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ACS news

ACS staff, Information Age

13/06/2006 13:37:26

Record growth for ACS Foundation in 2006

The ACS Foundation is heading for another record year with at least 150 ICT university scholarships to be distributed in 2006. This is largely due to more than $2m in government and corporate support.

The Foundation has benefited from strong industry backing for the Work Integrated Learning (WIL) scholarships, which combine a university degree program with up to a year of full-time relevant, project-based experience with a leading corporation.

Chairman of the ACS Foundation's board, John Debrincat of eCorner, said the WIL program is quickly becoming the dominant thrust of the Foundation's activities.

"The industry has responded really well to the Work Integrated Learning scholarships as organisations come to grips with the fact that there is a looming problem with regard to sourcing relevant ICT skills in the workplace. It's an important issue for most organisations that use ICT capabilities.

"We're experiencing a situation where salaries are starting to go up and some skills are simply not available. There's a significant need for this kind of program and it will inevitably become the vast majority of what we do," he said.

The popularity of the WIL program stems from the fact that it gives students invaluable hands-on experience working with real-life projects that relate to their academic studies.

Not only does it enable the scholarship recipients to overcome the biggest hurdle facing any new graduate - the lack of relevant work experience and understanding exactly what skills are valuable to industry - but it gives employers the chance to evaluate some of the industry's best new talent as potential future employees.

The Foundation's executive director, John Ridge, said he was delighted to be able to advance the careers of so many talented students this year.

"The nurture and careful placement of graduates is critical as the ICT industry confronts a growing shortage of skilled professionals," he said.

"The ACS Foundation works closely with industry to match university-level talent with real-world opportunities. This ensures that graduates are well trained and eased into the right kind of roles within the ICT sector. We encourage talented young professionals to remain within the Australian industry for the long term."

He welcomed a new agreement with Corporate Express, which has committed to fund 10 ICT scholarships over the next 12 months.

Marcus Heron, who heads Corporate Express's IT Services Division, said the scholarship students will be split between the company's internal IT resources and IT sales divisions, in roles ranging from help desk, software development and project management through to pre-sales and integration.

"We're also offering ACS members the opportunity to accrue funds for their own ACS Foundation scholarships by encouraging their organisation to start trading with us," he said.

"For every new customer associated with the ACS, Corporate Express will place a percentage of all funds invested in our ICT software, hardware and services into a special fund. The money will be presented to the ACS Foundation once a quarter on behalf of that company, either to help fund a scholarship within that organisation, or support ICT-related projects in the community," he explained.

Ridge said the Corporate Express proposal represented an exciting opportunity to significantly increase the number and range of organisations involved in supporting the ACS Foundation.

"This is a fantastic initiative and one that we are delighted to promote to ACS members. Corporate Express offers a very professional and competitive service and is experiencing rapid growth. By encouraging their companies to take advantage of Corporate Express's ICT offerings, ACS members can provide a way for the ACS Foundation to leverage some of that growth in the interests of ICT students and long-term growth for the sector," he said.

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PC refurb program is a win for everyone

By extending the life of old PCs, the SA branch of the ACS is offering an introduction to computing to those in its community otherwise denied its benefits - and the chance of a job for those on the dole.

After forming a PC-Recyclers special interest group in 2000, the branch has grown its recycling and refurbishing project to the stage where it is a Microsoft Authorised Refurbisher and is a recognised activity in the Work for the Dole scheme.

In what branch chair Brenda Aynsley calls "a small contribution to bridging the digital divide", the program has been so developed and refined that its model could be readily adopted by other state branches.

"The ACS, in providing the SIG, is enabling its members and others to give back to the community through this activity," she says.

"In making if not free then certainly cheap computers available to the community, it's a no/low risk way of getting ICT to people who otherwise wouldn't have a computer and the opportunity to learn to use it to exploit the enabling technologies it supports.

"We do not compete with small businesses for the new computer dollar, an important principle since we think that the people who get computers from us just wouldn't have the means to buy a brand new machine.

"But having one of ours may encourage them to budget for something bigger, better and brighter - in which case our SMEs benefit from a sale they wouldn't otherwise get."

