• National IT Manager
• Business Analyst - Integration
• Project Manager - Trading...
• Support Analyst Programmer
• Technical Support / Network...

Society News

ACS staff, Information Age

01/10/1999 12:01:01

ACS forms new education taskforce

The ACS has established a new task force to consider and advise on the use of technology in pre-school and primary education.

The Informatics in Elementary Education Taskforce (IEET) was created in July this year and will be chaired by Associate Professor Toni Downes.

It will cover a range of issues such as developing an understanding of how and where Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) should be used in education, potential consequences and implications, and raise issues with school administrators and authorities as required.

If you're interested in the work of this group or would like to become involved, contact Associate Professor Toni Downes at t.downes@uws.edu.auAre you ready for the GST?

Gartner Group has predicted that one in five businesses won't meet the 1 July 2000 deadline for the introduction of the GST. Will your organisation be one of them?

To assist our members and other industry practitioners in coming to terms with the GST, the ACS and the AIIA have joined forces to stage the "GST & IT Compliance" Conference in Sydney at the end of this month.

With speakers from Gartner Group, Andersen Consulting, Ernst & Young, KPMG, Clayton Utz, NCR Australia and KPMG Consulting, this event promises to be an ideal opportunity to come up to speed on what the GST means for you.

It will cover important issues such as how the GST works; how to structure an implementation plan for a "hassle-free" transition; assessing the key challenges in making your systems compliant; managing and renegotiating GSP compliant contracts and agreements; developing systems to support optimal pricing policies; and time management.

ACS members receive a 10 per cent discount on the cost of both the conference and the workshop, which are particularly appropriate for those employed as CIOs, IT directors/managers, IT applications managers, systems managers and business systems managers.

Experts have predicted that 80-85 per cent of the work needed to prepare for the GST will be systems-related, which means IT professionals have a responsibility to be fully versed in the implications for their organisation and for their customers.

The GST & IT Compliance conference will be held at the Millennium Hotel in Sydney from 28-29 October 1999, focusing on the specific needs of the retail, financial services, consulting/contracting and outsourcing sectors.

The event comprises a one-day conference followed by an additional day of intensive, practical workshops which will equip you with the knowledge and confidence to prepare a comprehensive GST systems implementation plan.

For more information or to book your place, contact IBC Conferences on (02) 8235 5300 or visit http://www.-informa.com.au ACS farewells Dr Ian PirieThe ACS has paid tribute to Dr Ian Pirie, following his death in August this year, for his outstanding contributions both to the Society and to the field of education over many years.

Employed as a senior lecturer in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Wollongong, Pirie enjoyed an expansive career that encompassed many levels of education -- secondary teacher, teacher educator, university lecturer and administrator.

From 1984 to 1990 he was the chief education officer at the Computer Education Unit of the NSW Department of Education, responsible for all aspects of computer education in NSW Government schools.

He joined the ACS in 1967 and was elected a Fellow in 1987 in recognition of his service to computer education. Dr Pirie served as a member and as chairman of the ACS National Education Committee and was Australian representative on IFIP TC3 Computers and Education.

Our condolences to his family -- he will be greatly missed.

A chief amongst peers

When the ACS restructured its membership base to increase its relevance to the IT&T industry back in 1997, Dennis Furini was one of a select group of senior IT executives who spoke publicly in support of the ACS Towards 2000 initiative.

The then general manager, information & communication services with Australian Water Technologies, Furini welcomed the opportunity to contribute to advancing the profession and raising its status within the industry.

Last month he took that commitment a step further with his appointment as the Society's new chief executive officer, taking up the challenge to help the ACS fulfil its vision, service its members and increase its relevance to the IT&T industry, academia and the Australian community.

A strong supporter of the ACS over many years, Furini is well known to most active NSW members, many of whom have expressed their enthusiasm for his new appointment.

