Australian Trade College North Brisbane, September 2023: Today, the Australian Trade College North Brisbane (part of MRAEL and the IntoWork Group) has announced the launch of a pilot with Amazon Web Services (AWS) for its Certificate III in Information Technology course to help students get prepared for the next major cloud technology revolution.
The ATCNB is a purpose-built, multi-million-dollar, independent co-educational training secondary school for Year 11 and Year 12 students, with a trade and business focused curriculum. To strengthen career pathways for students studying its Certificate III in Information Technology, the school has embedded the AWS Cloud Practitioner Certification into the course, along with other industry certifications. The college’s learning approach is proving successful, with 96% of Year 12 graduates now in paid employment and 81% continuing to engage in further education or career training.
The 2023 Gallup Digital Skills Study, titled “The Economic Benefits of a Tech-Savvy Workforce” and commissioned by AWS, revealed greater recognition of industry certifications. It showed 72% of Australian employers agree or strongly agree that a digital certification or training is an acceptable substitute for a university degree.
The Certificate III in Information Technology, including the AWS certification, will be delivered through a combination of face-to-face learning, virtual laboratories, and industry work experience. Students will also train alongside qualified and experienced technology professionals and educators to build digital skills through technology providers, including AWS.
The pilot program has been designed to give students practical coaching, and is a launchpad to further training or traineeships in cloud computing and other related disciplines such as cyber, IT support, data centre operations and networking. It will give young Queenslanders a significant head-start with new and emerging technologies.
Brett Kavanagh, Principal of ATCNB said, “With the current skills shortage and a nationwide target of creating 1.2 million tech jobs by 2030 set by the Australian Government, demand for tech talent is only going to grow. Embedding the AWS Cloud Practitioner course into the Certificate III in Information Technology represents a huge opportunity for young people contemplating tech careers and gives them the confidence that their specialist skills will be in high demand. It also provides Moreton Bay businesses with local access to an early-career pipeline of in-demand tech talent.”
Simon Elisha, Chief Technologist for public sector in Australia and New Zealand at AWS, said, “As Australian organisations rapidly transform digitally, and demand for tech professionals grows, AWS is excited about the ATCNB program benefiting Brisbane students. Tertiary digital skills are key to unlocking innovation and job opportunities. Our collaboration with ATCNB will empower students to upskill for future careers, all while in high school. AWS is committed to equipping the next generation of talented Australians for digital career advancement.”
The pilot program will commence in February 2024, and is an addition to the Australian Trade College North Brisbane’s current Queensland Certificate in Education, QCE curriculum – enabling students to gain an in-demand qualification, work experience, and graduate from high school.
It also aligns with Australian Trade College’ North Brisbane’s mission to provide work-integrated-learning for its students so they are ‘work-ready’ with real job opportunities when graduating from Year 12.
To find out more about the Australian Trade College North Brisbane or book a campus tour today visit www.tradecollege.com.au or call (07) 3880 4331.