5 types of IT jobs in demand in Australia
Last updated: July 2023
The rapid growth of IT jobs in Australia forecasts a promising future for professionals who want to seize the opportunities our tech future will bring.
Looking at the current state of the industry, the IT sector now contributes approximately 8% to our nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) – equal to that of the mining industry!
By 2024, the 2022 Digital Pulse predicts that there will be over 1 million technology workers in Australia, growing to 1.2 million by 2027 with an average annual growth rate of 5.5%. This growth means that the proportion of Australians working in technology will rise from 6.7% in 2022 to 8.5% in 2027. Employers will demand an additional 573,000 ICT workers by 2027.
So where is this demand coming from?
With advancements in technology developing faster than ever before, the IT industry has become a key driver of innovation and economic growth over the past decade. OECD, Productivity Commission and ABS studies estimate that 50% of all Australian business productivity can be attributed to the application of ICT.
And then COVID-19 struck the global economy. It sparked a trend towards flexible working and accelerated digitalisation that has become a force to be reckoned with.
In fact, according to Hays, IT project managers have now been identified as one of the top five most in-demand skills that companies need nationally, in an examination of job market trends across 27 industries and sectors.
Kaplan Business School is excited to be launching a new range of IT courses to fill this skill gap.
Our Master of Information Technology and Master of Information Technology (Extension) enable students to specialise in four high-growth areas – cyber security, programming, mobile and web development, and analytics.
Four out of the top five jobs employers need to fill in the technology sector* (cloud engineers, full-stack developers, cyber security analysts and data analysts), are actually potential job outcomes from our new range of IT degree specialisations.
The soaring demand for specialist IT graduates is further reflected in the 2021 Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List (PMSOL).
The list is aimed at filling critical skills in Australia over the coming five years. For current and future IT students, the priority status associated with the skilled occupation list may assist in exploring longer-term career paths in Australia.
According to this list, five top IT-related occupations in national shortage and with strong future demand include:
DEVELOPER PROGRAMMER
The role
Developer programmers create, test and modify computer programs. They construct technical specifications in response to business requirements, then build and modify software systems. They work to ensure that databases operate with optimal reliability, performance and security.
Key tasks
- Researching, consulting, analysing and evaluating system-based programming needs
- Writing and maintaining programming code to meet business system requirements
- Functional designing of new solutions
- Writing technical documents for the modules developed
- Troubleshooting, debugging and upgrading existing software
Future growth: Very strong (joboutlook.gov.au, 2021)
At Kaplan Business School:
You can choose to specialise in Programming when studying a Master of Information Technology or Master of Information Technology (Extension). This specialisation will teach you to use the advanced features of a programming language to implement complex solutions in response to real-world problems in business.
ICT BUSINESS ANALYST
The role
The role of an ICT business analyst is to develop and implement technological systems and strategies that will optimise business processes and operations for an organisation. This involves analysing and leveraging company data to create systems and software solutions and to suggest strategic improvements and initiatives.
You’ll act as a credible and trusted reference point for insights that inform organisational decision-making relating to the management of business systems, networks and projects.
Key tasks
- Analysing existing systems, applications and functions to ensure strategic objectives are met
- Using project management methodologies, principles and techniques to develop project plans and to cost, resource and manage projects
- Using data and process modelling techniques to create clear system specifications for the design and development of software
Future growth: Very strong (joboutlook.gov.au, 2021)
At Kaplan Business School:
You can choose to specialise in Analytics when studying a Master of Information Technology or Master of Information Technology (Extension). This specialisation investigates the integration of data visualisation software with existing information systems and teaches students how to design, program and apply machine learning models to real-world scenarios.
ICT SECURITY SPECIALIST
The role
The responsibility of ICT security specialists is to protect an organisation’s data. They establish, manage and administer security policies and procedures to minimise the risk of internal and external threats. This is achieved by maintaining safe electronic databases, monitoring networks, developing secure mobile access and liaising with other security service providers. As an ICT security specialist, you can essentially be employed in any sector, particularly the finance industry, law enforcement and defence.
Key tasks
- Identifying security risks, and installing and maintaining software security applications
- Developing automated scripts for the purpose of intrusion detection, traffic analysis and the prevention of viruses, spyware and malware
- Testing security measures including firewalls and software permissions
- Liaising with security vendors, suppliers, service providers and external professionals
Future growth: Very strong (joboutlook.gov.au, 2021)
In the five years to November 2025, the number of ICT security specialists in Australia is predicted to grow by almost 20% (Source: Labour Market Information Portal)
At Kaplan Business School:
You can choose to specialise in Cyber Security when studying a Master of Information Technology or Master of Information Technology (Extension). This specialisation examines the prevalence and mitigation of cybercrime while also exploring one of the fastest-growing technologies disrupting contemporary commerce – bitcoin.
MULTIMEDIA SPECIALIST
The role
Multimedia specialists are designers and creators who use different forms of media and leading-edge technologies to produce digital assets. They create and combine text with computer animation, audio, video and graphics for presentations, websites, games and motion pictures.
In this role, you can expect to be in demand across various fields including the IT industry, media and publishing, web design, education and advertising.
Key tasks
- Liaising with clients to formulate briefs and construct project plans
- Creating multimedia designs in liaison with animators, programmers, writers, video producers, sound engineers and artists
- Engaging with graphic design, typography, video and multimedia development via a variety of tools such as Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, After Effects, Dreamweaver and Flash Player
- Performing usability testing and quality assurance of media elements
Future growth: Very strong (joboutlook.gov.au, 2021)
At Kaplan Business School:
You can choose to specialise in Web and Mobile Development when studying a Master of Information Technology or Master of Information Technology (Extension). This specialisation will teach you how to apply UX design principles and cultivate the skills necessary to be a website developer, or to designing and developing websites and applications for use on mobile devices.
COMPUTER NETWORK AND SYSTEMS ENGINEER
The role
A computer network and systems engineer plans, develops, implements, tests and optimises network and system services. This is especially critical in environments with multiple operating systems where it’s essential that network systems are well-configured protected from security-related threats and aligned to an organisation’s operational and strategic imperatives.
Key tasks
- Developing and evaluating complex computer network systems
- Planning network technology roadmaps in the development, configuration and integration of computer systems
- Managing servers to ensure optimal performance
- Making improvements to network operations
- Providing troubleshooting for network problems
Future growth: Very strong (joboutlook.gov.au, 2021)
At Kaplan Business School:
Studying a general Bachelor of Information Technology, Master of Information Technology or Master of Information Technology (Extension) degree will equip you with the skills to pursue a generalist career in the IT sector that may include opportunities related to computer networks and systems. Across several subjects, you’ll gain knowledge of the functionality of cloud technology and the fundamentals of information networks, IT communication and computer systems.
