March 2017

INFORMATION & COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY INFORMER

PREPARED FOR MEMBERS• Current Performance• Employment• Outlook

SummaryThe current rate of technological change occurring around the world is unparalleled throughout history. New technology is rapidly altering the way businesses operate, and the ability to incorporate new developments into existing businesses can be crucial in maintaining efficiency and boosting workplace productivity. Currently, the size of the digital economy is estimated at over $79 billion¹, and this figure is rising.

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is one of the fastest growing occupations in the economy, with growth forecast at 2.0% per year over the five years to 2020, higher than the economy as a whole at 1.6%. The sector continues to strengthen and demand for IT professionals is set to improve further, with ICT driving business innovations through intelligent data analytics and information management systems, and organisations positioning themselves for cloud-based advancement. ICT in the form of telephony and the use of tablet devices continues to drive streamlined business practices and modernised service delivery in the telecommunications, business, education and training, retail and entertainment industries.

A recent report by Deloitte Access Economics found that employment in the number of ICT professionals is expected to grow from 628,000 workers in 2015 to some 695,000 by 2020². Despite strong growth, some challenges remain for local ICT professionals if they are to differentiate themselves amid the wider trends of offshoring and automation. In order for Australia to keep up with the demands of digital technology, local industries will need to successfully embrace new technology. Attracting and retaining skilled ICT professionals will be vital in this process.

Current Performance The profession has performed relatively strongly over the past five years, buoyed by the rapid adoption of new technologies within businesses. According to industry research firm IBISWorld, revenue in IT consulting has increased by an annualised 3.0% over the 5 years through 2017³. ICT professionals operate in a wide range of industries outside direct consulting, however the performance of this industry serves as a close proxy, highlighting the rising demand for ICT services throughout the economy more generally. While revenue has grown significantly, the number of employees in IT consulting has also grown strongly, rising by 2.5%. This growth reflects the rising uptake of ICT services, and the need for businesses to optimise their ICT operations and innovate.

¹Deloitte Access Economics, The Connected Continent II: How digital technology is transforming the Australian economy, 2015. ²Deloitte Access Economics, Australia’s Digital Pulse, 2016. ³IBISWorld Industry Report M7000 Computer System Design Services in Australia, September 2016.

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Figure 1: ICT annual salary movement compare to economic indicators

Source: Professionals Australia, ABS

1.7%

0.0%

1.9%

1.3% 1.1%

0.0%

0.5%

1.0%

1.5%

2.0%

Private Sector

Figure 1. ICT Professional annual salary movement compared to economic indicators

Public Sector

WPI (Sept '16 Trend)

CPI (Sept '16

All Groups)

All Sectors

Med

ian

Ann

ual S

alar

y M

ovem

ent

RemunerationProfessionals Australia recently published its annual ICT Professionals Employment and Remuneration Report⁴, analysing remuneration and conditions in the profession. Survey respondents recorded median annual wage growth of only 1.1% across the wider profession, bringing the average wage to $105,000. This relatively modest growth represents a significant underperformance against both the Consumer Price Index (CPI)⁵ and the Wage Price Index (WPI)⁶. As a result, ICT risks falling behind other professions if this trend continues, as over the past year wages have failed to keep up with relatively low price growth across the nation.

Remuneration growth differed by sector, reflecting diverse needs and variation in demand. Reported wage growth was strongest in the private sector, with an average wage of $110,000 and median annual growth at 1.7%. Disappointingly, wages in the public sector remained stagnant at $105,000, with no growth in the average wage reported.

⁴ Professionals Australia, ICT Professionals Employment and Remuneration Report, December 2016.

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While wages and growth vary by job function, responsibility level and industry, the weak overall growth is symptomatic of many of the challenges faced by ICT professionals across the nation, with high rates of skilled migration, individual or project contracts and outsourcing all impacting wages to some degree.

Remuneration also varied significantly by industry, owing primarily to the diverse nature of ICT roles. While ICT pro-fessionals are becoming more important in the day-to-day operations of all businesses, the specifics of their work are highly dependent on their industry, with some indus-tries producing primarily digital services, while others utilise more basic enabling technology in their operations.

