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The government has launched a $6.5 million program to boost information and communications technology as a career of choice amongst schoolchildren.

The Digital Careers initiative is aimed at addressing an acute shortage of secondary school students choosing to study ICT, including related courses such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics (stem), program coordinator National ICT Australia said.

Freelancer.com founder Matt Barrie has in the past highlighted the urgent need to increase the number of students studying ICT.

"Most worrying to me, the number of students studying IT in Australia has fallen by over 60 per cent in the last decade. Likewise enrolments in other hard sciences and STEM subjects such as maths, physics and chemistry," Mr Barrie wrote on LinkedIn.

"All this in the middle of a historic boom in technology. This situation is an absolute crisis. If there is one thing, and one thing only that you do to fix this industry, it's (to) get more people into it.

"To me, the most important thing Australia absolutely has to do is build a world class technology curriculum in our K-12 system.

"Instead we lump in a couple of horrendous subjects about technology in with woodwork and home economics," he said.

Mr Barrie compared Australia with Estonia where "100 per cent of publicly educated students will learn how to code starting at age 7 or 8 in first grade, and continue all the way to age 16 in their final year of school".

Nicta said the funding pot will grow when universities, state governments and industry provide matching contributions.

Digital Careers will be fashioned after "Group X", which comprises a series of activities that has contributed to a 50 per cent hike in ICT enrolments in Queensland since 2007.

Both Digital Careers and Group X are led by Nicta director of skills and industry transformation Simon Kaplan.

According to its website Group X supports various ICT initiatives, including SAP Young ICT Explorers, Robocup Junior, IBM EXITE camps and First Lego League.

Group X's partners range from universities in Queensland to the state's government agencies.

The Australian Information Industry Association welcomed the Digital Careers announcement by Communications Minister Stephen Conroy in Brisbane.

"ICT underpins every aspect of contemporary life. It has transformed the way we work, communicate, collaborate and connect with our communities and each other. It drives business transformation and innovation across all sectors," AIIA chief executive Suzanne Campbell said.

"Our industry needs to attract the best and the brightest, the energetic and innovative to build a really ‘smart’ Australia. The Digital Careers program will ultimately benefit all industry sectors -- not just ICT," Ms Campbell said.

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Autor(en)/Author(s): Fran Foo

Quelle/Source: Australian IT, 12.06.2013

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