Domestic workforce meets the needs of industry
Action 3.1E
The Government will work with industry and education providers to ensure cyber security careers pathways, education and training are delivering quality job-ready cyber security professionals.
recommendation/s
Ensure Australia’s approach to education, training and skilling of its own workforce meets the skills needs of services exporters.
Government should incentivise Australian universities to develop a new approach to ensure courses are directly relevant to the needs of Australian society and the economy, including services exports.
Progress to date
The $81.5 million Cyber Security National Workforce Growth Program is developing the cyber security skills Australia requires now, while also creating the cyber workforce pipeline we need into the future. These objectives are being achieved through multiple initiatives, including the Cyber Security Skills Partnerships Innovation Fund (the Fund).
The $70.3 million Fund supports industry and education providers to work together to promote career pathways, training, apprenticeships and internships to attract diverse people to cyber security careers. Eight successful projects have been awarded funding through Round 1 of the Program. Funding for a second round was announced under the Digital Economy Strategy in the 2021-22 Budget and is expected to open later in 2021.
The Program is also supporting growth in the pipeline of cyber security professionals through initiatives including an expansion of Questacon's science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs for school students and teachers to include cyber security.
The South Australian Government has established a $60 million Digital Technologies Academy to offer digital technologies and cyber related education and training at the heart of Lot Fourteen. The Academy will delivering a pipeline of professionals to meet rapidly growing labour demand across a broad range of high-tech sectors.
The Academy will be a highly complementary addition to the hi-tech research and industry focus at South Australia’s Lot Fourteen, and the build of the new Entrepreneur and Innovation Centre. The Academy will provide a pipeline of talent to businesses. The establishment of the Digital Technologies Academy reflects federal government strategies: Digital Economy Strategy 2030 and Australia’s Cyber Security Strategy 2020.