Why Australia is Becoming an IT Leader

The Wonderful Tech Wizards of Oz

Photo by David Jackmanson / Flickr

The Information and Communication Technology sector is the fifth highest paying career group in Australia, with entry salaries starting at $88,000 and median salaries of $100,000. This ranking is both because of, and contributes to, Australia’s growing IT leadership. Over 50 software companies are listed on the Australian Stock Exchange.

The growth of technology centers created by governmental planners and business networks, such as the Bentley Technology Park in Western Australia (adjacent to Curtin University of Technology), the Digital Harbour at Docklands in Melbourne, and the Macquarie Park in Sydney (including the Research Park and Macquarie University), combined with respected universities and the roll-out of the National Broadband Network, all demonstrate the IT successes of the Aussies!

School ‘Em at Home!

While the IT students of many countries travel abroad to further their education, Australians have many choices that are keeping their kids on native soil. In Australia a Bachelor’s of Information Technology (also called a Business in Information Technology degree) is a three-year or four-year undergraduate degree, and often incorporates one or more six-month job placement. While some institutions view these degrees as technical programs, others see them as business and e-commerce related.

These Australian IT leaders offer degrees in Network Programming, Application Programming, Multimedia Design, Business Applications, System Administration, and Web Systems:

• The University of Technology

• Carnegie Mellon University

• University of New South Wales

• Swinburne University of Technology

• University of Sydney

• RMIT University

Vocational training through the.privately owned Australian College of Information Technology is offered in Information Technology and Multimedia. By educating their information technology students in the country, Australia has much less of a battle with brain drain as students abroad often build connections, get married, and find jobs abroad and never return. They are planning to offer courses with a very few charges. Also VET FEE HELP for IT Networking Courses is a progressing step  in different countries.

And Hook ‘Em All Up!

The National Broadband Network (NBN), one of the largest infrastructure projects in Australian history, is upgrading the nation’s telecommunications infrastructure with a goal of making high-speed broadband connections available to 100% of Australian homes and businesses.

This massive federal project provides the infrastructure for affordable high-speed internet and telephone access to all Australians and will replace almost all prior phone and cable lines. Standard installation of NBN equipment is currently free, with fixed wireless and satellite technologies used to connect hard-to-reach, remote locations

.

It is well known that cloud computing is the leading IT market trend worldwide and in Australia the potential for particularly fast growth relates directly to investments in the National Broadband Network and improving connectivity. The NBN not only reaches farther, it is also faster. The nation’s four largest banks are joined by international giants Amazon, IBM, and Oracle to invest heavily in cloud computing.

Similar to the Australia Post and Medibank Private, NBN Company is a Government Business Enterprise, said to be “applying commercial best practice to achieve results for the benefit of all Australians.” The NBN of Australia is a leap forward into the future for Aussies!