The SIG takes in any donated machines of Pentium II/200MHz or above, reconditions them and loads appropriately licensed or open source operating systems and applications for word processing, spread-sheeting and games.

However, if a recipient has special software or equipment needs, the SIG will do what it can to meet them.

Its Microsoft authorisation means that Windows 98SE can be provided free to eligible recipients.

While it's a volunteer-based service, the SIG still has overheads to meet and earlier this year Pentium II boxes to 400MHz cost $50, Pentium III to 1GHz cost $150 and Pentium IV $200

Recipients in rural areas will have their computer freighted to them free wherever possible. Waiting time for a computer is currently about four weeks.

To be eligible for a PC with Microsoft software, an applicant must • have a current Health Care, Aged Pension or Disability Cards, or • documented disadvantage (low income etc), or • be a charity or non-profit organisation, or • a school registered in Australia by the relevant authority, or • a TAFE college.

Used boxes are given by companies as upgrades come around and are usually three or four years old. They won't support high-end gaming but are still reliable and effective workhorses, particularly after having been checked and fixed by the SIG's volunteers.

The refurb work was expanded in 2004 when in conjunction with the Salvation Army's Employment Plus Community work programs, a work for the dole program called ACS Community Computers was added.

It provides training in hardware and software maintenance for the SIG's volunteers and those working for welfare.

"In offering a work-like environment for volunteers and W4D participants, we are able to provide references and sometimes referrals based on work experience which can lead to positive job outcomes.

"This is hard to achieve but we work constantly to leverage our ACS networks."

And if a donated PC or its innards are just too far gone to be saved, anything dumped goes to an ecologically friendly (and licensed) scrap metal merchant.

"In refurbishing what would otherwise be dumped, we are extending the productive use of resources for another 18 months or so to give deserving people access to technology which is taken for granted by people in better circumstances."

People with PCs available for the program should contact Stefan Kreslin on 0401 495 010 or e-mail acscomcomp@internode.on.net.

Branches (or others) interested in adopting the program as a community service should contact SA branch. Further details at www.acs.org.au.

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Smartcard will use Australian smarts The ACS has been assured by Human Services Minister Joe Hockey that advice and resourcing for the Federal Government's proposed Smartcard project will be sought first from within Australia.

ACS President Philip Argy said: "I am pleased to have the personal assurance of Human Services Minister Joe Hockey that Australian expertise will be the first resort for the development of the Smartcard which will replace 17 health and welfare cards.

"I accept the Minister's approach that, where there are better credentialed individuals offshore for particular facets of the Smartcard project, it is appropriate for them to be engaged -- but I made it plain to the Minister that it should not be assumed that all requisite expertise was offshore. "We have a wealth of talent within our ICT industry; this important project provides an opportunity to deploy and showcase that talent to the benefit of all Australians." The Smartcard is scheduled for introduction from 2008 at a cost of $1bn, and is predicted to save $3bn over 10 years.

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ACS and AIIA extend partnership agreement The ACS has extended its partnership agreement with the AIIA (Australian Information Industry Association) and will sponsor the association's e-newsletter, The Bulletin, for the next year.

"We are very pleased that the ACS has come on board to sponsor our fortnightly e-news publication, The Bulletin, said AIIA's CEO, Rob Durie. "This is a very exciting partnership between Australia's leading ICT industry association (AIIA) and the key organisation representing ICT professionals (ACS). The two organisations are committed to working together for the good of the industry as a whole," he said. As part of the sponsorship agreement, The Bulletin will feature an ACS advertisement in each fortnightly edition and also a monthly editorial piece from ACS, designed to give insight into the work the organisation does within the ICT industry, particularly through the ACS Foundation, which AIIA proudly endorses. ACS President Philip Argy said: "We are absolutely thrilled to be able to announce this very important partnership. We believe the collaborative approach between ACS and AIIA is important for the future growth of the ICT industry. "ACS and AIIA already work closely together on projects such as the ACS Foundation and AIIA's iAwards. We look forward to growing our engagement with AIIA through their reputable Bulletin publication."

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Y shd i work 4 u?

