The Australian Institute of ICT (AIICT), a division of DDLS, 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.

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

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 skills development 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 prefer 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 that 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 have 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.”