Environment scan 2013: information and communications technology industry

This [environment scan] Escan provides Innovation and Business Skills Australia (IBSA) with an opportunity to combine direct industry intelligence with statistical data on training and workforce participation. Through this process, skill needs and workforce development priorities are identified for Australia's innovation and business industries. The information is used by IBSA to advise government on refinements to training packages to meet the needs of industry and identify investment priorities for Australia's vocation education and training (VET) system.

The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Industry provides exciting opportunities for Australia's business sector and the wider community, which are well recognised as early adopters of ICT. The ICT Industry includes communications, information technology (IT) and digital media. The Australian ICT Industry operates in a rapidly changing environment, providing services to a wide range of businesses, where it has the capacity to facilitate innovation, such as in new business processes and work practices. Globally, Australia has the 15th largest ICT market and the fifth largest in the Asia Pacific region.

In the coming years the following workforce issues will need to be addressed: improving completion rates for students undertaking VET ICT qualifications to ensure there are sufficient trained workers for the future; supporting broader requirements for Language, Literacy and Numeracy (LLN) skills in the community to effectively operate in a digital world; engaging with industry to align training delivery to workforce needs and to demonstrate the value of investing in skilling for their organisations and the wider industry; continuous review and development of skill sets to address specialist skills to cover the diverse requirements of the ICT industry, responding in a timely fashion; investigating and trialling innovative professional development models and opportunities for VET practitioners to enhance their technical skills and ensure current industry practices are embedded in training delivery; providing support for the development of resources for career advisers, that reflect the diversity of opportunities and roles in the ICT industry and related skills required; ensuring registered training organisations (RTOs) practice good business skills and workforce planning and development, including ongoing professional development of trainers and assessors in ICT subject matter, the use of new technologies to deliver training and assessment, and the promotion of innovation and sustainability; encouraging collaboration between RTOs and industry on the exploration and development of innovative training models that better meet the skills requirements of the ICT industry and improve the attraction and retention of students and workers.

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