Future Gen Y "employers of choice" must embrace new communications technologies Australian employers must embrace new communications technologies as part of their workplace tools or they will fail to attract and retain the new generation of tech savvy workers the ACS says. In an ACS policy and guide for employers entitled The Uncollared Workforce, ACS President Philip Argy cited three factors that will combine to shift market power to employees for the first time in over two decades: 1. The impact of new communications technologies such as wireless communications on the younger "Gen Y" worker; 2. The retirement of thousands of Australia's baby boomers in five to ten years; 3. Ongoing, and increasing skill shortages - particularly in the ICT industry. "Technology will have far greater influence in the workforce in coming years and it will play an enormous role in productivity, cost-efficiency and staff retention," Argy said. "Generation Y workers are already embracing the more flexible options made available by new technologies such as wireless communications. As office and home environments continue to merge, this will create what we are calling an Uncollared Workforce with workers seeking out employers that best meet their lifestyle requirements. "With the growing impact of skills shortages confronting most industries in Australia, forward thinking organisations will review their workplace arrangements now to make sure they can cater for greater flexibility," Argy said. The ACS policy includes a range of recommendations for employers wanting to keep pace with the new Uncollared Workforce. These include: • Use multimode communications for meetings and decision making i.e. MMS, SMS, e-mail and mobile phone; • Implement an outcomes-focused, project-based work environment rather than hourly-based work or clock watching "nine to five" culture; • Allow workers to set up multiple work locations or multiple office spaces; • Implement permission structures and workplace culture that allows workers to exercise work/life options and integrate work with other aspects of their lives; • Develop roles with fluid job descriptions and flatter work structures; • Offer flexibility in pay structures and working hours that reward hard work with increased salary, but also allow options for reducing salary and number of hours worked for study or family time; • Facilitate greater personalisation of working environments i.e. social development, parenting time and personal development programs. • Provide a work environment that encourages ongoing skill development and offers options to use these skills. "To be effective in this new workforce, all professionals - particularly those aspiring to managerial roles - must have an understanding of technology systems and their applications. As part of this awareness, students completing higher education courses would be well placed to consider including ICT subjects in their degree," Argy said.

"Australian corporate structures will have to undergo radical changes to meet the work/life demands of Generation Y, who do not put priority on being in the office for twelve hours a day just to fit the corporate culture and climb corporate ladders," he explains.

"For them, it's about working productively and flexibly to achieve KPIs and required outcomes. It is also vital that employers demonstrate leadership and provide the right kind of development and training to retain this new generation of worker."

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ACS: Make ICT a national priority

The ACS has called on the Federal Government to ensure ICT is a national priority following the release of the 2006/07 Budget.

ACS president Philip Argy said the Budget initiatives of greatest value to the ICT industry are those designed to stimulate growth for SMEs. Argy said the Australian ICT sector is largely made up of small to medium size enterprises.

"This is the heartland territory for much of our technology innovation, and it is where our greatest potential lies for ICT export growth," he said.

"For this reason, we are particularly encouraged by the venture capital initiatives in this year's Budget, including $200 million for technology development via an innovation investment fund program and a further $73 million for Invest Australia."

The ACS also highlighted the $495 million overhaul of Department of Immigration computer systems.

Argy called upon DIMIA to structure the tender so it fully considers local SMEs, and not just the larger suppliers.

"ICT forms the backbone on which Australian industry functions, facilitating productivity and cost efficiency across most Australian businesses. Recent studies have shown ICT's contribution to GDP is now greater than that of agriculture, forestry and fishing, defence and education," he said.

"We are calling on the Government to ensure we continue to leverage the contribution made by our ICT sector to the nation's overall economic welfare by ensuring ICT and the health of the ICT sector is treated as a national priority.

"We feel this will be achieved most efficiently via the creation of a long-term government and industry supported national ICT plan."

Little money for Australian ICT overall

Despite increased funding for major government IT projects such as the $1.1 billion smartcard rollout, there was little left in the kitty for industry initiatives or programs announced by IT Minister Senator Helen Coonan.

The minister has made available $33.1 million for a Do Not Call Register to protect consumers from telemarketers, but little else. This project is being touted as a "significant" IT initiative.

The focus was on funding initiatives for TV and radio broadcasting, orchestras, youth festivals and sporting events.

Despite the dearth of cash, Argy said the focus should be on changing tender processes so they are not written with a preferred winner in mind.

