AIIA Welcomes ICT Education Council
AIIA Welcomes ICT Education Council
February 18, 2008: The Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) has welcomed the creation of the Council of Deans of ICT Education, believing it to be an invaluable boost for ICT skills in the industry.
The council’s creation has been formally endorsed last week at a meeting of deans and ICT school representatives from 31 Australian universities. Each of the universities will be representing tertiary ICT education concerns over a broad range of disciplines, including computer & software engineering, information systems & telecommunications and computer science.
According to Sheryle Moon, CEO of AIAA the council’s birth is a very significant development, explaining that “for the first time we have an influential group of academics who will work closely with ICT industry leaders to resolve the perceived disparity between the skills being taught in universities and the skills that are in demand by the industry to accelerate economic growth,”
Moon explains that there has been no uniform approach to the diversity of ICT-related curriculums, and no formal relationship with the industry to ensure the ongoing relevance of graduate skills, until now.
“The council will work to provide students with better employment prospects, industry with stronger skill sets and universities with more attractive courses,”
The AIIA has been a longtime supporter of the push for the council’s creation, along with the Carrick Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Educations.
Now that the council is officially up and running, one of the first priorities will be to develop programs to ensure careers in ICT are promoted in a consistent and meaningful way across the university sector, according to AIIA Director Ian Birks.
“We will also move quickly to poll the ICT industry to find what skills ICT companies are currently demanding in graduates,” said Birks.