Employers are told to keep watch as move aims to 'future-proof' economy
The federal government has recently announced $10.7 million in digital cadetships to empower the “booming tech sector” and make the country part of the “top ten data and digital economy by 2030.”
The announcement is the next step in the Morrison Government’s Digital Skills Cadetship Trial. According to a media release, the trial would blend work placements and on-the-job learning with formal training.
“[The trial will help] cadets put classroom lessons into practice and match employers with the brightest tech talent,” the media release said.
The trial would focus on “growing fields” like cybersecurity, cloud computing and data analytics. It also aims to target groups displaced by COVID-19 or returning to the workforce.
Women would also have a strong position in the trial as it would consider those planning a mid-career change or re-entering the workforce after a break. According to the government’s report, each cadetship will span four to six months and may include vocational or higher education units, plus industry training.
Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business Stuart Robert, said the trial is “part of building a pipeline of digitally-capable workers that will deliver Australian businesses the skills they need to innovate — and individuals the opportunities to help them succeed.”
“We’re investing more than $100 million in digital talent to future-proof Australia’s economy and cadetships are just one measure — we’re funding cyber projects and scholarships in emerging technologies, including AI, across Australia as part of our national Digital Economy Strategy,” Robert said.
“Whether it is digital cadetships or free cyber skills through JobTrainer when it comes to building Australia’s tech workforce we are getting on with it.”
The minister also said that a “world-leading tech workforce” is one of the government’s goals. “The Australian skills system is firing under the Morrison Government, we can’t risk Aussie skills with Labor who want to rip hundreds of millions of dollars out of the very training organisations. We need to build a world-leading tech workforce,” Robert added.
