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APESMA survey finds work/life balance key issue for female IT professionals

Echoing the findings of the latest annual survey of 10,000 workers conducted by the Centre for Work and Life at the University of South Australia, a survey by APESMA has found work/life balance to be a key issue for female IT professionals. Click here to visit the APESMA Survey report and here to read the Australian Work and Life Index report.

New survey identifies ageism in IT sector

A new Australian Computer Society survey - Improving Age Diversity in the ICT Workforce Report - has detailed the widespread impact of age discrimination in the IT sector. The report found that Australia’s mature-age worker participation rate was below that of comparable countries such as Canada, United Kingdom, New Zealand and the United States, and that the key factors in workplace discrimination against older workers included being less healthy or more prone to disability, being underqualified or having obsolete skills. unable to learn new skills, being over qualified, unable to adapt to new or younger work cultures, looking towards retirement so not worth training, resistant to change and less adaptive to new technologies. The ITPA acknowledges the economic and social costs of age discrimination in the IT sector and is committed to partnering with business and industry to investigate ageism in IT and support measures which will bring about attitudinal and institutional change. Read the report in full at http://www.acs.org.au/index.cfm?action=load&temID=noticedetails&notID=1049 and the ITPA's policy position on gender and diversity issues in IT at http://www.apesma.asn.au/professions/itpa/pdfs/diversity-and-gender-issues-in-it.pdf.

IT supplier engagement principles unlikely to be effective

The Federal Government has developed a set of principles intended to govern the way it engages with IT and communications suppliers. The principles were created to address a Gershon review recommendation for client and supplier codes of conduct. To read the principles, visit http://www.finance.gov.au/procurement/ict-procurement/docs/RG_2716_DOFD_B_DL_Pamphlet_FA.pdf. APESMA's ITPA believes the principles - which are voluntary and not a precondition for suppliers seeking Australian Government business - will have little effect as a means of ensuring the contract terms under which IT contractors are engaged are fair.

IT portfolios stay with incumbents ... for now

The two significant IT portfolios have been left unchanged in Julia Gillard's cabinet reshuffle. Senator Stephen Conroy holds on to the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy. Lindsay Tanner retains the Department Finance and Deregulation, under which responsibility for the Government IT consolidation led by the Australian Government Information Office (AGIMO) falls, until he retires at the next Federal election. Gillard has not indicated who will succeed Tanner.

Tech sector hiring defies global economic uncertainty

The technology employment market charged ahead in May, with online positions vacant jumping 5.92 per cent, seasonally adjusted, a survey shows. Read more at Australian IT here

New survey confirms that women make up only 22 per cent of IT workforce

A survey by recruiting firm Greythorn has found that only 22 per cent of workers in the IT sector are female, and that females are less likely to make the transition to IT management. Read more at http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/349308/gender_imbalance_it_white_elephant_/.

Need for protection of Award-reliant IT professionals highlighted in APESMA submission

APESMA has highlighted the need for Award-reliant professionals including IT professionals to have the protection of a minimum Award safety net. Read APESMA's submission in full at http://www.fwa.gov.au/sites/wagereview2010/submissions/APESMA_sub_awr0910.doc

Contractors flee Canberra in search of private money

Contractors have left Canberra and the public sector behind as they seek higher pay in Sydney and Melbourne, according to the latest statistics from recruitment firm Peoplebank. Read more at http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/346890/contractors_flee_canberra_search_private_money/?eid=-6787 (Computerworld 18.5.2010).

Report slams cull of IT contractors

Federal government plans to halve IT contractor numbers in two years, as part of the Gershon Review into IT spending, have been savaged in a new report for failing to understand the market. The report, produced for ITCRA has estimated that the contractor cull will cost recruitment firms $295 million over two years (AFR 17.5.2010).

Survey reveals demand for senior and niche IT skills

A Randstad survey has found high demand for niche skills and senior resources, particularly in areas such as project management, business analysts and solution architects. The report also indicated 70 per cent of organisations in IT&T believe the skills shortage is already in evidence with new project work creating demand for technical professionals. Read more at http://www.randstad.com.au/about-randstad/world-of-work/employee-survey-reveals-it-senior-experience-in-hot-demand.html.

Budget delivers for ICT

In its May budget, the Government has allocated additional funds for e-health, the NBN, an e-passport system, a whole of government data centre strategy and biometric checking systems. Read more at www.computerworld.com.au.

