The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) and the Tech Council of Australia (TCA) have today announced a signed agreement ahead of the Government’s Jobs and Skills Summit.
The ACTU and the TCA attended the Digital and Tech roundtable convened by the Minister for Industry and Science, the Hon Ed Husic MP, on Wednesday 17 August.
Kate Pounder, CEO, TCA said, “The roundtable discussion made the ACTU and the Tech Council realise that we had areas of common ground. We are entering into this agreement to put that on the public record going into the Jobs and Skills Summit. We also want to thank the Minister for Industry and Science for his leadership in bringing unions and industry together.”
The ACTU and the TCA agreement includes the need for new, modern digital apprenticeships, reform to the skills, training and immigration systems to the mutual benefit of employers and employees in the technology sector, and more focus on assisting women and under-represented groups to participate in tech jobs.
The agreement recognises the key principles the ACTU and TCA have reached consensus on. The ACTU and TCA believe these ideas represent important and achievable reforms that will help more Australians enter well-paid, fast-growing future jobs.
Sally McManus, Secretary, ACTU said “Technology is rapidly advancing, economies and workforces across the world are changing – for Australia to keep up its critical that we invest in skilling and training our workers.
“Every major Australian industry is entwined with the tech sector, and it’s important that for workers to get ahead we work together, are ambitious, and get skills, training and wages moving at the upcoming Jobs Summit.”
“Tech jobs are critical to Australia’s future. “These jobs are critical to every major industry in the Australian economy. They are amongst the fastest-growing, best-paid, most secure, and most flexible jobs in Australia. They have half the gender pay gap of other high-paying industries. We have both an economic and moral imperative to ensure that as many Australians as possible can enter them.”
The three key policy ideas include the establishment of a new, modern Australian Digital Apprenticeship to create more inclusive pathways into tech jobs for a broader range of Australians. They also include expedited consideration of highly skilled, highly paid skilled migration places where there are clear skills shortages, and where these roles can provide valuable coaching and expertise to the local workforce. Finally, they include improved access to tech jobs for women, people with a disability and indigenous Australians to make sure the full range of Australians can participate in the high-paid, secure jobs of the future.
Sally McManus said “Our gender pay gap will continue until woman dominant industries are paid adequately and higher paid male dominant industries are more accessible to women. Investing in skilling and training women is part of how we will get there.
Kate Pounder said “Getting more Australians into tech jobs is one of the most impactful levers available to meet the broader policy goals of the Jobs Summit. This includes lifting productivity and wages without creating inflationary pressures, increasing job security, addressing the gender pay gap and improving employment outcomes for disadvantaged Australians” she said.
The Agreement
About the TCA
The Tech Council of Australia is the peak industry body for Australia’s tech sector. With over 160 members, the Tech Council comprises the full spectrum of tech companies. The Tech Council has three goals:
● Employ 1.2 million people in tech jobs by 2030
● Contribute $250bn to GDP from tech-related activity by 2030
● Make Australia the best place to start and scale a company
Media enquiries
Sofia Polak, Akin Agency
0434 275 449
media@techcouncil.com.au