"My general approach is don't look for cash as it is not what the industry needs; it needs conduct and catalysing behaviours for innovation," he said.

"I met with the minister and want to see changes to the way government procurement operates, with more [innovative] pilot installations. "Australia has a massive risk-averse problem; my view is that we don't need cash handouts but opportunities."

Argy also said more resources need to be made available to Austrade to support industry's development capability.

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Technologists in the Public Interest In the last edition of Information Age I outlined the background and broad purpose of Technologists In the Public Interest (TPI), a major event supported by the ACS, the Queensland State Government and the Queensland ICT Industry workgroup which represents nine major ICT associations in the state. TIPI will strive to reach and act on consensus about the following: A cohesive identity: there is no agreed local, national or international classification system defining the ICT industry. We lack a strong brand name: think doctor, lawyer, accountant versus IT, IT&T, ICT and computer professional or geek, nerd and propeller-head and we have no agreed specialisation convention: think civil, mechanical, electrical engineer. A competence framework: what are the base skills our industry workforce needs to practise and additional skills, knowledge, experience and qualifications required, to meet particular specialisations? For example, "security specialist". An ethical framework: preliminary research and analysis indicates that no adequate integrity system has yet been developed for the ICT industry - in Australia or the world at large. A governance structure: currently, the industry is represented by many associations in a laissez-faire arrangement. There is no peak body to drive our industry into the future, to forge strong and sustainable links to the education, business, government and community sectors, market our industry and establish and uphold ethical standards of practice. Through TIPI, the education; government; industry; business and community sectors of the ICT community have been engaged to debate and reach consensus about the issues. There are five sector-specific workshops and two all-sector events, the last on June 23 (which adjoins the Queensland State Government-led National Skills Summit on 21-22 June). On May 3 the education sector attended the first of the sector-specific workshops, creating much positive feedback. At the end of the sector workshops we will have a good idea about where we have high levels of consensus and where we do not. This will provide a strong framework to complete designs for the all-sector events. Research papers have also been completed and these act as resource material and thought starters for attendees. The papers cover Safety Critical Systems, Security Certification, Ethics and how traditional professions (Engineering, Financial Planners, Law and Teaching) have addressed the four issues listed above. The Premier of Queensland will deliver his annual address to the ICT industry on August 11, with the National Skills Summit and TIPI featuring prominently.

-- Mark Lloyd, Chair, Queensland branch.

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Western Australians honour ICT innovation

Perth-based entrepreneur and innovator Nathan Buzza of CommtechWireless was named Achiever of the Year in the 15th WA IT&T Awards (WAITTA) held at Burswood Resort Convention Centre recently.

Given for an individual's outstanding contribution to ICT in WA, the recognition joins a lengthening list of honours for Buzza and his company which has created a range of internationally recognised paging and messaging systems.

Learning computer programming skills while convalescing from brain surgery at 14, he created computer game Qubert soon after. His company went on to develop Nursecall, and the world's first three-tier paging software, BASEPage.

CommtechWireless devotes 15 per cent of its gross revenues to R&D.

More than 400 guests attended the presentation dinner including Jaye Radisich, MP for Swan Hills (representing the Premier); Deputy Premier Eric Ripper; Ben Wyatt, MP for Victoria Park; Shadow Communications Minister Tony Simpson (representing the Leader of the Opposition); and ACS President Philip Argy.

The WA IT & T Awards have been conducted annually since 1991 by the WA branch of the ACS. This year, 61 entries were received in 10 categories with 33 finalists shortlisted to make submissions to the judging panels. The Innovation category was the most hotly contested with a total of 11 entries.

Awards went to: • Exporter: RAWsat for remote communications systems • Infrastructure: Messages On Hold Australia • Innovation: Thumtronics for The Thummer • Online: Department of Land Information for Land Enquiry System • Product: iTech Consulting for ReadOn • Regional: City of Bunbury and Sinclair Knight Merz for The South West Electronic Library (SWEL) • Service Delivery & Training: Council on the Ageing for Seniors Technology Centre • Student Project (Peter Fillery Award): Simon Newton for Art-Net • Telecommunications: iiNet for iiNet VoIP service

Gold sponsors were the ACS Foundation, AIIA, Dept of Industry & Resources, Elk Consultants, iiNet, Edith Cowan University, Murdoch University School of IT, The University of WA School of Computer Science & Software Engineering, Thomson NETg and Westinfo Services, WA Internet Association, WebCentral and The West Australian.

