Latest report shows tech workforce is growing
Australian technology jobs have continued to boom, with more than 1.2mil people anticipated to work in the sector by 2027, the Australian Computer Society (ACS) said in a media release.
The ACS Australia’s Digital Pulse 2022 report, released on 14 July, showed that the nation’s technology workforce increased by 8% over the previous year, with over 870,000 Australians currently working in Information Technology (IT) roles.
The report further showed that the tech workforce as a whole only grew by 3.4%. In the next five years, the sector is expected to employ over 1.2mil Australians, with the workforce having an average annual growth rate of 5.5%.
“Digital Pulse 2022 reveals technology jobs are paying better than equivalent industries and proposes ways the nation can address the chronic IT worker shortage, including boosting the sector’s diversity and building the skills pipeline,” ACS said.
Enhancing diversity
Following the growth of the tech workforce, the ACS emphasized the need for Australian businesses and the government to train workers and encourage diversity in the sector.
“Women represent only 31% of the technology workers, compared to 48% across the Australian workforce,” ACS said.
“This year, the share of women in technology occupations increased by 1.86% to 31%, the highest level since the digital pulse report was launched in 2014,” Nita Green, Senator for Queensland and Special Envoy for the Barrier Reef, said. “So it’s a start, but we do need to do better.”
The ACS likewise said that enhancing diversity in the technology sector could improve the number of full-time equivalent roles by nearly 14,000 per year on average for the next 20 years.
Moreover, the ACS said that a fundamental step to boost diversity includes the need for Australian businesses to mitigate discrimination in the workplace.
“Analysis by Deloitte Access Economics found that those who experience discrimination are twice as likely to expect to leave their current workplace within the next two years compared with those who have not experienced discrimination,” ACS said. “58% of IT workers report having experienced discrimination during their careers.”
Skills-training
The ACS also recommended several measures to help businesses and the government address the skill shortages, which include:
- Developing and promoting workplace policies to encourage diverse technology talent
- Providing school teachers with more resources to improve student digital literacy and increase awareness of technology career pathways
- Ensuring greater coordination between agencies to develop skills in the technology workforce
- Encouraging businesses to deepen digital skills in other occupations
- Working to retain existing technology talent in Australia
- Motivating employers to consider more diverse pathways into the technology sector
- Boosting government and industry investment in the technology sector.
According to ACS President Dr. Nick Tate, there is “a lot of work to do” if businesses and governments want Australia to lead the world in the technology space.
“With the Federal Government’s Jobs and Skills Summit approaching, Digital Pulse makes a strong case for boosting technology training at school, vocational and tertiary levels,” Tate said.
Meanwhile, ACS CEO Chris Vein said that if businesses can build workplaces that support a diverse workforce and flexible working conditions, employers can do a “much better job of retaining current workers as well as attracting new workers.”
“This year’s Digital Pulse report outlines the opportunities the technology sector offers to Australians,” Vein said. “As we outlined in our election platform, technology is essential in keeping industry and the economy growing.”
