With a history of getting graduates working in their chosen industries, the University of South Australia is launching a new program to help address a tech workforce shortfall of more than half a million people.

Cutting-edge technology is boosting workforce productivity and keeping Australian businesses ahead of the game.

But while the demand for new technology to keep organisations advancing and innovating has never been stronger, a dire skills shortage has curbed many a digital dream.

This is despite many tech jobs in Australia being well-paid, flexible and stable.

To put this chronic shortage of skilled workers into perspective, a report from the Tech Council of Australia, published in 2022, found the tech industry would need an extra 653,000 workers to meet the growing demand.

UniSA Bachelor of Digital Business Program Director Dr Sarah Chua says every industry is currently experiencing a major boom in the demand for digital specialists.

“Now more than ever, organisations need to future-proof their businesses by upskilling their workforce in new and emerging technologies,” Sarah says.

“The Australian job market has a growing deficit of digital skills, which is predicted to affect more than 270,000 professional roles across the country.”

In a partnership with global professional services company Accenture, UniSA has established the Innovation Academy in Digital Business, a move aimed to help turn the tide on the crippling skills shortages facing the tech industry.

The Bachelor of Digital Business is the first degree to be offered as part of The Innovation Academy. Designed in partnership with Accenture, it is delivered by UniSA academics and Accenture’s thought leaders.

High-achieving students will have opportunities to undertake paid internships while they’re studying, and all third-year students will have the chance to interview for Accenture’s highly sought-after graduate program.

“Digital business is important because the past few years have required businesses to be agile and enterprising, and this is the fundamental essence of preparing graduates for future careers and positions,” Sarah says.

“As Australia’s University of Enterprise, UniSA has a long history of partnering with industry to develop and deliver education offerings that address the needs of industry.

“Accenture is one of the world’s largest employers and understands the skills and knowledge needs of industry. It also recognises the need to develop the next generation of talent.”

The three-year degree helps students develop a digital-first mindset and shows them how emerging tech, such as AI and cloud computing, can create efficiencies for a business.

The degree can be undertaken full-time or part-time and students have the option to study on-campus or online.

Dr Sarah Chua and Cassie Warren.

Sarah says digital-driven disruption has changed the ways businesses harness technology, whether by implementing online booking systems or allowing for electronic payments.

For many, innovative technology is no longer the season’s must-have accessory but a required tool for their business to survive.

“Graduates of the Bachelor of Digital Business will be armed with a transferrable skillset that uniquely prepares them to manage and thrive in a rapidly advancing digital landscape,” Sarah says.

“Students will be able to kickstart their careers in everything from business, data analytics, strategic advisory, information systems and security, change management, marketing, or innovation and entrepreneurship.

“The world will be theirs for the taking.”

Only a handful of universities offer degrees that touch on tech skills and digital business, making this study opportunity a rarity.

Accenture’s research has found that 80 per cent of all business will take place in the cloud, yet there are not enough skilled workers to meet the demand.

Sarah says the degree arms graduates with skills to address this shortfall.

“Skills for jobs such as a cloud specialist, or being able to utilise the metaverse and blockchain are important skills, because of the significant shortages of skilled workers within this space,” she says.

“Some of the barriers the Tech Council of Australia report has suggested include current training products and pathway programs not being fit to address the skills that are needed, as well as Australians lacking awareness about what tech jobs are, where they exist, and how to get into them.

“This degree bridges those barriers.”

University of South Australia graduate Cassie Warren works for Accenture as a technology consulting senior analyst.

Cassie, who graduated with a Bachelor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship two years ago, says the degree offered training on digital inclusivity, which is invaluable for businesses.

“A valuable part of this new degree is the opportunity to undertake internships at Accenture or similar companies and network with industry professionals. That’s something you don’t get much of in other degrees,” she says.

“There’s also a lot of different pathways you could take. You could get into consulting, like me, or management in many different businesses, or you could even launch your own startup.

“Courses tend to be either business-focussed or coding-focussed, so this degree really captures those jobs in the middle.”

The Bachelor of Digital Business will be available from UniSA’s City West campus from February 2023, or 100 per cent online from January 2023. Applications are open now.