"One thing I've learned in my years of management and life in general is that you need to do a lot of listening. I'm keen to hear from members on their views regarding the Society and its role, and plan to attend branch meetings in each region to meet members and gain a broader perspective of their needs and agendas," he said.

With over 35 years experience in the IT&T industry, Furini's career has encompassed a diverse range of positions and working environments.

After 16 years in various national and international positions with Philips, he was appointed national manager information systems and automation, a position he held for 10 years before leaving the corporate world to establish his own marketing and professional services business.

Comprador Business Systems grew to employ 20 people in three states before Furini was lured to the Water Board (later to become Sydney Water Corporation) in 1989 to be information systems executive. This was the direct result of a Parliamentary inquiry into the alleged mismanagement of IT at the Water Board.

Over a 10-year period, he held various positions in senior management, earning a reputation for strong leadership, effective management, quality focus, communications and customer skills.

As general manager, information and communications services for Australian Water Technologies, Sydney Water's trading arm, he was responsible for transforming a "public service" IT organisation into one that was commercially successful, highly customer focused and the best performing of the AWT Divisions..

Dennis' exemplary performance record led to him being called on to assume management of Sydney Water's retail business after the Sydney water crisis, at a time when confidence and morale were at an all-time low.

After such a varied and successful career, he brings a range of skills to the position of ACS chief executive.

Seeking to build on the good work already carried out by his predecessor, Arthur Dyster, and by the various elected officials and paid staff, Dennis plans to emphasise a culture of quality and service in which members are treated as customers.

"This approach does not detract from their special privileges and relationship they should enjoy as members. The ACS can potentially learn a lot from the world of customer service, applying this as appropriate in providing services and support for its members.

"In the world of quality management, everyone has a customer, whether it be in relation to an employee, co-worker, peer, someone buying your products or services, or in the case of the ACS, the relationship our national and state offices have with our membership base.

"We at ACS National Office need to provide the best possible products and services to our members, working to meet their current and future needs in the most effective and efficient manner possible.

"My key goals are to grow the membership to make it more representative of the number and diversity of roles held by IT&T professionals, and to raise both the profile and credibility of the Society within industry, education and the wider community.

"I'm excited about the challenges ahead and the opportunities for the ACS to make a solid contribution to addressing issues such as the skills crisis, and to enhance the support we provide to members operating in this fast-changing and highly demanding industry," he said.

Planning your IT&T career

The changing face of the IT&T industry and the current skills crisis are having a significant impact on the way IT&T professionals approach their careerWhile the emphasis during the 1980s and early 90s was on permanent employment, in recent years we've seen a marked swing away from only job applicants only considering permanent positions.

For example, in the early 1990s, 65 per cent of IT&T applicants targeted only permanent positions, while 25 per cent specified contract labour only, with the remainder open to either option.

Currently we're seeing around 40 per cent of IT&T applicants specifying either permanent or contract labour.

In the next couple of years, we're expecting to see that trend move even further, with predictions that 85 per cent of professionals will consider either contract or permanent positions and only 15 per cent will only seek permanent roles.

This quite dramatic shift has been accompanied by rapidly declining employment tenure figures, with the average job being held for between 18 months and two years, compared to the 20+ year tenure quoted for the 1950s.

The skills shortage means that professionals hold a strong negotiating position in the current market; however there are still several things you need to do to ensure your career progresses according to your own personal goals.

The rapid pace of technological change means that professionals must keep abreast of the latest trends and constantly retrain themselves in new and emerging tools and techniques.

With the exception of the current Y2K problem and perhaps upcoming GST work, professionals cannot expect to be able to rely on a single skill set for an extended length of time.

We are likely to see a surplus of Cobol programming skills in the market once current Y2K and GST work is completed and programmers specialising in these areas should already be preparing themselves to move into other fields during 2000.

Certainly it can be difficult to predict what the next "flavour" will be, but current predictions point to continued strong growth in demand for Linux, Java and various Internet skills as well as database and Windows NT expertise.

