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DDLS and AIICT team up to boost digital skills in Victoria
Wed, 8th Sep 2021
FYI, this story is more than a year old

DDLS and The Australian Institute of ICT (AIICT) are joining forces to deliver 12 week training courses as part of the Victorian Government's new Digital Jobs program.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly increased the demand for digital skills, and as a result Victoria is working to meet the needs of a growing, digital economy.

The program is designed to help build the state's digital workforce by upskilling mid-career Victorians so they can transition into digital careers.

As well as training, each participant will also undertake a 12-week internship with a Victorian business, and receive mentoring throughout the six month program, to assist them in finding long term employment beyond the program.

DDLS and AIICT joins a selection of industry-backed training providers, delivering courses in areas including cybersecurity, cloud, artificial intelligence and machine learning, digital marketing, and agile project management.

There is also the potential to provide additional courses in web development, programming/software development and data analytics.

Minister for Innovation Jaala Pulford says the Government was committed to growing Victoria's pipeline of tech talent.

Pulford says, “We know the demand for digital talent is increasing rapidly, and the Digital Jobs program has been designed to build our tech workforce and create new opportunities for Victorians.

"It's fantastic to see The Australian Institute of ICT at DDLS jumping on board. Their involvement will mean participants will learn from one of the state's best training providers, equipping them with great skills for the next stage of their career.

Successful applicants will work with recruitment agency Hudson to find the most suitable course according to their career goals.

After the participants complete their chosen 12-week course, they are placed into a 12-week digital internship in a Victorian business, to help them further develop their new skills. Around 500 participants will begin their training each quarter, for the next three years.

Notably, the courses developed by DDLS/AIICT feature content from industry leaders such as Microsoft, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google, and provide students with access to a digital learning platform, which allows participants to move through the course content at a flexible pace.

The platform utilises a variety of tailored learning experiences, including video content, quizzes, hands-on labs and webinars, and connects students with a carefully curated group of experts, who are on-hand to mentor them through the course content and answer any questions.

DDLS CEO Jon Lang says, “With 30 years of experience delivering in-demand, digital skills to Australia's workforce, we are excited to be part of the Victorian Government's Digital Jobs Program.

"This program will be a crucial step in fixing Australia's severe IT and cybersecurity skills shortages, which were made significantly worse when COVID-19 hit.

“The pandemic has caused significant unemployment in certain areas, meanwhile there is a critical shortage in digital skills. It's fantastic to see the Victorian Government taking a hands-on approach to addressing this issue by re-skilling mid-career Victorians into a high-demand area, which will aid Australia's economic recovery in the future.

"However, we really need this program to be replicated in all states and territories across Australia, if we are going to truly tackle the skills gap.

Joining the Digital Jobs program is the latest in a series of milestones for the DDLS Group, with AIICT experiencing 571% growth in revenue the 2020-21 financial year.

The organisations have also collectively introduced over 100 new courses and trained over 11,000 students.