AIICT expands portfolio with ten new courses to help address ICT skills shortage

The Australian Institute of ICT (AIICT) has introduced a new series of industry certified bootcamp programs and nationally-recognised qualifications to meet the surging demand for skilled ICT professionals in Australia. 

The bootcamps support the Morrison Government’s recently announced Digital Skills Organisation (DSO) pilot, which recognises the importance of non-accredited training to support the development of skills of the future workforce. The bootcamp programs run for six months and comprise of several vendor-specific certifications. The courses include ‘Cloud Computing Certified Professional’, ‘Certified Microsoft Full Stack Developer’, ‘Certified Artificial Intelligence Professional’, ‘Growth Marketing Professional’ and ‘Certified Project Management Professional’.

The decision to introduce the bootcamps follows the VET sector’s increasing move away from nationally recognised qualifications to vendor-specific, industry-certified training. According to the National Centre for Vocational Education Research, preference for accredited training courses has declined steadily in recent years, with employers increasingly less satisfied that these courses provide their employees with the most relevant and important skills for their business. This has led many organisations to preference non-accredited training provided by private technology vendors such as Microsoft and AWS.

Jon Lang, CEO of DDLS said, “Our customers are definitely showing a growing interest in non-accredited vendor certifications. One key reason for this is employers want to develop skills that are highly relevant and specific to the programs and services their organisation uses daily. Non-accredited vendor certifications can be customised to the specific needs of the business, compared with traditional accredited courses which contain more broad course content.”

“While our industry certified bootcamp programs continue to gain popularity, there will always be a place for nationally recognised qualifications, which cover all of the fundamentals and provide students with a solid foundation to launch their careers in technology. We understand that every individual and business has different training preferences, and it is imperative that we provide more training options in both the non-accredited and accredited realms if we are to tackle Australia’s critical ICT skills shortages”, added Lang.

AIICT has simultaneously announced five new accredited courses including ICT40120 - Certificate IV in Information Technology (Systems Administration Support), ICT40120 - Certificate IV in Information Technology (Website Development), ICT50220 - Diploma of Information Technology (Back End Web Development), ICT50220 - Diploma of Information Technology (Advanced Networking) and ICT50220 - Diploma of Information Technology (Cyber Security).

The ten new courses were introduced with the collective aim of filling ICT skills gaps in Australia, by providing relevant training courses for career development. AIICT’s existing course portfolio currently offers the non-accredited ‘Certified Data Science Professional’ and ‘Certified Cybersecurity Professional’ bootcamps, as well as the accredited courses ‘Certificate IV in Information Technology (Networking)’, ‘Diploma of Website Development’ and ‘Diploma of Information Technology’.

The 2020 IT Skills and Salary report reaffirmed the growing skills shortages in the Asia-Pacific region, with 76% of IT decision-makers reporting skills gaps in their organisations, a 10% increase from just two years ago. With 68% of IT decision-makers worldwide anticipating new skills gaps in the next two years, AIICT has taken immediate action to support the development of in-demand IT skillsets in Australia.

Full details on each of the new courses has been provided below:

1. Certified Microsoft Full Stack Developer – Developed in partnership with Microsoft and the DevOps Institute, this course provides students with three globally-recognised certifications and enables them to manage front-end and back-end web development.

2. Growth Marketing Professional – Developed in partnership with the Digital Marketing Institute, this course gives students the theoretical and empirical knowledge to run data-driven marketing programs that lead to sustainable growth in an organisation.

3. Cloud Computing Certified Professional – This course will provide students with a solid understanding of how to plan, configure, deploy, and manage a cloud solution across all three major vendors – Microsoft Azure, AWS and Google.

4. Certified Project Management Professional – This certification is aimed at current and aspiring project managers or professionals who manage projects in technology, covering both PRINCE 2 and Agile methodologies. (Available from March)

5. Certified Artificial Intelligence Professional – Developed with AWS, this course prepares students for a role as an entry-level AI developer or Machine Learning Engineer.

6. ICT40120 - Certificate IV in Information Technology (Website Development) – This course enables students to manage website development projects, conceptualise website designs, and develop and maintain websites and databases.

7. ICT40120 - Certificate IV in Information Technology (Systems Administration Support) – This course equips students with in-demand skills in systems administration, technical support and cyber security for a wide range of roles in IT.

8. ICT50220 - Diploma of Information Technology (Advanced Networking) – Designed for students with mid-level IT skills, this course provides specialised knowledge and skills required configure and manage virtual computing environments and network security. (Available from March)

9. ICT50220 - Diploma of Information Technology (Back End Web Development) – This course provides students with the skills and knowledge to develop and maintain website information architecture and data. (Available from March)

10. ICT50220 - Diploma of Information Technology (Cyber Security) – The course provides aspiring cybersecurity professionals with essential skills and knowledge to protect sensitive data and information through security architecture in addition to developing disaster recovery and contingency plans. (Available from March)

AIICT is a start-up launched in 2019 by DDLS, Australia’s largest provider of corporate ICT and cybersecurity training. Since launch, AIICT has enrolled over 500 students and student numbers continue to grow month on month.  Through its unique Industry Partner Program, AIICT connects recent graduates with leading employers to help them secure a front-line role, while simultaneously tackling skills shortages in the field.

To learn more about the new courses, please visit https://aiict.edu.au/.

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About AIICT

The Australian Institute of ICT (AIICT) (RTO No: 51681) is a start-up launched by DDLS, Australia’s largest provider of vendor-certified cybersecurity and ICT training. Launched in 2019, AIICT provides those in the ICT and cybersecurity industries, or those looking to enter the industries with the most contemporary, relevant, and future-focused skills needed to succeed. As an operational division of DDLS, AIICT aims to provide online, self-paced, industry certified boot camp programs, along with nationally accredited cybersecurity and ICT training, leveraging the experience, skills and knowledge DDLS has accumulated as leaders in this industry for more than 30 years. The training is delivered via the Moodle LMS platform and leverages world renowned content from CompTIA, Skillsoft, Pluralsight, Microsoft, AWS, DevOps Institute, Digital Marketing Institute and more.