The pandemic forced a chain of events which resulted in large-scale , sweeping change to the Australian workforce . The rate at which individuals , businesses and governments engage across the digital realm increased exponentially , and isn ’ t slowing down .

This acceleration has seen a dramatic increase in critical IT roles . Unfortunately , demand is proving too great for our supply .

A high-quality workforce is vital to the success of a company and also critical to our nation ’ s success and ability to compete on a global scale .

The skills gap must be closed , but it ’ s essential we build and nurture local talent .

The first port of call is ensuring the workplace promotes wellbeing , prioritizes Diversity , Equity and Inclusion ( DEI ), and allows for flexibility . Beyond this , we must recognize that competing for limited resources through salaries and incentives is not in the interest of our

Leaders should be willing and proactive in identifying opportunities for staff to develop their skills and further their careers .

country or productivity within businesses . The longterm solution is investing in training , vocational and within the sector , through career pathways founded in training and certification .

In response to the changing landscape of cybercrime , The Australian Cybersecurity Center ( ACSC ) developed the Essential Eight framework . Aimed at supporting organizations in improving cybersecurity posture and enhancing recovery time , it outlines eight essential strategies . More than being crucial in shoring up defenses , it creates an opportunity for skills to be honed and developed . These skills include threat analysis , network security and risk assessment and management . Further , there ’ s a chance to move through the strategies to build on knowledge from each to the next .

This framework represents more than just the blueprint for agency and business cybersecurity but also for vocational training . The opportunity for development is crucial to the nurturing of skills , career progression , job satisfaction and employee retention .

Another lesson learned in recent years is the unreliability of immigration to fill the skills gap . When that rug was pulled from under us , we were forced to look for sovereign talent . Nurturing skills to build a local talent pool is about more than ensuring sovereign control in our defense against cyberattacks . It ’ s also about building a local digital economy to supercharge Australia ’ s prosperity .

As leaders , we have a responsibility to look beyond short-term company benefits to what will benefit our industry or nation . The philosophy at Macquarie Technology is that leaders should be willing and proactive in identifying opportunities for staff to develop their skills and further their careers . This is key to building a stronger national skillset through the nurturing of talent .

The fact Australia is facing a continuing onslaught of cyberattacks is old news , but there ’ s a solution to address both concerns .

Having experienced the benefits first-hand , I am an advocate for the development of opportunities to foster and train the next generation of cybersecurity staff .

34 INTELLIGENTCIO APAC www . intelligentcio . com

Intelligent CIO APAC Issue 37 | Page 34

The pandemic forced a chain of events which resulted in large-scale , sweeping change to the Australian workforce . The rate at which individuals , businesses and governments engage across the digital realm increased exponentially , and isn ’ t slowing down .