ACS ICT GISP Awards Spotlight Queensland’s Next Generation of Tech Talent

^Highlights

• Queensland’s ICT Gateway to Industry Schools project honoured 49 students from 15 schools with ‘Future Techie’ and year-level awards to boost interest in digital subjects and strengthen the state’s future tech workforce amid declining enrolments and a growing tech-skills shortage.

Like all States around Australia, a shortage of tech workers is looming in Queensland despite the general understanding that we now live in the digital age. And, with the number of students taking technology and digital subjects in senior falling 22% since 2020, it is gratifying to report that this year, 49 students around the state were given encouragement to take their place as future tech workers thanks to school awards events. Students from fifteen schools such as Southern Cross College in Townsville, Kingsley College in Rockhampton, Caloundra State High School, Bray Park State High in Brisbane and Emmanual College and Hillcrest College on the Gold Coast got to stand on stage and receive acknowledgement.

The ICT Gateway to Industry Schools project that supported these awards has a mandate to encourage partnerships between industry, government, schools and their communities in ways that will build Queensland's future information technology workforce. The ‘Future Techie’ and year level awards that the project sponsors provide an important opportunity to address the emerging shortfall of young, emerging ICT talent in Queensland by boosting the recognition of ICT and Digital subjects.

ICT GISP Project Manager Jonathan Nalder shared that “supporting Tech to have its place in end-of-year award ceremonies goes a long way to raising its profile for upcoming students and with parents. In this way it’s a great way to help kick off interest at just the point where the tech talent pipeline begins”.

The ‘Future Techie’ awards given to one outstanding student at each school go even further than just recognition by seeing students receive a year’s access to the Tech tutorials at Zenva Academy, and a mentoring session with an Industry expert where they can ask questions and learn about the pathways that will take them into the workforce. Wil Bindels of Bray Park State High was one such Future Techie winner and linked up with Josh Ho, and dynamic young CEO and founder of Acenci Software. Other students have had sessions with experts from local Queensland tech powerhouses like Gameloft, Zenva, Helimods, ABM IT, Solis Security and Lightyear Forensics.

Well done to all 49 deserved winners! We will follow your careers with great interest. Our thanks to all of the ICT GISP Coordinators and Teachers who have mentored these students and put them forward for recognition.

This ICT GISP project is proudly supported and funded by the Queensland Government. It is facilitated by the Australian Computer Society. Learn more at https://qldictgisp.acs.org.au.