A recent study from RMIT and Deloitte has highlighted that Australia will need 156,000 digital and emerging technology workers by 2025 to aid in the recovery of the recession brought on by the COVID-19 while CSIRO have estimated that Australian industry will need up to 161,000 new AI specialist and AI savvy workers by 2030.
To address these shortages, the CSIRO has launched two programs; the Next Generation Artificial Intelligence Graduates Program and the Next Generation Emerging Technologies Graduates Program. The programs are expected to fund over 480 nationally competitive scholarships to attract and train the next generation of technology specialists with students participating in industry-led research projects and placements to build job-ready skills.
Projects will focus on real-world challenges aligned with the four areas identified as a priority by the Australian Government.
These are:
- Digital SMEs - lifting digital capability and adoption across the economy to support new ways to work and do business. This will increase profitability and save businesses time.
- Modern industry sectors - supporting globally competitive export sectors operating at the digital frontier, including manufacturing, mining, agriculture and construction.
- Dynamic and emerging tech sector - building emerging technology capability and accelerating the growth of tech start-ups in areas like fintech and regtech that can drive an uplift in the rest of the economy.
- Digital government and services - delivering simple, secure and trusted essential services for frictionless interactions.
Student recruitment to the program starts in April 2022. To receive up-to-date information, sign up now on CSIRO website.