National ICT Careers Week garners support from wider industry

The essential contribution skilled ICT workers make to Australian industries, governments, communities and citizens is being embraced by the wider business community, which is enthusiastically supporting the inaugural National ICT Careers Week - set to run from 28 July  to 2 August this year.

Under the banner "Start Here, Go Anywhere", over 100 events and activities are being presented across the country by companies, educational institutions, government organisations and industry bodies. Many companies from outside the ICT sector are getting involved, reflecting the widely understood value of ICT to business.

'A big challenge for banks today is to remain relevant to our customers: to be seen as a responsible company that enables them to live the lives that they want," said Westpac's Diane Sias, Group Executive, Business Technology Solutions and Services. "This requires us to think differently about the role of IT in our organisation."

'Westpac is a proud employer of IT professionals and we're a strong supporter of the National ICT Careers Week,' Ms Sias said. 'Studying computing is the pathway to a rewarding career, particularly in the finance industry.'

National ICT Careers Week is designed to introduce students and their parents to the rewards that surround a career in ICT - including excellent employment opportunities in a growing market, strong salaries and the ability to work in almost any field in any part of the world.

'Working in ICT is about meeting people, understanding their problems and providing them with solutions that have utility and impact,' said Funnelback General Manager Stuart Beil.

'If you are good enough and bold enough, you have the ability to touch the lives of many hundreds, thousands, millions or perhaps even billions of people around the world. You can make a difference in ICT.'

National ICT Careers Week will be held in all states and territories from 28 July to 2 August 2008 as an initiative of the ICT Industry Leadership Group, co-hosted by the Australian Computer Society and the Australian Information Industry Association.

Full details of participating organisations, and their proposed activities, are listed on the National ICT Careers Week <http://www.aiia.com.au/pages/nationalictcareersweek.aspx>  web site.