Tech career pathways. ACS initiatives provide much-needed clarity
Highlights
As the professional association for Australia’s tech professionals and its largest community, ACS is playing a critical role, bringing together separate parties with shared interests
Through wide-ranging collaboration, ACS is creating career pathways for young people through research, events and programs
Digital transformation, propelled by new and disruptive technologies such as AI, is spurring the need for new skills and knowledge across the Australian workforce.
For the tech sector, the need for new skills comes at a critical time with 1.3 million new professionals required by 2030.
To increase the supply of tech talent, Australia must look to many different sources including education. But how does the education system inspire the next generation of tech talent when just 4% of female high school students are interested in STEM?
At ACS, we’re at the forefront of several exciting initiatives helping Australia find the next generation of tech talent.
Proprietary research
Next month, ACS will launch the second report from its landmark research ACS Computer Education in Australian Schools Survey (2022/2023).
Created to understand the needs of teachers as they work to inspire their students to consider a technology sector, the research aimed to discover how best to equip young people with essential digital technology capabilities.
First published in 2020, the latest edition: Tech Skills for the Next Generation¾Digital Technologies Education in Australian Schools outlines a five-year roadmap for governments and the education sector.
The report highlights the need to improve support for teachers teaching the digital curriculum and makes 11 recommendations under four core themes:
- Ensuring there are accessible ready-to-use teaching resources
- Embedding digital-readiness training in Initial Teacher Education (ITE)
- Supporting ongoing professional development and training for teachers
- Elevating awareness of the Digital Technologies Curriculum in the community
The report will be launched in June 2024 and ACS members will have exclusive and complimentary access.
Tech sector collaboration
ACS plays a vital role in convening government, education and industry partners.
This May, ACS Victoria in partnership with the subject association the DLTV (Digital Learning and Teaching Victoria), hosted the VCE (Victoria Certificate of Education) Conference at its offices in Melbourne and invited 110 Year 11 and Year 12 teachers of the DTC (Digital Technologies Curriculum).
The event recognises the importance of collaboration between tech education organisations and the architects of the digital curriculum with teachers and employers.
At the event, VCAA (Victoria Curriculum and Assessing Authority) presented the new reaccredited study design and explained the approaches to teaching and assessing the DTC.
In addition, and just as crucially, employers provided their view on how best to optimise the pathway from education to employment to ensure the needs of businesses are met while providing rewarding careers for DTC students.
ACS Education Specialist, Catherine Newington said, “The VCE Conference and other initiatives that bring together government, education and industry ensure Australia has a robust and integrated approach to inspiring the next generation of tech talent. An approach that has teachers at its heart.”
Young Tech Ambassadors program
The ACS Young Tech Ambassadors program is a partnership between ACS and the Queensland government designed to accelerate the careers of young professionals while inspiring high school students to pursue a tech career for themselves.
Funded through the Queensland government’s Digital Workforce Action Plan, ACS identifies, enrols and trains tech professionals starting their careers before placing them with interested high schools to present to students.
The program's strength is that it creates career pathways for young professionals and high school students.
Young professionals develop crucial leadership skills like improved communication while setting themselves apart in a competitive jobs marketplace. High school students benefit from hearing first-hand work experiences while being able to ‘see’ education pathways from someone close to them in age.
Powering Australia’s tech professionals
ACS is creating career pathways to guide people from education into and through a career in technology. ACS’s role is critical if Australia is to fuel the pipeline with enough tech talent to seize the opportunities introduced by new and disruptive technologies.
To discuss your career pathway, contact your local community leaders.