Australian R&D gaining ground but still well below other OECD countries

Technology consulting firm Capital Technic Group has found that Australian business R&D spending at 1.3% of GDP was well below the OECD average of 1.6%. On a more positive note, a report on Australia's Innovation System has found that Australia's gross expenditure on research and development (GERD) has grown at an annual rate of 6.1 per cent over the last 22 years in real terms. Read more at www.researchcentre.com.au.

IT Supplier Advocate appointed

Don Easter has been appointed Information Technology Supplier Advocate to champion local small-to-medium enterprises in the government IT procurement market and lead business development initiatives aimed at making the sector more competitive.  » read more

Skills shortages mean IT salaries on the increase

The latest Peoplebank survey has found upward pressure on IT salaries as a result of increasing national demand for IT professionals.  » read more

ITPA lobbies for business incentives to limit loss of Australian IT jobs

The ITPA has lobbied Canberra to consider business incentives to limit the loss of Australian jobs further to the offshoring of AAPT and IBM jobs to the Philippines, China and India. Read the letter to Stephen Conroy, Minister for Broadband, Communications & the Digital Economy plus ITPA's policy on offshoring.

IT offshoring costing Australian jobs

AAPT has confirmed that 31 staff from Sydney and Brisbane have been made redundant as the company shifts jobs offshore to the Philippines. This follows IBM moving 150 positions from Sydney and Melbourne to offshore centres in India and China. Read more at www.znet.com.au.

Reinecke to review Gershon outcomes

Dr. Ian Reinecke has been engaged by Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner to conduct an independent review of progress of the implementation of the Gershon Review Recommendations.  » read more

NBN Co developments

The NBN Co has released its request for capability statement from companies capable of laying around 200,000 kilometres of fibre across Australia at the end of March with plans to release its request for proposal for design and construction work in June or July. This occurred alongside the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy announcing the appointment of Harrison Young as Chairperson of the Board of NBN Co Limited.

APESMA submission to 2010 Minimum Wage Review highlights IT professionals' pay

APESMA has made its submission to Fair Work Australia supporting the ACTU's claim for a $27 a week increase.  » read more

Federal Government ICT contracts down

Intermedium's recently released Labour Hire Report for the second quarter of 2009.  » read more

IT job ads down in January

According to the Olivier Job Index IT jobs were down slightly for January. Bucking the trends across the states, IT job ads in QLD rose 9.91 per cent.

Google opting out of China

In response to what appears to be a state-sponsored hacking incident with the Chinese government gaining limited access to the gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activitists, Google has said it will no longer censor search results in China. This could see the Google site blocked and their effective exclusion from the world's largest internet market. Read more at www.computerworld.com.au

National internet filter protests on 26 January and 6 March

Protests against the Federal Government's proposed ISP filtering legislation are planned for the first quarter of 2010. The Great Australian Internet Blackout and Electronic Frontiers Australia groups are organising online protests for the 26 January, the Block the Filter group has scheduled a protest for 6 March. Read more at www.zdnet.com.au

Modest increase in Government's use of IT contractors after cutbacks

Intermedium research forecasts an increase in demand for IT contractors in the April 2010 quarter with IT projects to be undertaken by Centrelink, Medicare, Human Services and the Child Support Agency.  » read more

PC report finds comparatively lower salaries for IT execs

The Productivity Commission's report on executive remuneration has found strong growth in exec pay since the 1990s but differential increases across sectors.  » read more

Government introduces mandatory ISP filtering

Following a recent successful trial with nine ISPs, the Rudd Government will introduce legislative amendments to the Broadcasting Services Act which will require ISPs to block "Refused Classification" material hosted on overseas servers.  » read more

ICT skill shortages in decline alongside moderate salary increases expected for 2010

The 2009 DEEWR ICT vacancy index has found that vacancies have decreased significantly over the last six months in response to the GFC.  » read more

IT contract and permanent hires on the rise

In the ICT industry 25.5 per cent of employers confirmed their intention to increase their permanent hires according to the latest Hudson Survey of employer hiring intentions.  » read more

Federal government technology hires down

Federal government technology labour hire contracts are down by more than 35 per cent from July last year to May this year...  » read more

Gershon review leads to most significant reductions in IT hires for 7 years

Cost-cutting measures introduced following the Gershon review into federal government technology spending have led to the most significant reductions in technology labour hiring in more than seven years.  » read more

IBM opens $10.8m Technology Park in Ballarat

IBM have opened their new headquarters at the University of Ballarat.  » read more

QLD government restructures IT function

The Queensland Government has split its IT office into three  » read more

Market update - June/July 2010 - signs of tightening talent pool in IT

Industry analysts generally forecast a positive outlook for the Australian economy as fiscal stimulus measures continue to support the economy and underpin consumer and business confidence. While recovery has moderated and in some sectors plateaued, and the impact of the transfer of debt from the financial to the public sector globally in the longer-term remains largely unknown, an improving employment environment, positive hiring intentions alongside a likely increase in IT spending should mean an improving outlook for local IT Professionals for the remainder of 2010 and into 2011. Read more ...

