The four-year Australian Public Service (APS) program will deliver up to 60 jobs for young people with Government agencies and will be coordinated by the Department of Finance and Deregulation, Mr Tanner said.
“This programme directly addresses the ICT skills shortage in the APS and provides real career opportunities in the technology sector,” Mr Tanner said. “It is all about investing in skills and investing in young Australians.”
“The initiative also highlights the benefits of agencies working together to provide opportunities, produce efficiencies and develop important workforce skills.”
Work placements and the academic component of the program will begin this month.
During their training, apprentices will receive important ‘on-the-job’ experience with an APS agency and graduate with a nationally-recognised qualification - providing them with the essential foundations to pursue an ICT career in the APS.
The initiative has been welcomed by the Australian Computer Society, the peak professional body for the tech sector.
“Maintaining Australia’s global competitive position will depend on the high levels of ICT awareness and knowledge in the general population – people taking on ICT careers and understanding ICT as part of their regular career skills,” ACS president Kumar Parakala said.
“The ACS has long advocated that we would like to see the Government, industry and the tertiary sectors work more closely together to develop initiatives to attract young people into an ICT career,” he said.
“The APS Program is a positive step in the right direction, matching the skills being developed to those the Governments need. We look forward to seeing more apprenticeships, both in the public and private sectors, being made available to graduates.”
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