The Australian Public Service (APS) welcomed 121 new digital apprentices, cadets and graduates across 19 Departments and Agencies this month, ensuring the Service has the skills and personnel it needs to meet the challenges of the digital age ahead.
Engaged through the Digital Transformation Agency’s entry-level programs, the new appointees will work in a range of digital and technical roles, playing their parts in continuing the APS deliver its world-class digital services.
Minister for Human Services and Digital Transformation, Michael Keenan said that since 2007 the program had provided pathways into government for more than 1,100 digital apprentices, cadets and graduates.
“Next year, another 102 program participants will commence across 16 Government Agencies,” Mr Keenan said.
He said it was vital that ICT skills be developed and maintained throughout the APS to ensure the Government could continue to deliver its services.
“We need the best and brightest people working for us to help us build and maintain those services,” the Minister said.
“While external contractors will always have an important role to play delivering specialist skills to government, being self-reliant helps to significantly lower costs and continues to provide opportunities for our own people to grow and advance.”
He said an excellent example of the APS at work could be found in his other portfolio area, the Department of Human Services (DHS), where the ICT team had built a number of key service delivery platforms such as Centrelink’s Express Plus app.
Mr Keenan said DHS had also recently welcomed about 80 new STEM graduates, a large majority of whom were women.
“Since the STEM program began in 2016, 307 graduates have begun their ICT careers with the Department and 85 of those graduates are women,” he said.
“As these graduates embark on their digital careers in government, I am confident that our digital government of the future is in the very best of hands,” Mr Keenan said.
