Thursday, 22 February 2024

Ministers statements: digital jobs

Natalie HUTCHINS (Sydenham – Minister for Jobs and Industry, Minister for Treaty and First Peoples, Minister for Women) (14:33): I rise to update the house that the Allan Labor government is delivering the workforce that is needed for not only the jobs of today but the jobs of tomorrow. Victoria has around 280,000 tech workers, which accounts for around 31 per cent of Australia’s federal workforce. This week I was proud to announce our nation-leading digital jobs program, which has supported over 5000 Victorian workers to complete some specialised training in this field.

This program provides – I have got to say at free cost – digital skills for in-demand jobs in critical sectors like cybersecurity, programming and digital marketing. We are partnering with around 350 ‍businesses to get job placements in place at the end of these courses: companies including Jetstar, carsales.com, NBN Co, Zendesk and Salesforce. We have been able to support workers into job placements and to support companies by providing them in a timely manner with this skilled workforce. Our digital jobs program has a really strong focus on supporting workers that are traditionally under-represented in this sector, with 59 per cent of participants being women and 64 per cent speaking a language other than English. Victorians in the middle of their careers are being given the opportunity and support to transition into the tech workforce.

This is what this government is all about: skilling our workforce, supporting industry to grow and creating high-value jobs. It also complements the investments we are making across the education and training sector, including free TAFE. Unlike those opposite, who slashed funding for skills development and watched local industries disappear, this government will always support Victorian workers and businesses into the future.