Skilled IT shortages in Australia – where do you fit?

Every week that goes by we see article after article confirming the IT skills shortages that exist, and will continue to increase in Australia.

Late last year the Australia & New Zealand president and managing director of SAP, John Ruthven, expressed his concerns for Australia’s critical skills shortage in IT. He was quoted as saying “Society is marching to the tune of technology, yet Australia’s IT skills shortage is becoming critical”. Full article.

This is further enhanced by a recent – March, 2016 – joint report by the Australian Computer Society (ACS) and Deloitte Access Economics. The report looked at how digital disruption is changing business  and its effect on the workplace in Australia. It’s findings were that Australia will require more ICT workers. With demand for a further 100,000 workers over the next 6 years. Full report.

The reasons behind the disparity between what is available and what is needed is recognised as being due to many reasons. Some of these include the DOCTOM bust of the 2000’s and the Australian resources boom that distracted students from taking up Computer Science study over the last decade. In addition the lack of women taking on computer science course has also had a marked effect on the skilled IT human resources available to employers in Australia.

This shortage is evident by the number of IT places that are available for nomination under the 2015-16 skilled occupation list for the Subclass 189 visa. To date over 80% of the IT occupation have been filled as below

If you are an IT Professional and would like to discuss your visa eligibility please get in touch with us.

In addition to the above there are opportunities for state nomination in additional IT occupations. Recruiters are also often in touch to ask us about clients who are going through the skilled process as an IT professional or have recently had their visa approved.