7 December 2006

Workplace scholarships tackle IT skills shortage

The University of Canberra is to join forces with the Australian Computer Society Foundation to train the next generation of workforce-ready IT professionals.

New scholarships in collaboration with the ACS Foundation will help students find work placements within industry and offer financial incentives to ensure they are not out of pocket.

"Our degrees arm students with the applied skills to hit the ground running in an IT career, these scholarships will give them an even bigger head start and help make the current IT skills shortage a thing of the past," Associate Professor Dharmendra Sharma, head of the University's School of Information Sciences and Engineering, said.

"By working closely with the ACS Foundation we can further strengthen our links with employers and we encourage the IT industry to get behind this initiative by offering placements and funding further scholarships.

"This scheme really is a win-win: students who are successful in applying for this 'work integrated learning' will graduate with valuable work experience under their belts and employers benefit as they get to have a hand in training and mentoring their future employees."

The work integrated learning scholarship program will run for an initial period of three years, with the University funding five scholarships of $2,000 each year. Working with the ACS Foundation, the University hopes to find additional donor organisations to contribute further scholarships and work placements.

In some cases students will be able to integrate the work experience into their degree, earning credit for what they learn on the job.

John Ridge, executive director of the ACS Foundation, said the scheme gave employers the chance to "try before they buy" and find graduates that fit their organisation.

"Our role is to encourage the IT industry to invest in its future by supporting education and research so a collaboration with University of Canberra was a natural progression of our work," Mr Ridge said.

"It's imperative for IT graduates to have industry experience. The first thing a potential employer asks an IT graduate is what experience they have, if it's just flipping burgers or packing shelves it will be harder for them to get a job.

"These scholarships mean students can graduate with relevant experience and provide a cost effective way for donors to try before they buy and ensure the next generation of IT professionals have up-to-date skills.

"I would encourage anyone interested in studying IT to choose a university like the University of Canberra that offers this kind of work integrated learning."

UC Communications

Gaye Morrison
T: 02 6201 5855
M: 0409 470 755

Kaddie Pass
T: 02 6201 2681

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Last Updated on August 1, 2005