Australia's IT Workforce and Education Landscape fulfilling AI resources demand.

vinay joshi
Aug 8
3 min read

As artificial intelligence moves from experimental to essential, Australia stands at a pivotal point in preparing its workforce for the AI-driven economy. The country’s tech workforce is rapidly evolving, and universities are adapting at speed to equip future professionals with the skills needed to lead in the era of intelligent systems.

This article explores the state of the IT workforce across Australia, and how the education sector is stepping up to meet the demand for AI-related skilled resources.

A Snapshot of Australia’s IT Workforce

Australia’s IT sector is expanding significantly. According to the Australian Computer Society (ACS), there are over 334,000 ICT professionals and managers in the country—a 36% increase since 2016 (ACS via Information Age).

📍 State-Level Highlights

New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria (VIC) are the largest hubs, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne, with strong ICT career opportunities (Ignite IT Careers).
South Australia (SA) is experiencing rapid growth. The ACS reports the state’s ICT workforce expanded by 15% in 2021, growing to over 42,000 professionals, and is expected to reach 56,000+ within five years (ACS SA Tech Workforce).
Future skills gap: Australia may face a cybersecurity talent shortfall of ~3,000 professionals by 2026, and digital employment overall is projected to grow 13.9% by 2030, per federal government estimates (Digital Workforce Snapshot – Australian Government).

💼 IT Services and Enterprise Investment

According to Grand View Research, Australia’s IT services market generated approximately USD 32.17 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 72.62 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 12% (Grand View Research – IT Services Australia Outlook).

This growth is being driven by enterprise demand for AI, cloud migration, data analytics, and digital transformation across sectors.

🎓 Universities Respond to the challenge to meet AI resources demand

Australian universities are pivoting quickly to meet the growing demand for AI skilled resources and IT capabilities. Institutions across the country are introducing new degrees, redesigning curricula, and investing in AI research hubs.

University	Program	Focus Areas
UTS (Sydney)	Bachelor of Artificial Intelligence	Autonomous systems, voice tech, facial recognition
University of Western Australia	Bachelor of AI	Interdisciplinary approach for consulting, finance, and engineering
QUT	Master of AI	AI system design, ethical implications, industry-based projects
University of Sydney	Master of Engineering (Intelligent Information Engineering)	Deep learning, embedded systems
UNSW	Master of IT – Machine Learning Specialisation	AI, cybersecurity, bioinformatics (via Elegant Media)
University of Queensland	Master of IT (AI stream)	Human-computer interaction, big data
University of Adelaide	Home to Australian Institute for Machine Learning (AIML)	Australia's leading AI research hub with 70+ research students

🔁 Curriculum Evolution Post-AI Boom

Since the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022, Australian universities have been rapidly updating their curricula:

Up to 20% of AI program content has been revised to include generative AI and ethics
UTS reported a 5× increase in Bachelor of AI enrollments and 3× in their Master’s programs
AI and data science are now central to future skill strategies across all major institutions (The Australian – AI Course Overhauls)

There are currently 36+ Australian institutions offering AI degrees in various formats (on-campus, part-time, online) (Hotcourses Abroad – AI Degrees in Australia).

📈 Aligning Education with Industry Needs

The future of AI in Australia depends on strong partnerships between industry and academia. Key trends include:

Real-world industry projects as part of degree programs
Cross-disciplinary learning (e.g., AI + law, health, design)
Support for lifelong learning through micro-credentials
Enterprise-sponsored AI upskilling programs

🔮 Final Thoughts: Building a Future-Ready Workforce

Australia’s digital and AI transformation is already underway. But to lead globally, the country must scale its AI skilled resources and workforce readiness. That means: