Shortage Of Tech Graduates Seems Like Good News If You Want An IT Job

While IT salaries aren’t expected to increase hugely this year, the pool of IT graduates isn’t growing. That isn’t particularly great news for Australia’s future, but it does mean your chances of finding a job if you do graduate are good.

Shadow communications minister Jason Clare highlighted the numbers in a speech at the Tech Leaders conference in Queensland today. “75 percent of the fastest growing occupations in Australia require STEM [science, technology, engineering and maths] skills and knowledge. The number of students taking up STEM courses hasn’t kept up with demand.”

“The number of students taking up IT degrees has actually dropped by about 36 percent. Uncapping university places has helped boost numbers in the last few years — but not much. In the last 10 years there have been 100,000 new jobs created in the technology sector, but in the same time only 49,500 students have graduated with technology degrees. Turning this around is a very difficult task.”

Did you do an IT degree? And did it help you find a job? Tell us in the comments.


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