Fed: Migrants help fill demand for IT workers report

AAP General News (Australia)
12-21-1999
Fed: Migrants help fill demand for IT workers report

Australia's booming information technology industry is facing a dire shortage of experienced
workers, according to a new report.

The report says universities are failing to churn out enough local students to meet
the IT industry's demand.

The document, published in a Monash University journal, says most of the growth in
supply of IT professionals will come from migrants, trained in Australia as full fee-paying
overseas students.

But it warns there's also an urgent need for extra government funds for training local students.

The report finds current demand for skilled IT workers has outstripped expectations.

Earlier, it was projected the number of computing professionals would jump from a total
of 79,000 in 1993-94 to 146,000 in the year 2004-05.

But official figures show that by August last year there were already 135,000 people
working in the field.

The report cautions that if Australia can't produce the required number of computing
professionals, its capacity to be a competitive global player in the knowledge industries
will be under threat.

AAP RTV daw/sub/msk

KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY (CANBERRA)

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