We have implemented new login procedure. Learn More
Billion-dollar tech plan to boost Australian economy
ACS 2022 Election Platform looks to secure nation’s digital future
23 February 2022 – For Immediate Release
● Australia’s peak body for IT professionals proposes plan to ensure the nation’s digital future
● $1.1bn plan to boost education, regional skills and industry diversity
● $100m proposal to eliminate spam and scams
ACS, the professional association for Australia’s technology sector, has called on the major political parties to boost funding for tech education, regional digital literacy and diversity in its 2022 Election Platform.
The organisation, representing the nation’s IT professionals, today launched the platform aiming to prevent Australia from falling behind the rest of the world. The proposals look to build the digital skills of Australian workers and teachers, along with a plan to improve the development of technology legislation.
ACS’ 2022 Platform proposes nine measures to boost the nation’s tech sector over the term of the next government.
· A $500m program to boost the technology profession’s diversity and inclusion
· $100m on encouraging Digital Technologies education in schools
· A $10,000 employer tax credit to improving the workforce’s digital skills
· Stronger cybersecurity rules for government agencies and contractors
· A $100m crack down on spam and scams
· $500m for growing Australia’s regional digital economy
· Establishment of a Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology
· Creating a Cabinet-level Digital Economy portfolio
· Establishing a commission to evaluate the needs of tomorrow’s workforce
ACS President, Dr Nick Tate, said: “this year’s election comes at an important time for the Australian technology sector.
“The last two years have shown the importance of the sector to the Australian economy. Everything from working from home, check-in applications, and alleviating supply chain issues hinges on a skilled IT workforce. Expanding this workforce is now essential to maintain the nation’s standard of living and grow our economy.”
The 2022 Election Platform was born out of a series of public and member consultations last year to identify key technology policy priorities that would advance the national interest.
Discussions also focused on Australia’s need to boost its cyber security defences given the critical role technology plays across all sectors, as well as dealing with the issue of online fraud and scams that are costing Australians millions of dollars each year.
“The ACS Election Platform lays out a roadmap for the next government – regardless of who wins – to build on the Australian economy’s strength over the last two years and help the nation keep its place in the digital economy.
“As our annual Digital Pulse report shows, we have a chronic shortage of technology workers and many of the measures we propose look to addressing that weakness through reskilling workers, improving IT education and increasing the size of the technology workforce.
“It’s also essential regional Australia is not left out of the future economy and we have proposed programs to grow the technology sector outside the major cities.
“We also need to keep digital infrastructure and our personal technology secure, so we have proposed a number of ideas to ensure the integrity of our government and private infrastructure.
“I urge all parties to consider the proposals we’re making. We look forward to the discussion of Australia’s role in the global digital economy and the jobs of the future during the 2022 election,” Dr Tate concluded.
The report can be downloaded from the ACS website at https://www.acs.org.au/insightsandpublications/reports-publications/2022-federal-election-platform.html
-ENDS-
Further information
Director of Corporate Affairs and Public Policy
About Us
ACS is the professional association for Australia’s technology sector and the largest community with 47,000+ members from across business, government and education.
ACS champions the technologies, people and skills critical to Australia’s future, creating value for ACS members, the tech sector and society in four ways:
Community
Our focus is on fostering an innovative and inclusive community that is dedicated to powering positive change through technology.
Capability
We set the standard for assessing, developing and recognising the skills and experience of technology professionals.
Career
We create career pathways to guide technology professionals and ensure Australia has a pipeline of talent with the right skills and knowledge.
Migration
We assess and support skilled technology migrants to address critical skills shortages, improve diversity and enrich Australia’s workforce.
Find out more at: acs.org.au