• MANAGER STRATEGIC INDUSTRY...
• Project Analyst
• Application Support Officer
• Desktop Team Leader
• Project Manager Operational Systems

ACS news

ACS staff, Information Age

18/10/2006 22:23:07

ACS welcomes Adelaide technology hub

The ACS has welcomed the announcement by Human Services Minister Joe Hockey of the creation of a new Adelaide technology hub to support the recruitment and retraining of skilled ICT staff for the national agency Centrelink.

ACS President Philip Argy said the initiative provides an innovative domestic solution to the ongoing demand for skilled ICT workers and graduates:

"The ACS sees this initiative as a win for Centrelink and a win for our Australian ICT industry," he said. "The increased demand for skilled ICT workers will be a recurring theme in coming years and we applaud Minister Hockey for seeking an innovative domestic solution before resorting to offshoring.

"Where domestic skill sets are genuinely unavailable to free up stalled projects, offshore sourcing is legitimate and supported by the ACS, but we expect domestic capabilities, including up-skilling and retraining options, to be fairly evaluated before looking offshore. The ACS encourages other government departments to follow the lead of Minister Hockey when planning for their future ICT needs," he said.

ACS elections The ACS Council at its meeting in Sydney on November 17 will elect for two-year terms commencing January 1,2007: • one Vice President (currently Kumar Parakala MACS, who is eligible for re-election); • the National Treasurer (currently Dr Bob Cross FACS, who is eligible for re-election); and • Directors of all ACS Boards. The ACS seeks nominations for these positions from suitably qualified members.

All active members are eligible for election, excluding the current President and the Immediate Past President, members of the Overseas Group, full-time or part-time employees of the Society, Affiliates, Students and Companions (although Companions and Students can be elected Board Director under certain circumstances).

Experience as a current or past member of the ACS Council is a definite advantage in understanding and coping with the demands of these positions. Nominations should include a brief resume and a policy statement. Candidates may be able to make a short presentation to council in support of their candidacy, either in person or by teleconference. Nominations close on October 31, 2006. Nomination forms and information on ACS Boards can be obtained from the News section of the ACS Web site.

Queensland elevates ICT in returned ministry

ACS President Philip Argy has welcomed the elevation of the IT portfolio in Premier Beattie's new cabinet to a senior cabinet minister.

He said he was pleased to see IT taken seriously in Queensland with a shift io the new portfolio of State Development, Employment and Industrial Relations Minister John Mickel.

The move follows the defeat of Minister Chris Cummins, the Minister for Small Business, Information Technology Policy and Multicultural Affairs. "The ACS has sought and received Minister Mickel's personal assurance that IT will enjoy his full and ongoing support. We look forward to meeting with the new Minister at an early opportunity to discuss a number of exciting initiatives that the ACS will be promoting in the coming years," Argy said. "The ACS is grateful for the support and encouragement provided by the former Minister for IT, Chris Cummins," he said. "We see this elevation of ICT in cabinet as recognition of the significant contribution technology makes to the economic success of the state.

"Technology now makes a greater contribution to the national economy than agriculture, forestry and fishing, defence and education."

In case you missed it

In addition to the regular ACS columns which appear in The Australian, PC Authority magazine and other publications, the media had this to say about the ACS and its activities in the past couple of months:

Computerworld, The Australian newspaper and Government News magazine reported on the results of the ACS Remuneration Survey Voice and Data magazine covered the election of new ACS Fellows MIS magazine referenced the ACS in an article called Student Choices Driving Skills Shortfall Keeping Good Companies magazine and Australian Technology & Business magazine both quoted ACS Vice President Kumar Parakala on issues of ICT governance and compliance The Australian Financial Review referenced ACS research in an article on the ICT skills shortage The Sydney Morning Herald and Burnie Advocate wrote about ICT career opportunities The Australian quoted the ACS on the proposed Access Card The Australian, the Australian Financial Review, BRW and Technology & Business, wrote about the National ICT Skills Summit and TIPI event in Queensland Perth's Business News covered the ICT trade deficit The Australian covered the appointment of ACS board Director Ana Govan to the Board of Whitehorse Strategic Group Plumbing and Mechanical Connection reported on the ACS Uncollared Workforce policy

ACS members are encouraged to log in via www.acs.org.au/myacs/news for the latest update of reports, policies and media clippings.

Learning the ropes at IBM

For Sana Ali, a 12-month work experience program at IBM has provided clarity and direction for her remaining 15 months of study as she prepares for a career as an ICT professional.

She won an ACS Foundation Work Integrated Learning scholarship as part of the joint Bachelor of Science in IT and Diploma in IT Professional Practice she is currently undertaking at the University of Technology, Sydney.

