One key challenge in meeting this growth target is that half of Australia’s current tech workforce was born overseas, compared to only 38 per cent of the broader workforce.

Amid talk of curbing skilled migration and international student numbers, Australia must make better use of its existing population by encouraging more people to pursue a career in IT, says ACS chief executive Josh Griggs.

Unfortunately, only 10 per cent of school-aged Australians are interested in technology careers and IT university enrolments are falling as a result, Griggs says. Part of the reason is that IT has an image problem in schools, where they paint a picture of the industry which is rather dated compared to what IT jobs look like in the real world.

“A career in IT is a lot more diverse than simply being a systems administrator,” he says. “Especially when more than half of today’s IT workforce is employed outside of the traditional IT sector.

“Schools have long had a strong focus on STEM subjects – science, technology, engineering and maths – but that’s evolving into STEAM as educators begin to recognise the importance of integrating these disciplines with the arts to give students a more well-rounded education for performing a wider range of jobs.”

Reskilling is key

Along with encouraging more young students to pursue a career in IT, Australia must also encourage more people already in the workforce to pivot and reskill in order to meet the growing demand for technology skills in every sector, says Patrick Kidd, chief executive of the Future Skills Organisation.

“Digitalisation, automation and AI are driving growth and reshaping the skills required across the economy, contributing to a widening digital skills gap,” Kidd says.

“To address this challenge, we must create and utilise diverse pathways that enable people from all backgrounds to realise their potential.”

Implementing “earn while you learn” programs can significantly reduce barriers to reskilling, by providing financial support for workers as they gain essential skills.

Increasing diversity in the tech workforce is also crucial, Kidd adds, particularly by supporting women in tech and boosting digital inclusion in regional areas to drive innovation and economic prosperity.

“All of this requires close partnerships between industry, government, unions and training providers to ensure that training keeps pace with industry needs and rapid technological change,” he says.

Embracing diversity

Currently, 60 per cent of the growth in Australia’s technology workforce already comes from people reskilling from other areas. Across the economy there are more than 1.1 million “near-tech” workers with skills similar to those of tech workers who, with the right incentives, could be convinced to make a change.

Across the country, 38 per cent of workers are considering a move into the tech sector but cite a lack of digital skills as a key barrier to changing career, according to the Digital Pulse 2024 report.

The report recommends motivating workers to reskill through paid incentives and connections with education providers, as well as recognition schemes to certify the IT expertise of existing skilled migrants.

It also advocates for increasing diversity in the tech workforce through increased support for women-led tech start-ups, along with boosting digital inclusion in regional areas, with a focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

“Almost 60 per cent of workers in near-tech roles are women and we need to do a better job of making it attractive for them to enter a tech career from an adjacent industry,” ACS’s Griggs says. “This includes offering more flexible working arrangements, as well as creating more reskilling pathways which don’t require going back to university.

“Setting clear targets to help more women move into tech should be an explicit goal for employers, government and industry, supported by further reporting on pay and leadership gaps to give these women every opportunity to thrive in their new career.”

To learn more, visit acs.org.au/