Justin Clancy
Shadow Minister for Skills, TAFE & Tertiary Education
Jacqui Munro
Shadow Assistant Minister for the Arts, Innovation,
Digital Government and the 24-Hour Economy
New figures from the Federal Department of Industry, Science and Resources show Australia is on track to fall well short of its 2030 technology jobs target and nowhere is that failure felt more keenly than in NSW, where the Minns Labor Government has shown no plan to grow or retain the tech workforce.
The national data reveals a 3.7 per cent decline in tech-related jobs over the past year, falling from 980,000 to 949,000 positions: the first reversal in years at the same time as the broader labour market grew by 2 per cent.
Accredited and non-accredited training plays a crucial role in developing the supply of tech workers. While the pipeline of university graduates is strong, 66% of graduates do not join the sector. Meanwhile the number of VET graduates is falling, with just 40% of IT graduates seeing the training as relevant to their job after training.
Sources of supply are expected to support the national ICT workforce to grow to just over a million by 2030, leaving a gap of 186,000. In NSW, sources of supply are expected to support the ICT workforce to grow to 392,000 by 2030, leaving a gap of 85,000.
Shadow Minister for Skills, TAFE & Tertiary Education Justin Clancy said the results confirm what many in the sector already know: NSW is losing its competitive edge.
‘While the Albanese Government misses its national tech jobs target, the Minns Labor Government has done nothing to support innovation or create pathways for the next generation of tech workers in NSW,’ Mr Clancy said.
‘This is a government asleep at the wheel, one that talks about skills but continues to cut funding to programs that actually build them. NSW should be leading the nation in digital and tech innovation, not falling behind.’
The federal government’s own projections now show Australia will fail to meet its 1 million tech jobs by 2025 target, making the longer-term goal of 1.2 million by 2030 increasingly unlikely.
The downturn has been most pronounced in non-tech industries, where digital and technology roles have dropped nearly 4 per cent since May 2024.
Mr Clancy said this should be a wake-up call for the Minns Government to act decisively in partnership with industry and education providers.
‘We need to be outcomes-driven to attract and grow tech jobs particularly in our regions. Instead, the Minns Government has focused on announcements and frameworks while the actual workforce opportunities are shrinking,’ Mr Clancy said.
‘Yes, the NSW Government spruiks a Digital Strategy and a Digital Skills Compact, but what’s missing is delivery. These are fine words on paper, yet we’re seeing declining outcomes and no evidence of real progress in growing the tech workforce or linking skills development with industry demand.’
‘The Minns Government must also be transparent about its support for the Meadowbank Institute of Applied Technology (IAT) — a project funded by the former Liberals and Nationals Government to drive digital education and innovation in NSW.’
The Institute was designed to be a flagship for digital skills, linking schools, universities and industry.
Shadow Assistant Minister for the Arts, Innovation, Digital Government and the 24-Hour Economy, Jacqui Munro said the Premier stokes fear about cities without grandchildren, but what about an entire state where those grandchildren are poorer than we are today.
‘DFAT data shows that in 2023-24 we were all functionally poorer, as our gross state product per capita fell by 1%.’
‘The Minns Labor Government is failing to equip our workforce with the skills required to meet the technological challenges, needs and opportunities of the twenty first century, and you can bet that our regional competitors are taking up every chance to get ahead,’ Ms Munro said.
Meanwhile, the Minns Labor Government looks backwards and protects vested union interests over our future.
Mr Clancy said the Minister must be upfront about its ongoing operational funding, utilisation, and how it will continue to deliver on its promise to grow the state’s digital workforce.
‘The Meadowbank IAT was a visionary investment to prepare NSW for the jobs of the future,’ Mr Clancy said.
‘The Minns Labor Government must explain whether it remains committed to its success or whether another critical initiative will be allowed to drift without leadership or funding.’
‘We can’t afford a government that sits back while our tech sector stalls, and our young people look elsewhere for opportunities.’