The scholarship involved a 12-month placement with IBM's end-user services group from July 2005 to June 2006, providing on-site services for IBM clients like American Express, MLC and Westpac, as well as supporting internal IBM customers.

"My job involved liaising with customers, colleagues and others on issues relating to software and hardware products, server-related issues, and training clients in new applications as required," she said.

"I learned a great deal about communicating with clients, exercising diplomacy, operating as part of a team and effective management. I really enjoyed both IBM as an organisation and the work in which I was involved, and was recognised for my performance with awards from my manager and a client."

She heard about the scholarship through the university and was delighted to have the opportunity to gain practical, hands-on experience as part of our degree.

"As a result of my placement, I feel much more confident about my abilities and understand the importance of approaching challenges systematically," she said.

"I'm glad I had the opportunity to work in a client-focused role rather than project management. In today's industry you need more than just technical or paper skills - you must be able to communicate with people, operate well in a team environment and be adaptable to change and different environments."

Her experience has influenced her subject choices for her final year and a half of study, with a greater focus on business and management, and she's keen to continue growing by leading a team project at university.

"I'm really grateful for the experience I've had and know that it will be invaluable in helping me obtain a graduate position next year. I've also appreciated the support of the ACS Foundation and have enjoyed receiving information and news from the ACS to keep me abreast of changes in the industry.

"I plan to leverage my membership to start expanding my industry contacts and professional network," she said.

ACS presents outcomes from Technologists in the Public Interest

The ACS has delivered the outcomes and recommendations from its Technologists in the Public Interest (TIPI) summit to Queensland Deputy Premier Anna Bligh at an industry luncheon in Brisbane in August.

A national initiative facilitated by ACS Queensland, and supported by the ICT Industry Workgroup representing nine industry associations in Queensland and Queensland ICT Minister Chris Cummins, TIPI was conducted over May and July.

The aims of TIPI were to foster debate across the ICT community regarding identity, ethics, competence and governance and to build practical frameworks to indicate how the industry could move forward. A key driver for TIPI was to contribute to actions that might mitigate risk, improve the industry's image and promote economic development.

Outcomes will be presented in a national statement to the governments of Australia, addressing key industry issues identified in a survey and seven workshops. Highlights of TIPI workshop findings are:

Identity: 75 per cent of focus group participants agreed the ICT workforce would benefit from a single word "brand" name similar to those of other professions such as doctor, lawyer and engineer; 85 per cent agreed that the ICT workforce would benefit from being grouped into logical specialisations (like the engineering profession). Competence: 77 per cent supported establishing a defined education and experience framework for the ICT industry - like that applying to teachers - while 83 per cent also sought rationalisation of naming conventions for ICT academic qualifications.

Integrity system and ethics: Significantly, industry (70 per cent) and business (75 per cent) agreed that a sanction bearing code of ethics is required, similar to that which binds the financial services industry.

Governance: The establishment of a peak governance/compliance body for the ICT community was strongly supported with nearly 65 per cent favouring a local body like Queensland College of Teachers. Nearly 80 per cent of participants favoured a national body like the Law Council of Australia.

Feedback: 95 per cent of attendees strongly agreed that the goals of TIPI were clear and that TIPI was a critical initiative toward the maturation of the ICT industry.

National ACS President Philip Argy, TIPI and ACS Queensland Chairman, and local ICT Industry workgroup representative Mark Lloyd, and TIPI Vice Chairman and ACS Vice President Kumar Parakala, will handed over details of the findings and outcomes.

Philip Argy noted that: "Australia's economic prosperity is underpinned by productivity gains derived from innovation with technology. The key to maintaining this innovation is a trustworthy technology environment, much of which is dependent on the people who work in the ICT sector.

"The ACS commends the TIPI recommendations to governments and emphasise that professionalism is the optimum form of risk mitigation".

Mark Lloyd said: "TIPI is the start of a crucial journey and asks the governments of Australia to partner with the ICT community to help a young and critical industry accelerate its development and improve its public image.

"We are delighted the Queensland Government and public sector are proactively leading the nation in finding practical solutions for the ICT industry and professionals.

"This government has openly supported TIPI and the ICT community and participated in exploring and building potential solutions. According to TIPI research, the first government to establish an enforceable integrity system that works and enhances ethical behaviour of the ICT industry and workforce will be world leaders." He said.

Kumar Parakala comments, "The ICT industry is important to the economic well-being of the nation and crucial in the management of numerous safety critical systems that impact thousands of people. It is important for the ICT community to ensure that adequate professional standards are established to meet the risks and dangers of unqualified professionals.

"The development of a clear industry identity and career paths will also help attract young people back into the industry and profession."