The Victorian government is subsidising the rapid training and internships of 5,000 mid-career Victorians who move into digital technology roles to help meet increasing demand for technology skills.
On Tuesday, the state government revealed more details about its $64 million Digital Job Program, following a pilot earlier this year involving 200 participants.
ANZ, Amazon Web Services, Carsales, Infosys, MYOB, Salesforce and Siemens have now agreed to take paid interns who complete a 12-week training course in areas like analytics, cybersecurity, cloud computing, machine learning and artificial intelligence, digital marketing, and programming.
The three-month training has been co-designed by industry and is delivered online by a range of universities, TAFEs and private providers, including RMIT Online, The University of Melbourne, Bendigo TAFE Kangan Institute, CyberCX, and Academy Xi.
Participants must be over thirty, have basic computer skills and complete the training first to be eligible for placements. The government said it is particularly interested in supporting women, regional Victorians and those who’ve been affected by COVID-19.
The pandemic has accelerated the state’s need for digitally skilled workers, with Deloitte predicting in 2019 the state would need an extra 33,000 digital technology workers by 2024.
The government has planned for 5,000 participants in the Digital Job program over three years. Recruitment firm Hudson Australia is running a competitive recruitment process. Successful applicants will receive a $5,000 wage subsidy from the state government.
The first cohort of 450 participants in the full program are scheduled to start industry placements in October.
Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy Jaala Pulford said the government knows mid-career Victorians have valuable experience to offer businesses.
“We know the demand for digital talent is increasing rapidly, and the Digital Jobs program has been designed in partnership with industry to build our digital workforce and create new opportunities for Victorians,” she said.
ANZ bank will take on 30 participants from the program, offering on the job experience and formal training.
ANZ chief executive Shayne Elliot said employees coming from outside the financial sector often bring a new and useful approach.
“ANZ is always looking for employees who listen, learn and adapt, and who have strong data and technology skills. Our participants will be offered a combination of on-the-job learning and formal training to help them develop,” he said.
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