IT contracting - a major part of Australia's future

It is easy to say that technology has changed our lives for the better. We now have access to world-leading medical technology; mobile connectivity allows us to communicate from almost anywhere and students are learning code at high school.

As the National Broadband Network continues to take shape, NBN and KPMG Demographics have offered insight in the future and analysed how fast internet could change the nature of the Australian workforce. As technology, and in particular the internet, grows it is inevitable that skills sets will change, making it important that businesses, recruiters and candidates themselves understand what is in-demand.

Author of the Super connected jobs report, demographer Bernard Salt outlined the context of this changing environment.

“Australians are on the dawn of a disruptive ‘Uber-work’ era. Super connectivity made available via the NBN network will deliver a greater balance between work and lifestyle pursuits as we redefine how, when and where we will work,” he said.

“We could also see the rise of new Silicon cities or beaches in regional hubs around the country as universal access to fast broadband drives a culture of entrepreneurialism and innovation outside our capital cities.”

A need for more jobs

According to the report, Australia will require three million more jobs by the year 2030 to keep up with population growth. Given the expected rise in automation, jobs in the IT industry are likely to be the most competitive. 

In fact, there is a suggestion that jobs traditionally labelled as ‘geeky’ such as tech startups and computer programmers will become more mainstream and less niche. Of course, this will lift respect for the IT industry and give contractors more confidence to pursue their occupations.

How will the internet help IT contractors?

NBN and KPMG categorised workers into five groups based on the impact of the internet. IT contractors would fall into the “Technocrats” section. Described as highly skilled and trained, these professionals will likely use the high speed broadband to develop and collaborate internationally with clients and stakeholders.

Of course, demand for IT contractors in Australia has already started. According to the Peoplebank Australia’s quarterly Salary & Employment Index, hiring for Sydney-based contractors is up 10 per cent and all other major cities aren’t far behind.

“Businesses are seeing the returns on their data driven innovation, which is spurring more organisations to commit to investments in digital capabilities,” CEO of Peoplebank Peter Acheson said.

For businesses and recruiters, the best way to ensure IT contractors are supported is through Oncore Services. With many different services available, our team can help your firm through the ever-changing IT environment.