New web program hopes to improve indigenous IT jobs

The number of indigenous people in IT is vanishingly thin, but a new program is aiming to reverse that trend.

Young indigenous people need a champion in the IT sector in the same way as Eddie Betts is a champion in the football world.

Brenz Saunders, who runs Garu Infotech, which he believes to be South Australia’s only indigenous IT company, said the numbers of First Nations people in the tech sector were far too low.

He said he had done an industry review to determine indigenous representation in the sector and “found it was closer to zero per cent than 1 per cent.

“I saw it as quite a frightening reality check to not see any indigenous people in this space – to not have the opportunity to explore, create, develop and innovate and grow and continue to a very fast-growing industry,’’ he said.

Mr Saunders said IT needed to be presented as an attractive and accessible in­dustry for indigenous people.

“There’s an Eddie Betts in the football world,’’ he said.

“Having an Eddie Betts in tech would be great in just making that space more attractive for people.’’

Jeremy Johncock from the Crows (middle) Marius Liddle and Brenz Saunders from Tauondi Aboriginal College are involved in a new educational program to encourage more indigenous people into the IT sector. Picture: Emma Brasier

Mr Saunders is a board member at Tauondi Aboriginal College and is hoping a new program will start to redress the imbalance.

The Port Adelaide-based college is teaming up with career services provider Generation Australia to run a junior web developer program.

The 12-week program started this week with three students, initially online but expected to move into a classroom at Tauondi soon.

The college’s managing director Marius Liddle said the web developer program was a first for Tauondi which had focused on “community services, hospitality and business development ‘’.

“Aboriginal students who are leaving school and looking for jobs, IT and tech hasn’t typically been a pathway to employment,’’ he said.

The Adelaide Football Club is a community partner for the program and the club’s indigenous programs manager Jeremy Johncock said employment was key to improving opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

“It can literally change your life,’’ Mr Johncock said.