Multimedia Victoria - ICT Scholarships Boost Growing Victorian Industry

ICT Scholarships Boost Growing Victorian Industry


Media release - 16 September 2008

Young Victorians are receiving more opportunities for professional development and education in information and communication technology with 220 new Australian Computer Society (ACS) Foundation scholarships awarded tonight.

Information and Communication Technology Minister Theo Theophanous said ACS was helping to build skills in the growing industry.

"The Brumby Government is taking action to develop Victorian ICT and its greatest assets – the talented people and educational institutions that train them – so we remain at the forefront of the industry. We are helping to train Victorians for the jobs of the future," Mr Theophanous said.

“The aim of these scholarships is to encourage young Victorians to strive for excellence in information and communication technology, through assisting local tertiary students in their studies and supporting them to take up rewarding careers in our diverse ICT sector.”

Mr Theophanous said Victoria's highly skilled ICT professionals and graduates were recognised as some of the best in their field.

"Victoria continues to lead the country in technology, with more than a third of the nation's ICT employment based in this state," he said.

"We're producing Australia's highest number of ICT, computing and engineering graduates every year, with almost 18,000 students enrolled in relevant university courses across the state.

"The ACS Foundation scholarships play a vital role in this by promoting ICT as a career choice and attracting the best and brightest to a variety of courses. With important industry-based learning, these scholarships also provide students with a better understanding of the range of careers on offer in the workforce."

The ACS Foundation was established in August 2001 to encourage both private and public sponsorship of ICT higher education and research projects. Since its inception, 480 Victorians have received scholarships worth more than $6.6 million.

Mr Theophanous congratulated the companies, peak industry bodies, educational institutes and other organisations for their support of such scholarships.

"Without the collaborative efforts from industry, educators and supporters, these important scholarships would not exist,” he said.

Victoria's ICT industry generates $24.4 billion in annual revenue, exports over $1.8 billion and employs more than 84,000 people.

Since October 1999, the Victorian Government has facilitated more than $1.7 billion in ICT investment leading to the creation of more than 12,000 jobs.