Growing Australia’s digital workforce
Australia is projected to have a 370k digital worker shortfall by 2026.
We are delighted to launch the "Growing Australia's digital workforce" report, the final report of the Digital Skills Organisation.
While the report contains a number of observations and insights here are four of the most important:
Every person in the workforce now needs to have digital skills.
Simple skill descriptors will make it easier to describe the digital skills needed across the economy. The report identifies the need for digital experts, digitally enabled and digitally informed workers.
A more flexible training system is required which can cope with the rapid pace of technological change.
Teachers and trainers must be upskilled to deliver digital training across different qualifications.
Click here to access the full report and supporting materials (infographic, executive summary and case studies)
To comment or become involved with our work, click here.
Thank you for your continued support in building a future-ready workforce for Australia.
Patrick Kidd, CEO
About the DSO
The Digital Skills Organisataion (DSO) was established in 2020 by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR, formerly Department of Education, Skills and Employment) as one of three industry-led Skills Organisation Pilots, along side Human Service and Mining.
Its establishment was as a result of the Australian Government’s “Strengthening Skills: Expert Review of Australia’s Vocational Education and Training System’ 2019 report. This recognised emerging evidence of a growing supply and demand gap for workers with digital skills and system barriers to closing this gap.
DEWR described DSO’s remit “to shape the national training system, testing innovative solutions to ensure digtial training meets the skills needs of employers and builds Australia’s digital workforce”.
The funding was for three years to June 2023. Subsequently, the launch of the Future Skills Organisation (FSO) as one of ten Jobs & Skills Councils (JSCs) provides some continuity for the DSO’s work as it transforms into the JSC for Finance, Technnology and Business (FTB).
Acknowledgements
The DSO acknowledges the colloboration and input to the work of the DSO of the Tech Council of Australia (TCA), Australian Computer Society (ACS), Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA), Digital Employment Forum (DEF), Vocational Education and Training (VET) peak associates including TAFE Working Group, the Australian Government departments and agencies, state and territory governments, training providers and schools. The DSO also ackowledges the range of organisations and individuals who have contribute to, or partcipated in, the trials undertaken as part of the DSO’s work.