Steve Whan
Minister for Skills, TAFE, and Tertiary Education

NSW Leads the Way in Tackling Digital Skills Shortage

Wednesday, 29 November 2023

The NSW Government is joining leaders across Government, the digital industry, and education and training providers to address the projected shortage of 85,000 digital workers in NSW by 2030.

Today, the Minister for Skills, TAFE, and Tertiary Education, Steve Whan, officially launched the NSW Digital Skills & Workforce Compact at NSW Parliament House.

This collaborative effort involved the participation of 37 Compact Partners, spanning across the highest levels of industry. Combined, Compact Partners have a reach of 1.7 million students and represent over 340,000 digital workers in NSW.

The Compact will promote digital careers across the State to students, parents, and advisors, advancing tech careers in traditionally underrepresented groups such as women, First Nations people, and those residing in regional and remote areas.

The partnership will support industry in developing and implementing new employment pathways, giving new workers on-the-job training experiences to start a long-term career in the digital industry.

The Digital Compact aspires to achieve the following milestones:

• Transform the perception of digital careers, enhancing diversity in the sector, fostering welcome and productive workspaces.
• Collaborate with industry partners to expand and enhance new pathway programs for tech roles, including traineeships and work experiences.
• Extend the reach of mentoring and networking programs to engage a more diverse audience.
• Provide increased opportunities for the people of NSW to reskill or upskill in tech-related roles.
• Establish a collaborative platform with Universities, TAFE, school curriculum providers, and industry experts to create a Digital Education Forum dedicated to enhancing tech education and industry partnerships. 
  

This collaborative effort marks a significant step forward in addressing the digital skills gap in NSW, ensuring a robust and inclusive digital workforce for the future.

For more information on the NSW Digital Compact visit https://www.nsw.gov.au/education-and-training/nsw-digital-compact

Minister for Skills, TAFE, and Tertiary Education, Steve Whan said:

"It's terrific to sign this landmark agreement as the NSW Government unites with industry and education leaders to proactively tackle the looming digital skills shortage.

"This partnership is a testament to our commitment to shaping a digitally empowered future for NSW and together, we're laying the foundation for a resilient and inclusive digital workforce for the future.

"The NSW Digital Compact represents a significant opportunity for Government to work with industry to change people's idea of 'tech', expanding the inclusivity of the sector.

"We're not just bridging the skills gap; we're building pathways for thousands of students, parents, and advisors to explore and embrace tech careers."

Chair of the NSW Skills Board and CEO of Microsoft ANZ, Steve Worrall said:

"Research commissioned by the NSW Skills Board shows that NSW is projecting a shortfall of 85k digital workers by 2030.

"We need to increase opportunities for more people to come into these roles as existing pathways won't meet this demand. The Compact is crucial to meeting the 85,000 shortfall and ensuring we create a sector that reflects the diversity of NSW. Compact Partners intend to achieve 20% of new hires coming from alternative pathways by 2030.

"We believe the Compact will help to provide a pipeline of diverse talent to fill these high paying, secure jobs that are being created in NSW's digital sector."

NSW Digital Compact Partners:

Partners from the NSW Government, Accenture, ACFIPS, ACS, AIIA, Akkodis, ANZ, AWS, Business NSW, Commonwealth Bank, Future Skills Organisation, The Institute of Applied Technology Digital, ITECA, Linkedin, Microsoft, NAB, Salesforce, SEEK, TAFE NSW, Tech Council of Australia, Telstra, Westpac Group, Woolworth Group and all NSW/ACT universities.