CIO OPINION
Recent events have combined to create unprecedented demand for talent across a range of digital industries .
Barry Silic , CTO , Cloud and Cybersecurity , Macquarie Cloud Services
How do we solve a problem like the skills gap ?
With the development of a skilled digital workforce critical to Australia ’ s ability to compete in the technology sector , Barry Silic , CTO , Cloud and Cybersecurity , Macquarie Cloud Services , asks how the digital skills gap should be addressed .
The growing digital skills gap is a reality impacting every corner of my life . Not only has it been felt in my role as an employer within the cloud services sector , but it has worked its way into the conversations I have with my two young children about the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in their future careers .
Recent events have combined to create unprecedented demand for talent across a range of digital industries . Today the app economy in Australia employs 156,000 people , an increase of 15 % since 2019 , which has been spurred by the enduring popularity of social media channels .
Since the onset of COVID-19 we have witnessed the exponential rise of the digital workforce and economy . People across the world are increasingly using online channels to connect with loved ones , buy products and consume content , and organizational leaders are enabling and optimizing hybrid work arrangements .
This has created a staggering amount of data ( more than 60 zettabytes in 2020 alone ), accelerated innovation and created a wave of new roles in data analysis , robotics , Machine Learning , business intelligence and cybersecurity .
Roles that haven ’ t been so easy to fill .
In Australia , the tyranny of distance and collapse of immigration have meant that the lack of skilled digital workers reaching our shores has been acutely felt . A recent RMIT study found that an additional 156,000 new technology workers are required to meet current demands and keep pace with business transformation ,
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