The federal government and industry players are poised to launch a major initiative aimed at limiting the IT skills shortage in Australia. The project will involve linking hundreds of IT certified courses with tertiary studies.
The brainchild of Higher Ed Systems, Learn-IT Online aims to incorporate industry-based certification training into university curricula.
"The outcome should be quite significant for Australia," Cynthia Hansen, senior systems consultant at Higher Ed Systems, told ZDNet. "And keep us ahead of the IT skills shortage in terms of providing university-qualified graduates who've had the opportunity to take on additional IT skills training," she added.
A library of 400 courses will be offered by courseware provider NETg Australia and universities will license the software through Oracle with the dollar figure dependent on the total student population of the institution.
Once installed into campuses, universities can also generate revenue by charging for optional courses.
"We've had a lot of initial enquiries," Higher Ed System's Hansen said, although she wouldn't speculate on the uptake Learn-IT Online.
However, NETg Australia's MD, Keith Dow, said that a similar project in the UK has 11 universities on its books.
"Universities have realised these are the sort of qualifications that the market recognises," Dow said. "And universities and TAFEs competing for students have to make courses more attractive."
Whilst executive director of the IT&T Task Force, Brian Donovan, believes it isn't possible "for any one approach to be the silver bullet" he added that Learn-IT Online "sounds to be a good initiative" in addressing the Australian IT&T skills shortage
The initiative will be officially launched November 1.
