Digital jobs training at La Trobe

Thousands of Victorians will get the chance to work with some of Australia’s biggest companies, as part of a program that is upskilling mid-career Victorians and providing businesses with much-needed digital workers.

The Victorian Government’s $64 million Digital Jobs program will support up to 5,000 Victorians to reskill, with participants provided with industry-backed training, followed by a placement in a digital role.

Businesses looking for digital talent are being urged to sign up to the program, which is the first of its kind in Australia and responds to the growing need for tech skills across all sectors.

Some of Victoria’s top employers have already signed on, including ANZ, Amazon Web Services, Carsales, Infosys, MYOB, NCS, Salesforce, Siemens, Swisse, SYPAQ and Zendesk.

Participants will complete 12 weeks of skills training at a leading Victorian training provider – of which La Trobe University is one – in fields such as data analytics, web development, digital marketing, cloud computing and cyber security. Following the training, participants will undertake a 12-week paid internship with a Victorian business to further develop their new skills. The first cohort of 450 participants is set to start industry placements in October.

La Trobe will teach Digital Skills for Programming and Software Development.

Victorian businesses are invited to host the mid-career participants, who are each supported by a $5,000 wage subsidy. Businesses will also gain access to the broader talent pool of potential employees, who will be ready to step into a wide range of digital roles.

ANZ will be hosting 30 Digital Jobs participants in their teams across Victoria, offering them a combination of on-the-job learning and formal training. Participants will also be partnered with ANZ leaders who have a passion for employee development.

Some of Victoria’s top training providers are delivering the courses: La Trobe University, RMIT Online, General Assembly, Generation Australia, Cyber CX, the University of Melbourne, Victoria University Polytechnic, Federation University, Monash College, Bendigo TAFE Kangan Institute, Goanna Education, Academy Xi and DDLS.

Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy Jaala Pulford said: “We’re supporting mid-career Victorians to gain in-demand qualifications because we know they have a wealth of experience and skills to offer Victorian 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.”

La Trobe Pro Vice-Chancellor Industry Engagement Dr Megan Fisher said she was thrilled the University had been entrusted with upskilling Victorian workers to fill in-demand digital roles in some of Australia’s most respected organisations.

“The pandemic has not only highlighted an existing digital skills shortage but also accelerated it as businesses continue to adopt and embrace technology and data at a rapid rate,” Dr Fisher said.

“The best part about the Digital Jobs program is that it is mutually beneficial – not only will the program produce much-needed digital talent for businesses, but it will provide thousands of Victorians with the skills they need to secure fresh job opportunities in a competitive market”.

ANZ Chief Executive Officer Shayne Elliott said: “Employees who come to us from other roles bring maturity and professional skills as well as different experiences and diversity, which can help us think differently about solutions for our customers and staff.

“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.”