The Andrews Labor Government is expanding the Digital Jobs Program to provide more opportunities for Victorians to pursue new digital careers. Minister for Industry and Innovation Ben Carroll visited the University of Victoria to hear about the success of the $63.8 million initiative and welcome new recruits to the sixth round.
The Digital Jobs program is designed to support mid-career Victorians with 12 weeks of intensive training in cyber security, IT support, digital marketing and business analytics, before matching them with Victorian businesses for a 12-week placement. In the latest round, a $2.5 million investment will support an additional 800 candidates, while eligible Victorian employers can receive a $5,000 wage subsidy towards the cost of employing candidates during the 12-week internship.
Since its launch in August 2021, the program has matched more than 2,500 candidates with more than 740 Victorian businesses. The initiative supports mid-career professionals, women, regional and culturally diverse Victorians to find jobs in the digital economy. To date, 56% of candidates have been women, 65% speak a language other than English and 13% live in regional Victoria.
Several Victorian employers have benefited from the program, including GrantGuru, PwC Australia, CBA, Amazon Web Services, MYOB, Salesforce and Computershare. According to Deloitte, approximately 87% of current jobs in Australia require digital skills and Victoria will need an additional 33,000 technology workers by 2024.
Businesses can learn more about the Digital Jobs Program by registering for an online briefing on 8 February 2023 or by visiting www.vic.gov.au/digital-jobs/businesses.