IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

The program will be co-ordinated by National ICT Australia (NICTA) and is supported by the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA), the Australian Computer Society (ACS) and the Australian Council of Deans of ICT (ACDICT).

Dubbed as INSPIRE, the centre will facilitate research and promote ICT use among pre-service and practicing teachers.

It has received $2 million from the ACT Government and $5 million from the federal government.

According to the ACT Government, this research will in turn inform the design of professional learning for pre-service teachers at UC, as well as teachers across ACT public schools.

A council of 38 ICT heads of school questioned recent Federal Government initiatives to improve teaching quality in primary and secondary schools.

Last month, the Government unveiled a three-year, $12.4 million program for universities to train school teachers in a range of mathematics and science subjects.

Ms Gillard told a forum on the digital economy that the nation had to work out how to exploit the opportunities to come with investment in information and communication technology (ICT).

"The commodity most precious in the 21st century, more valuable even than iron ore, is knowledge," Ms Gillard told the forum attended by 40 industry representatives in Sydney on Friday.

NCSS provides opportunities for Australian high school students to learn computer-programming skills with the hope of attracting them to ICT-related subjects at university.

NCSS is petitioning the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), urging it to support a draft of the Australian Curriculum: Technologies Foundation to Year 10.

NSW Government executive managers are to be offered coaching in high-level ICT and contract management after an internal assessment revealed some capability weaknesses.

Some 337 executives participated in a senior executive service (SES) executive development program that is being spearheaded by the NSW Public Service Commission.

Federal Member for Dawson George Christensen wrote to the Minister for School Education, Peter Garrett, to warn of the "major issue'' developing in schools.

He said the rollout of laptops as part of the computers in schools program saw many schools struggle to attract and retain technicians.

The shortage of skilled Australian ICT professionals has plummeted by about 50 per cent, according to contracting and recruitment services specialist, the Clarius Group (ASX: CND).

In its latest Clarius Skills Index, the company showed an 'extreme' shortage of 8258 ICT professionals in the June quarter, as compared to compares to a shortage of 5500 workers in the March quarter.

The IT’s Your Career program will help Information and Communications Technology groups to attract, keep and develop young talent in one of Tasmania’s newest growth industries.

The program features an information website, presentations in Tasmanians schools, and an employment pathway program through the Polytechnic, high schools and colleges.

The December quarter Clarius Skills Index revealed there is an oversupply of 700 ICT managers and 1500 ICT and telecommunications technicians, but a shortage of about 2700 ICT professionals.

Demand for ICT skills, especially SAP and Java skills, .net programmers and business analysts remains strong in many sectors, including resources, government, entertainment, utilities and telecommunications.

The Victorian government is seeking public feedback on a draft plan to increase the state's ICT skills base.

"Building a robust and highly-skilled ICT workforce is a challenging task that can only be achieved through joint action of government, industry and education and this collaborative approach flagged in the draft plan will continue to be the basis for ongoing work that will make sure Victoria remains ahead of the pack in ICT," Victoria's technology minister, Gordon Rich-Phillips, said in a statement.

Athol Road Primary School had a blast at its school expo celebrating its students’ part in a Smart City project.

Grade 3 to 6 students were both nervous and excited to introduce their creation to others during the expo after learning how to use micro:bits to explore electronics, automation and the Internet of Things (IoT).

Using their experience in the previous terms, students created smart homes, urban farms, restaurants, zoos, aquariums and much more using recycled items such as egg cartons.

ACS president, Dr Nick Tate, said: “For too long Australia has believed the myth that mining and agriculture are the only paths that can continue to grow our economy. Like our regional partners, we need to recognise that the digital economy has become the key component of the economy, and we need Government to support this vital growth area.”

Australia is on the road towards the edge of an ICT skills cliff, said Professor Michael Blumenstein, of Griffith University’s School for ICT.

“We’re contacted nearly every week by companies wanting to snap up our graduates,” he said. “Some students have been employed before they have actually finished their degrees.”

Blumenstein points to one undergraduate who was taken on board by IBM, and continues to work for Big Blue alongside finishing his degree.

The program, which will deliver up to 60 jobs to young Australians, is being set up to address current and forecast skills shortfalls.

"This program directly addresses the ICT skills shortage in the APS and provides real career opportunities in the technology sector," Federal Minister for Finance and Deregulation Lindsey Tanner, whose department is coordinating the program, said in a statement.

The ICT sector may have missed out on a share of a new $200 million Critical Skills Investment Fund announced as part of the Budget.

In addition to the fund, the Federal Government last night announced it would create 39,000 new training places in sectors facing high skills demand.

The Government’s ICT contractor reduction program is one of many initiatives aimed at developing and retaining in-house skills, a department CIO claims.

Last month, the Government announced a whole-of-government strategic ICT workforce plan and restructure. Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations CIO, Glenn Archer, said its aim was to increase the number of in-house staff and reduce the dependence on contractors using a phased approach over three years.

It is important to develop a skills policy and a skilled professional workforce that can adapt to the global economy.

Not enough has been done to prepare our nation for the digital age. It's nearly three years since the ACS released its "ICT Skills Forecasting Report", which estimated that Australia would face a shortfall of more than 25,000 hi-tech workers by 2020.

The Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) has announced in a statement that it strongly supports the spirit and intent of 457 visa requirements.

AIIA CEO, Suzanne Campbell, said the skills shortage in the ICT sector is both an immediate and long-term concern and 457 visas solve the skills shortage issue local organisations are facing.

The panel discussion held in Etisalat Academy was attended by prominent thought leaders in technology and education including Ali Al Ahmed, Chief Corporate Communication Officer for Etisalat; Dr. Arif Al Hammadi, Executive Vice President of Khalifa University of Science Technology & Research; Najlaa Al Rawi, Project Manager, Strategic Planning Office, Abu Dhabi Education Council; Dr Eisa Al Bastaki, Chief Executive of UAE ICT Fund, Etisalat; and Abdullah Amiri, Associate Professor - Mechanical Engineering, UAE University.