Federal election 2022: Labor promises to support 1.2 million tech jobs by 2030

Anthony Albanese has promised to focus on increasing jobs in one particular sector by 2030 if he becomes the Prime Minister.

Anthony Albanese wants to focus on growing tech jobs in Australia by 2030 if he becomes Prime Minister.

The Opposition Leader will on Thursday pledge to support a road map released by Tech Council Australia (TCA) to reach 1.2 million jobs in the industry within eight years.

Currently tech is responsible for 861,000 jobs in Australia.

“Working with the sector we want to grow an additional 340,000 jobs by 2030,” he said.

“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.

“Labor will work closely with the tech sector, including the TCA, to develop an industry plan that will look to strengthen existing firms, build new ones, and grow jobs here at home.”

Mr Albanese said this plan would build on TCA’s existing work that has outlined what is required to build a stronger sector.

Anthony Albanese wants to focus on the tech sector if he wins the election. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

“Technology is a core pillar for our economy and is considered equivalent to the third largest sector in the economy behind mining and banking,” Mr Albanese said.

“It stands as Australia’s seventh largest employing sector.

“During the pandemic, it was technology that helped many businesses to stay afloat and allowed many Australians to continue to work from home.”

Mr Albanese said Labor would help boost tech jobs through previously announced policies.

These include funding 465,000 free TAFE places and also creating 20,000 additional university places which would be focused on areas of skills shortage including tech.

Another is Labor’s $15bn National Reconstruction Fund to promote manufacturing in Australia’s post pandemic recovery.

Mr Albanese also noted his pledge for a government-led “Buy Australian Act”, which would require government departments to put an emphasis on domestically-made products as part of any purchasing process.

He claimed a comment made by Scott Morrison in 2020 at an e-commerce virtual summit showed that he was more focused on importing tech from overseas.

In the speech Mr Morrison spoke about wanting Australia to become a leading digital economy by 2030 that had mining, agriculture, manufacturing and small business at the global frontier of technological adaptation.

Mr Albanese pointed to how Mr Morrison then said: “That doesn’t need to mean that Australia has to be one big Silicon Valley. No, we’ve just got to be the best at adopting. Taking it on board. Making it work for us. And we’re really good at that.”