The Victorian government will spend AU$1 million dollars on an awareness campaign to counter "negative perceptions" among students about the information, communications and technology (ICT) industries.
-Over the next three years, 100,000 new IT jobs will be created in Australia, but up to half of those will remain unfilled unless action is taken now", according to the Minister for State and Regional Development, John Brumby.
-Our new AU$1 million awareness campaign will tackle a major impediment to the industry's growth -- negative perceptions by young people, and especially young girls."
"Recent research undertaken for the Victorian Government indicated that young people think IT jobs are boring."
Cinema, radio and print advertisements will identify 'heroes' from Victoria's ICT industry and promote career options. Information kits distributed to students and teachers will encourage more young people, particularly girls, to pursue a career in the field.
-The message to young Victorians is that ICT skills will make you very employable and highly in demand across all industry sectors," said Brumby.
This campaign represents half of the spending under the government's new 'Skills x Knowledge = Growth' plan. The remainder will go on programs to develop students' technical and entrepreneurial skills, careers planning, skills tracking and monitoring, and a 'Think Bank' to establish new alliances for incubation and innovation.
The program was welcomed by industry figures including Bruce Thompson (who recently retired as managing director of Hewlett-Packard Australasia) and Terry Cutler, principal of Cutler and Company, as well as educators such as Di Fleming, principal of Kilvington Girls Grammar School and John Rosenberg, Dean, Faculty of Information Technology Monash University.
"Skills x Knowledge = Growth recognises that Victoria is already a leader in ICT education, but new and improved offerings are needed at all levels of the education and training system and these must be delivered in partnership with industry," said Rosenberg.
Their enthusiasm was understandable, since Cutler, Fleming and Rosenberg chaired subcommittees of the taskforce whose report shaped the government's statement. Other substantial programs and infrastructure projects recommended by the taskforce would be considered in the next State budget, Brumby said.
