Chronic tech skills shortage a ‘wake-up call’ for workforces

As technology usage continues to change and evolve across the Australian workplace, a new report has served as a staunch reminder of some of the inadequacies plaguing the technology landscape.

The Australian Computer Society (ACS) has released the 10th edition of the ACS Digital Pulse report, presenting insights into the evolving technology landscape and its effect on the Australian workforce.

ACS chief executive Josh Griggs stressed the importance of acting on the report’s recommendations: “Australia has long faced a chronic tech skills shortage, but this report makes clear that in the face of a rapidly evolving cyber security landscape and strong adoption of AI into the workplace, we need to be ensuring the nation has the skills needed by industry and the community.”

“Technology is touching every part of society, particularly businesses, and for Australia to be competitive globally, we need to ensure the nation has the skill sets required to make the most from these emerging platforms.

“We should also keep in mind that technology jobs are well paid, and tech companies are among the fastest-growing businesses on the planet. If we have the right skills, we can ensure more Australians are part of this dynamic sector.”

Despite this need to grow the technology space so it can best serve the Australian workforce, enrolments in technology studies have stalled and are beginning to drop.

“However, despite a surge in domestic students choosing IT studies during the pandemic, enrolments have now dropped, with a 10 per cent decline in 2022. While 70 per cent of all parents would encourage their children to pursue a career in technology, only half of parents outside of technology roles or professional services would recommend tech as a career,” Griggs said.

“Boys remain over four times more likely than girls to show interest in tech careers. This shows the importance of not only encouraging more students into technology careers but also encouraging career changers from other sectors and attracting skilled migrants to Australia.”

The report set out 12 key actions across four areas that should drive the growth of the Australian technology workforce. These actions include:

• Reskilling workers.
• Increasing diversity.
• Engaging the next generation of tech talent.
• Supporting the responsible use of AI.

An “earn while you learn” subsidy was also recommended in the report, offering an income for those looking to reskill into technology during their career, as well as a parents information campaign to help parents understand opportunities in tech and what skills their children should have for their potential future in the tech space.

ACS president Helen McHugh said: “The 10th edition of the Digital Pulse is a testament to how far we have come as a tech community, but it also serves as a wake-up call for the challenges we must address head-on.

“This report is more than a reflection of past achievements – it’s a roadmap for the future. For Australia to remain competitive in the global digital economy, we need to ensure our workforce is equipped to handle the rapid advancements in AI and cyber security.”