Market update – April 2010

Latest figures indicate a positive turnaround in the IT labour market but increasing uncertainty for contractors

The March 2010 Olivier job index showed IT permanent hires up by 8.4% on the March 2009 figure with the exception of graduate hires which were down 3.6%. The latest Hudson report indicated that over 40% of employers expected to increase their permanent IT hires in the second quarter of 2010 while a global international survey saw 30% of respondents reporting that they expected their employer to hire "somewhat" in 2010, outnumbering the 14.3% who expected a decrease in hiring. The Hudson ICT Salary Survey also predicted that business will reduce their contract positions in favour of permanent staff in 2010 (www.computerworld.com.au).

Market update – February 2010

The IMF has revised its growth forecast for the world economy in 2010 up from its October 2009 prediction of 3.1 per cent to 3.9 per cent. They forecast 2 per cent growth in 2010 and 3 per cent growth in 2011 for Australia but have said that due to the instability which characterises the recovery, fiscal policies and planned stimulus measures should remain in place.

Hays' Grahame Doyle reports 12-month highs for recruitment, while job ads rose 6 per cent in December 2009. Unemployment fell to 5.5 per cent in December and labour participation increased by 35,200 nationally in January. IT recruiters are already starting to predict skills shortages with increasing demand for business analysts and project managers who are typically hired in project startup phase followed by increasing demand for technical IT staff.

Canberra's cutback on the use of IT contractors has steadied as Government endeavours to conclude IT infrastructure projects at Centrelink, Medicare and Child Support Agency prior to the election.

Rates in private and public sectors in both permanent and temporary hiring are expected to increase modestly after cuts of up to 20 per cent in 2009. Hewitt CSi's IT Specialists Salaries and Benefits Survey forecasts an average 3.4 per cent increase in rates in the 2009/10 financial year.

Market summary – December 2009

2009 came to a close with increasing demand for both permanent hires and contractors as many commentators suggest that Australia has moved into the first phase of economic recovery. Finite IT reports that while contracting is strong in all states, it is not consistent across industry sectors with banking and finance, telecommunications and resources showing positive signs, but contracting to state and federal government variable owing to budget reviews, hiring freezes and restructuring. Global recruitment firm Randstad’s Asia-Pacific CEO Deb Loveridge forecasts increased activity in construction, property and engineering (AFR 16.10.2009) with demand for contractors likely to follow.

Some commentators suggested that the introduction of the Fair Work Act with its unfair dismissal and adverse action provisions would create demand for contractors over permanent hires (Australiawide, July 2009 Market Commentary). There appears to be little evidence to support this with Hudson's latest Employment Expectations Survey finding that 18.5 per cent of employers surveyed were planning to increase their permanent staff in the 4th quarter of 2009 (Hudson Employment Expectations Survey, October 2009), the sharpest increase on the previous quarter for 10 years. Employers' hiring intentions were particularly strong in the professional services sector with a net 31.1 per cent of employers expecting to increase permanent hires before the end of 2009.

25.5 per cent of IT employers confirmed their intention to increase their permanent hires according to the Hudson Survey while a Peoplebank study predicted a re-emergence of IT skills shortages by the end of 2010 with an estimated 36,000 IT workers needed to resource new projects by 2012 (AFR, 17.11.2009). Hays concurs with Hudson’s predictions who forecast a general increase in permanent hires in IT (Hays ICT Market Forecast, October 2009).

Australiawide Recruitment suggests that demand for contractors has been less than expected because, unlike in other downturns, business has favoured reducing employees’ hours rather than largescale redundancies to ensure they have the relevant skills available as the economy moves into recovery (Australiawide Recruitment Market Commentary October 2009). Hays suggests that while temporary recruitment is dominating the market at this stage, there is a general increase in permanent hires.

Overall market forecasts suggest that in 2010 consumer confidence will strengthen, business investment will slowly improve as debt financing for new projects becomes more available, and projects funded by government infrastructure spending continue to be rolled out.

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