see. NSW starts IT traineeship program The News South Wales government has already started implementing a similar program in the state with 50 Year 12-school leavers participating in the IT traineeship program through TAFE NSW. The two-year IT traineeship was designed for those seeking to commence a career in the tech industry and will combine accredited and nonaccredited training with employment and on-the-job training at an NSW government agency. Those who concluded Year 12 in 2020 and 2021 can apply and will also be able to acquire vendor-specific certification. The first cohort commences from April 2022. Related content feature EY exec: In three or four years, 'we won't even talk about AI' Even as AI reshapes the hiring and skills landscape, the technology itself will eventually be embedded in all digital tools, says Ken Englund, who leads Ernst & Young's Americas Technology Growth sector. So workers need to learn now how to u By Lucas Mearian Aug 12, 2024 12 mins Technology Industry Generative AI IT Jobs feature How to train an AI-enabled workforce — and why you need to Organizations are piloting or going live with generative AI tools at a staggering pace, but without training, employee anxiety can skyrocket and use of the tools can tank. By Lucas Mearian Aug 08, 2024 12 mins Employee Experience Generative AI IT Skills opinion The AI talent shortage — can companies close the skills gap? Fierce competition for genAI talent is driving the need for new thinking about employee-training programs for AI skills. If you can't hire them, train them. By Scot Finnie Apr 10, 2024 5 mins Technology Industry Generative AI IT Skills feature Biggest problems and best practices for generative AI rollouts Enterprises are rapidly adopting genAI to increase productivity and efficiency, but many are not taking a strategic approach implementing the technology. Because of that, many projects fail or end up costing far more than they should, without an ROI. By Lucas Mearian Apr 02, 2024 12 mins Chatbots Generative AI IT Skills Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe