Digital Traineeships

Mr PATTERSON (Morphett) (15:00): My question is to the Minister for Industry and Skills. Can the minister update the house on the state government's training initiatives to increase digital skills and create lasting careers?

The Hon. D.G. PISONI (Unley—Minister for Industry and Skills) (15:00): I am very pleased to receive this question from the member for Morphett, who is very interested in the digital space with his engineering background. The Marshall Liberal government is creating jobs and building a competitive and dynamic economy. We are talking directly with industry about their needs and we are delivering training in line with their requirements to build a strong future workforce.

In August, I hosted a digital round table. The consultation raised important feedback about the vocational education and training system and about tailoring apprenticeships to better suit the needs of industry. As a former apprentice, I understood those concerns that were raised, that feedback that was raised. As a former employer of 20 apprentices over my 22 years in business—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Who said 'bingo'?

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: —I relate to their feedback.

The SPEAKER: Someone said 'bingo'; they are called to order. The member for Davenport is called to order for saying 'bingo'.

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: Some of the feedback I received was that the apprenticeship system can be difficult to navigate, especially for smaller businesses that don't have a dedicated HR manager. Not enough is known about the vocational system to be able to organise the right training for an apprentice. Existing staff have never supervised an apprentice and will need training support in mentoring to do this properly.

In response to listening to the information industry, the Marshall government has announced a new cybersecurity traineeship as part of our Skilling South Australia initiative. It has been approved by the Training and Skills Commission. The Certificate IV in Cyber Security traineeship has been tailor-made for the cybersecurity industry, developed by AustCyber and endorsed by South Australia's chief information officer, David Goodman.

It is the first time that South Australians will be able to undertake a cybersecurity traineeship. This is a first for South Australia. The cybersecurity traineeship is a key action of the South Australian government's Cyber Security Strategic Plan 2018-21. The course was also developed to support Australia's Cyber Security Strategy, A Cyber Smart Nation. Deloitte's Digital Pulse Report 2018 estimates that at least 2,800 new ICT jobs will be created in South Australia over the next five years. That does not include the thousands of cybersecurity jobs that will need to be created to protect our businesses, banks, hospitals, schools and government agencies.

I announced the new traineeships at an Australian Information Industry Association member event last week. The industry was absolutely delighted that the government had responded so quickly to their needs in developing an additional pathway into their industry. The industry also relayed that it was great to have a government that was engaged and working with industry.

This new qualification will take around two years to complete, with a starting salary of $36,000 per year. Experienced and qualified cybersecurity technicians, I have been advised, can expect to earn between $90,000 and $120,000 per year. This is a great industry for kids to get into through the vocational pathway.

Cybersecurity is an important priority across a whole range of industries and, indeed, within government, as more and more of our work systems go online and the security requirements of businesses become even more critical. The Marshall government will continue to listen to the needs of industry and work cooperatively with industry and business to ensure that business is equipped with the skilled workforce they need to employ more staff and grow here in South Australia.