Thousands of Victorians will get the chance to work with some of Australia’s biggest companies, as part of a program that is upskilling mid-career Victorians and providing businesses with much-needed digital workers. The Victorian Government’s $64 million Digital Jobs program will support up to 5,000 Victorians to reskill, with participants provided with industry-backed training, followed by a placement in a digital role.
Businesses looking for digital talent are being urged to sign up for the program, which is the first of its kind in Australia and responds to the growing need for tech skills across all sectors. Some of Victoria’s top employers have already signed on.
Participants will complete 12 weeks of skills training at a leading Victorian training provider in fields such as data analytics, web development, digital marketing, cloud computing and cyber security. Following the training, participants will undertake a 12-week paid internship with a Victorian business to further develop their new skills.
The first cohort of 450 participants is set to start industry placements in October.
Victorian businesses are invited to host the mid-career participants, who are each supported by a $5,000 wage subsidy. Businesses will also gain access to the broader talent pool of potential employees, who will be ready to step into a wide range of digital roles.
ANZ will be hosting 30 Digital Jobs participants in their teams across Victoria, offering them a combination of on-the-job learning and formal training. Participants will also be partnered with ANZ leaders who have a passion for employee development. Some of Victoria’s top training providers are delivering the courses as well.
The Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy stated that the region’s government is supporting mid-career Victorians to gain in-demand qualifications because we know they have a wealth of experience and skills to offer Victorian businesses.
The government is aware of the demand for digital talent is increasing rapidly, and the Digital Jobs program has been designed in partnership with industry to build our digital workforce and create new opportunities for Victorians.
The ANZ Chief Executive Officer noted that employees who come from other roles bring maturity and professional skills as well as different experiences and diversity, reshape ideas around solutions for customers and staff. ANZ is always looking for employees who listen, learn and adapt, and who have strong data and technology skills. Participants will be offered a combination of on-the-job learning and formal training to help them develop.
Australia’s jobs are also becoming increasingly digital, both through the growing use of digital tools in all jobs and new jobs in technology and data. Technology and digital platforms are also changing how businesses and workers connect to perform jobs.
Jobs that are more routine in nature like data collection and administration are increasingly being more streamlined or augmented using digital tools. Jobs that require more critical thinking or greater connections, such as accounting and teaching are being enhanced by digital technology, supporting people with these capabilities. Entirely new jobs and businesses have emerged in areas like cybersecurity and data analytics.
The Digital Transformation Expert Panel noted estimates that by 2034, technology will augment 4.5 million Australian workers. This is not unusual. There has always been evolution in activity and jobs in the Australian economy, and a need to upskill to keep pace with technological change. History has shown this has led to increased overall employment and access to better jobs with higher wages.
It is important to understand how the nature of work is changing, including the role of the ‘gig-based’ economy, so that we can better support Australians with the skills and training to take advantage of these new opportunities.
Job categories with a relatively high share of new job titles and relatively strong growth in Australia include computer software programmers, ICT security specialists, computer network professionals, and education advisers and reviewers. Employment growth in occupations with a high share of new job titles accounted for over 10 per cent of the 4 million or so jobs created over the past 20 years in Australia.
It is estimated that 250,000 new jobs will be created by digitalisation by 2025. Australia had more than 770,000 technology workers in 2019, 6.8 per cent higher than 2018. This was 1.5 times the growth in the number of professional occupations over the same period.
