ICT: Making the Connection Summit 2009
This one day conference held in Melbourne on the 22nd April, 2009, was co-presented with the Australian Council of Deans of ICT. The day was sponsored by the Dept of Innovation, Industry & Regional Development (Vic). Industry endorsement came from the ACS, CSC and NICTA.
The keynote address was delivered by Dr David Skellern, CEO, NICTA.
view brochure (780KB pdf)
Topics Discussed
The depth and breadth of topics discussed promoted wide discourse amongst representatives from industry, academe, government and professional associations. Points raised included:
- ICT is about technology, people and process change.
- Should ICT be a core learning stream in schools and across all disciplines?
- ICT and ICT innovation is a core component of the national economic bottom line.
- The ICT sector needs a unified national approach.
- There must be robust and valid skills forecasting for the sector.
- Clarity and transparency for lifelong learning and career pathways.
- ICT involves change management, does the sector have the right leadership, culture and management skills?
- Are we driving the ICT export dollar as hard as we can?
- ICT has many hats, does the sector communicate that to prospective practitioners?
Summary Notes
The issues facing the ICT industry sector raised at the Summit related to declining enrolment and skills shortages both now and in the future. There was unanimous agreement about the importance of the sector to Australia’s future growth and prosperity. However, unless ICT is recognised as an integral sector for our nation’s economy essential for future success, the current shortage of ICT graduates and future potential mismatch of skills will continue.
For this recognition to happen, the sector needs to provide the solution around the Digital Economy through greater collaboration among individuals, universities and government. To do this effectively, ICT needs to have a more integrated response within the sector.
To counteract the shortfall in supply with increasing current and forecast demand, accurate information needs to be communicated broadly about the value of ICT to an organisation, to the economy and to Australia’s future prosperity.
The facts are that 90% of degree holders work in the services economy and rely heavily on ICT; the long term rate of employment in the computer services industry exceeds the rate of growth in all other industries. While the demand will grow, the decline in enrolments fails to match the needs. Students’ perceptions about ICT as a career are poor, especially among women. The decline throughout 2001-07 began among the domestic students, then postgraduate students and more recently has emerged among international students.
Research demonstrated that students, particularly girls, are not interested in ICT because they have no realistic understanding of possible careers pathways. A socially integrated IT course based on data collected from students was introduced at the Queensland University of Technology in 2008. The course is designed on the students’ responses in terms of their interests and attempts to capture their reliance and love of technology.
ICT career streams need to be identified and promoted with a changing image for student interest to follow. The sector needs to communicate this to prospective practitioners and professionals. A skills forecast over a five year timeframe is needed in order to assist to promote ICT professions more widely.
ICT is also about change management skills, leadership skills and aspects about culture. This is needed if we are to adequately prepare students for industry. Should ICT be a core learning stream in schools and across all disciplines? Should there be consideration of an accreditation process?
Industry indicated its support of the approach taken. It is in a good position to advise the government on what is needed and what the future of the industry looks like.
Presentations
Dr David Skellern, NICTA – keynote address (452KB pdf)
Andrew McCredie, Australian Services Roundtable – ICT meeting the needs of a Knowledge and Service Economy (528KB pdf)
Peter Grant – ICT in context
ICT: Do we have an image problem? (412KB pdf)
So why do we use technology (84KB pdf)
Professor Ron Weber, ICT Workforce and Labour Market Research – ICT Labour Market Dynamics (876KB pdf)
Professor Margaret Vickers, UWS – Innovation in ICT Curricula
Student choice, gender, and the decline in CIT
enrolments (264KB pdf)
Key points (24KB pdf)
Assoc Professor Sylvia Edwards, Qld University of Technology – Innovation in ICT Curricula (713KB pdf)
Professor John Yearwood, University of Ballarat – Linking Research into Teaching and Business (884KB pdf)
Professor Doug Grant, Australian Computer Society – Implications for Accreditation (652KB pdf)
Kieran O'Brien, University of Tasmania – Case study – ICT innovation (604KB pdf)
David Quilty, Telstra – ICT and Competitive Advantage in a Global Context (32KB pdf)
