Computing careers outstrip takers

Australia faces catastrophic shortages in ICT professionals unless there are major changes in government policies and business models, according to the head of Charles Sturt University's School of Business and Information Technology, associate professor John Atkinson, says ScienceAlert.

To highlight the problem, an Australian Computer Society report released last week showed the shortage could grow by 29% by 2010 to over 14 500 full-time positions.

"Even using the most optimistic forecasts for levels of domestic graduates and of migration into Australia, ICT skills shortages will continue or get worse at least until 2012," Professor Atkinson says.

There has been a call to arms among firms in the Irish technology sector to cultivate an interest in hi-tech careers among school goers, reports Silicon Republic.

Over 50 technology firms have joined up with ICT Ireland and Engineers Ireland for a 'Champions Programme'. It will see young people with successful hi-tech careers in these companies go out and visit around 250 secondary schools and tell them about their jobs and why they enjoy the challenges a career in this sector brings.

The technology firms include Google, Dell, Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Analog Devices, Microsoft, Iona Technologies, Oracle, Apple and Cisco.

IBM announced it will open a $10.8 million IT services centre in Ballarat, states ARN.

The centre, which will provide jobs for 300 staff over the next five years, will host specialist ICT services, software application development, ICT support and consulting for IBM's global operations, servicing clients across the US, Europe and the Asia Pacific.

The centre will be based at the Ballarat Technology Park and be opened by the end of 2009.