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).
According to Australia’s Chief Scientist, professor Ian Chubb, in 2002 about 22 percent of graduates from Australian universities were in science, technology, engineering and mathematics-related degrees. In the same year, 52 percent of graduates in China were from these areas. By 2010, Australian STEM graduate numbers had dropped to 18 percent of the total.
AIIA CEO, Suzanne Campbell, said: “Despite an increased demand for skilled ICT resources, over the last decade ICT enrolments in training and education have fallen some 55 percent nationally. As recently reported by PwC, even if all international students undertaking computer science courses in Australia were to stay in Australia post graduation, the supply of these graduates would still fall far short of the numbers to support the ICT capability Australia needs to compete in the global digital economy.”
The Digital Careers Program is described as “a hands-on collaboration where leaders from universities, TAFEs and industry will lead exciting and engaging ICT-focused activities around the country and talk about the many exciting and lucrative places an ICT career can lead, including the creative industries, software development, start-ups and a range of roles transforming major industry sectors.”
Communications minister, senator Stephen Conroy, announced the program saying it would target students in year 5 to year 10, “Our children are digital natives. ICT is shaping every aspect of their lives – the way they connect, learn and play. Despite this, too few young Australians are choosing ICT careers.”
The program will start by expanding into NSW and the ACT a Queensland pilot, Group X, that has been running since 2007 and that has contributed to a 50 percent increase in ICT enrolments in that state. “Over time, all interested states and territories are expected to become involved,” Conroy said.
Simon Kaplan, NICTA’s director of skills and industry transformation who will lead the program, said that activities under Group X that had already proved successful - such as First Lego League, Robocup, the EXITE camps for girls in technology and the Young ICT Explorers program - would be scaled up so they could reach more students.
“These and other outreach activities in the program will help students, parents and teachers understand the pervasiveness of ICT across all industry sectors and raise awareness of opportunities for ICT-driven innovation and entrepreneurship,” Kaplan said.
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Quelle/Source: CFO World, 08.07.2013
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