Cybersecurity

Ms LUETHEN (King) (14:36): My question is to the Minister for Innovation and Skills. Can the minister please advise how the Marshall Liberal government is connecting people to jobs, particularly in emerging sectors such as cybersecurity?

The Hon. D.G. PISONI (Unley—Minister for Innovation and Skills) (14:37): I thank the member for King for her question and also for her interest in the new economy in particular. The Marshall government is ensuring there are sufficient skills and actions being taken to address the skills shortages and needs for industry, especially for emerging sectors such as the high-tech sector including cybersecurity.

Last month, the SA Node of AustCyber's national network of innovation nodes held the SA Cyber Connect Talent Jam in partnership with Ribit. I was pleased to have opened the event. Ribit is an online platform that matches the best suited student candidates based on the needs identified by each business with the aim of matching skilled individuals to the right role and company.

Cyber Connect is a curated speed networking event that connects innovative businesses within South Australia with tertiary students and recent graduates to hire for internships, graduate roles and part-time work to build a future talent pipeline. This cyber-focused business-to-student speed networking event was the third year in which the SA Node has hosted such an event.

This year was the first time it was held virtually to ensure that it could provide greater reach and accessibility for both students and employers, whilst also ensuring a COVID-safe environment for this event to take place. Ahead of the event, students were coached on how to pitch themselves to a potential employer. Businesses were given the opportunity to deliver a 30-second pitch as to who they are and what they do before kicking off the one-hour curated speed interviewing session.

Throughout the event, a dedicated group of mentors were on hand to provide support to students and answer any questions they had about working in the industry. Over 40 students were selected to take part, with backgrounds across software engineering, computer science, data analytics, policy and security studies, project management, operations, business, finance, marketing and research.

Employers range from corporations such as EY and CyberCX, as well as some of the many South Australian startups that have established in recent times. The event highlighted the diverse range of employers and career opportunities within the cybersecurity sector, underlying the fact that cyber is needed in every sector, in all workplaces and is underpinning our now digital economy.

This is so important. We know that even a very small business is at threat of a cyber attack, where access could be obtained to banking records, payment systems and false invoices, fraudulent invoices being sent in and passed off as being genuine invoices. We see this happening time and time again, and that's why it is so important—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: —that these types of activities can be stopped at the front door. That's the role of cybersecurity and why it's such an important part of every business in South Australia. This, of course, is one of the many examples of how the Marshall government is helping connect people and jobs and addressing skill shortages in crucial and emerging sectors here in South Australia. It's not just in those emerging sectors but in those very crucial sectors that we are seeing a growth in pathways such as the social care sector. There is a real revolution happening in that sector as well.