While technical skills play an important part of most IT&T roles, organisations are increasingly looking for professionals with in-depth business knowledge and experience.

Professionals wanting to move into upper management should consider pursuing an MBA, accounting degree or other business qualification since these are regarded highly by employers, as is on-the-ground experience in business processes.

Business-related IT&T roles have far more exposure to senior management, and people in these roles are often considered to be far more valuable to the business, and presented with greater opportunity for advancement, than those with specialist technical skills alone.

The universities have recognised this situation, incorporating a growing proportion of business education into their IT&T courses. Of course, it's not essential to have a university degree to enjoy a successful career in IT&T, but if you're applying for positions in competition with tertiary qualified people, you are immediately disadvantaged.

In such a competitive market, employers are recognising the need to provide ongoing training and professional development to help retain staff. There is also an increasing emphasis on helping staff to plan their career as part of a performance development program and succession plan.

For smaller companies or independent consultants, there are numerous resources available on the Internet (check out the specialist recruiting sites like mycareer.com.au and monsterboard.com.au) and through the ACS to help you build strong networks and access quality professional development activities.

Industry events such as the IT Career Job Blitz also provide a valuable opportunity for professionals to obtain free advice, meet with potential employers in a relaxed, noncommittal environment, and benchmark yourselves against colleagues and peers.

Rob Sternstein in Business Development Manager at Morgan & Banks TechnologyRecognising IT&T professionalism at ANZThe ACS Professional Recognition Program, announced in the May issue of Information Age, is enjoying widespread success, with more than 35 organisations already committed to paying the cost of ACS membership for their IT&T professionalsMany of Australia's leading Internet recruitment Web sites and agencies as well as several consulting service firms have agreed to promote and give preference to ACS membership when recruiting IT professionalsSupport for the program has been particularly strong from professional services companies, recruitment agencies and the financial sector, with names like ANZ, Aspect Computing, CSC Australia, Ernst & Young, GIO Australia, Macquarie Bank and National Investment Management figuring high on the list.

ANZ takes very seriously its responsibilities as a employer, and has been offering professional membership to its staff as an employee benefit for several years.

The bank's executive manager, resource management for IT, Brian Peters, said the past 12 months has seen greater emphasis on professionalism, with the organisation actively encouraging staff to seek professional membership in both technical and project management areas.

"We respect the ACS as a professional body in an industry which is dominated by commercial considerations," said Mr Peters.

"We have found that membership of a professional society provides an external benchmark for professional conduct, and people tend to show greater commitment both to their work and to the profession in general."

With 1500 IT staff spread across four major sites -- Australia, New Zealand, India and the UK -- ANZ has extensive internal training and professional development activities as well as clearly defined frameworks for performance management and remuneration management.

The bank is working on a strategy to use the ACS Core Body of Knowledge as a road map alongside its Global Learning Framework (GLF) to help identify ways in which the program could be enhanced or refined.

"Our Global Learning Framework supports our broadband capability-based career structure with learning and development events to help our people enhance their skills and progress in their careers," said Mr Peters.

"The GLF provides events and activities in three main streams -- development or technical, business consulting and project. It's a living document which responds not only to internal changes in our architecture and environment, but also provides access to training relating to new and emerging technologies that may fall outside the bank's operation.

"This is where the Core Body of Knowledge is particularly helpful, because it provides an external benchmark to our own framework to enable us to keep the GLF very current and relevant to the needs of our IT professionals," he said.

"Twelve months ago we were experiencing staff turnover rates of around 20 per cent in IT, which is unsustainable when you consider that technology is a major change enabler for us, particularly in the areas of electronic commerce.

"Today that rate has dropped to just under six per cent, primarily because of our approach to staff development and remuneration," said Mr Peters.

"The GLF has been very important both for retention and recruitment, with existing and potential employees responding very favourably to such a progressive and comprehensive professional development program," he said.