Labor pledges 1.2m tech jobs by 2030
The nation needs more Atlassians and Canvas – and Australians working for them – according to Anthony Albanese.
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Labor will target 1.2 million tech jobs by 2030, Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese says, with the nation facing a crippling skills shortage for what‘s the third largest sector in the nation’s economy behind mining and banking.
Speaking ahead of a meeting in Western Sydney with tech start-ups on Thursday, Mr Albanese said if he forms government he’s committed to matching the Tech Council of Australia’s target of employing 1.2 million Australians in tech-related jobs by 2030.
If elected Labor will add 465,000 fee-free TAFE places and 20,000 additional university places, focused on areas of skills shortage including tech, and will create a ‘Startup Year’ program to help new businesses get off the ground.
“Too many experienced workers and businesses have left our shores due to the failure of the Morrison government to back tech jobs in existing and emerging businesses,” Mr Albanese said.
“During the pandemic, it was technology that helped many businesses to stay afloat and allowed many Australians to continue to work from home.
“Currently tech is responsible for 861,000 jobs. Working with the sector we want to grow an additional 340,000 jobs by 2030.”
Australia currently has around 100 tech start-ups worth $100m or more, including Atlassian, Canva and Afterpay which have each made their co-founders billionaires.
Robyn Denholm, the global chair of Tesla and the Tech Council of Australia, welcomed the commitment amid acute labour shortages impacting the local tech sector. She said around 860,000 Australians are currently working in tech, but that vacancy rates are 60 per cent higher than the national average.
“Tech jobs are a great deal for Australians. They are well-paid, secure and flexible. And there are plenty of them,” she said.
“Jobs in tech are diverse, and include sales specialists, marketers, HR and legal specialists, software engineers, product managers and data scientists. This makes them a great choice for Australians, no matter what their passion, or where they live.
“Setting this goal matters because it sends a clear signal to Australians that employers will sign-up to create these jobs, and there is a shared commitment to help Australians work in them, including through reskilling and training opportunities.
“We want to be an industry that creates great jobs for Australians, and that partners with governments to make sure Australians can get into them.”
It‘s understood Labor will be making further announcements around tech investment in coming weeks.
Ed Husic, Labor‘s spokesman for industry and innovation, said that the nation should be more focused on building its tech locally than acquiring it from overseas.
“We need more Atlassians and more Canvas that are not only creating jobs and economic opportunity, they’re lighting a path for other start-ups to follow.”
Originally published as Labor pledges 1.2m tech jobs by 2030
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