Silver sponsors: Curtin University of Technology, School of Information Systems, Department of Local Government & Regional Development, Oracle Australia and the Water Corporation.

WAITTA is unique in enjoying support across industry, government and academia as well as professional and industry associations.

Further information at www.waitta.asn.au

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YIT conference promises rare insights, view of the future

The ACS YIT Board is busy putting the final touches on plans for the annual ACS Young IT Professionals Conference, to be held from July 6 and 7 at the Brisbane Mercure with the theme of "Advancing Your Career".

The jam-packed agenda features over a dozen high-profile speakers from across industry and government, including: • Queensland Minister for Small Business, Information Technology Policy, and Multicultural Affairs Chris Cummins • ACS President Philip Argy • Suncorp Metway's Fulton Smith • Microsoft's Jeff Alexander • Steve Rudlin of Sun Microystems • Deloitte's Peter Bars • Lindy MacPherson of Data#3 and more.

Participants will gain valuable insights into the current state of the ICT industry, future directions and trends, public sector issues, essential business skills, the art of networking and what's involved in working overseas, along with valuable opportunities to connect with speakers and other participants.

Be part of a conference that helps you learn the skills essential to becoming a successful ICT professional. Build relationships with industry experts, and other like-minded peers. Whether you're applying for your first job, getting your first promotion, or taking the next step into management, the ACS National Young IT Professional Conference is not to be missed.

For more information, see https://www.acs.org.au/youngit/2006conference/index.htm

Delegates at last year's YIT Conference were delighted by the content and networking opportunities. According to one participant: "The conference was fantastic; lots of great speakers giving insights and advice," while another said: "The networking opportunities were 'gold' -- I never thought I would be mixing it with the ACS CEO and other important people."

So do yourself a favour and plan to attend the 2006 YIT Conference. You'll be glad you did.

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Victoria awards first ICT scholarship for women

First-year multimedia student Rim Beaini has been awarded the $45,000 inaugural Deakin-Coles Myer IT Scholarship for Women by Victoria's ITC Minister Marsha Thomson.

The Bracks Government contributed $15,000 to the scholarship, which provides a two-year industry project with Coles Myer, including a three-week vacation placement this year, and a six-month industry internship next year.

"The Bracks Government has collaborated with Deakin University and Coles Myer to offer this very talented young woman a fantastic opportunity as part of our $1.9 million ICT scholarships package," the Minister said.

"Our ICT skills base in Victoria is internationally recognised; we know that one of our industry's greatest strengths lies in the talent and innovation of its people.

"Our ICT Industry Skills Scholarships work to link study and industry-based learning to ensure students graduate job-ready.

"These scholarships also support students to gain business skills and commercial know-how, addressing one of the main workforce development needs of today's ICT sector."

Rim Beaini, of Dandenong, said she had always dreamed of pursuing a career in ICT.

"I have always been very passionate about IT," she said.

"It has always been the more creative aspect of the industry that I have aspired to, such as programming and Web design/development. This is because of the creative input required in these jobs, allowing a flexibility I do not feel other, more technical, jobs would offer me."

Thomson said the scholarships were just one part of the Victorian Government ICT Industry Plan which is working to grow innovation in the local ICT sector.

"Skilled graduates and a strong ICT workforce are what we need to keep our domestic industry growing, and to strengthen our competitive advantage on the global stage," she said.

"As a woman in the ICT field, I especially congratulate Rim Beaini on winning this fantastic opportunity - and we hope that these types of scholarships show women that they have an important role to play in this sector.

"Over the past decade, women have consistently made up less than 25 per cent of the ICT workforce, so we are proud to offer our support to young women choosing careers in ICT.

"We have also established the Victorian Women in ICT Network, spearheaded by a high-powered group of representatives, so women can find encouragement to start and stay in successful ICT careers.

"We'd like to see programs like these scholarships and networks taken up nationally, because Australia really needs proactive initiatives to grow and sustain its vibrant, innovative and internationally competitive ICT industry."