Unsurprisingly, the Computer System Design and Related Services industry recorded the highest median base salary at $131,402, with ICT professionals enabling the core operations of this industry.

The IT requirements of this industry are highly specialised and typically among the most complex, requiring highly-skilled ICT professionals.

The Professional, Scientific and Technical Services industry recorded the second highest median base salary at $122,000 and the Transport, Postal and Warehousing industry came in third at $120,000. These industries are currently realising the massive opportunities presented by new ICT technology, including productivity and efficiency gains and new ways of reaching target markets.

The Computer System Design and Related Services industry also recorded the highest median wage growth at 3.3% followed by the Telecommunications Services industry at 2.2% and the Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services industry at 2.2%.

Figure 2: ICT workforce by industry, salary and wage growth

308,078Information, Media and

Telecommunications - $111,754 - 2.2%

40,279Financial and

Insurance Services - $95,832 - 0.7%

23,026Retail Trade

17,069Wholesale

Trade

13,639Transport, Postal and

Warehousing - $140,931

- 0.0%

10,607Construction

25,021Manufacturing

Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services - $124,643 - 2.2%

8,935 2,893Accommodation and Food Services

4,279Mining

266Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing - $92,376 - 0.0%

⁵ ABS Catalogue 6401.0 Consumer Price Index, December 2016 ⁶ ABS Catalogue 6345.0 Wage Price Index, December 2016

EmploymentThe broader Information, Media and Telecommunications division is by far the largest employer of ICT professionals throughout Australia, accounting for over 49.0% of employment⁷. These businesses require ICT professionals in their day-to-day operations, and also provide consulting services to businesses in other industries. Outsourcing to specialist IT firms can be particularly attractive to smaller companies that lack the scale or knowledge to build their own departments, or companies that require specialist skills for one-off projects.

The Computer System Design and Related Services industry (a subset of the Information, Media and Telecommunications division) accounts for the largest share of employment (31.3%) followed by Telecommunications services (14.6%), Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (10.6%), Public Administration and Safety (7.0%), and Financial and Insurance Services (6.4%). While the ICT specialist industries are clearly the major employers of ICT professionals, over half of ICT professionals are employed outside of these industries. This highlights the wide array of opportunities available to ICT professionals and the pervasive nature of their skills across the economy.

The eastern seaboard states continued to dominate ICT employment, with NSW, VIC and QLD accounting for 82% of all ICT jobs. Major ICT firms and larger employers of ICT professionals (eg. financial services firms) tend to be located in the major capitals, and head-office locations in these areas are particularly large employers. ICT consult-ing firms also tend to be located close to their market, and the high number of businesses in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane make these cities ideal locations. Relative to its size, the ACT is also a major employer of ICT professionals, with many large public-sector employers in this area.

Across Australia, the highest wages were recorded in QLD and SA, with remuneration in these states significantly outperforming NSW and VIC. While QLD and SA employ fewer ICT professionals than NSW and VIC, they tend to employ predominantly higher-level, more-experienced professionals, lifting the average wage. Conversely, while NSW and VIC are major employers of ICT professionals, they also employee more graduates and lower-level professionals, which brings the overall average wage down in these states.

Challenges are likely to emerge as the workforce responds to varying salaries in different states, with ICT professionals in NSW and VIC likely to consider the possibility of more attractive salaries in other states. Employers will need to ensure their remuneration remains competitive or risk losing key staff.

⁷Deloitte Access Economics, Australia’s Digital Pulse, 2016.

EMPLOYMENT 7,906

BASE SALARY $88,500

EMPLOYMENT 234,924

BASE SALARY $99,841

GROWTH 1.12%

ACTEMPLOYMENT

26,362BASE SALARY

$107,385

EMPLOYMENT 33,968

BASE SALARY $125,524GROWTH

0.00%

EMPLOYMENT 234,924

BASE SALARY $99,841

GROWTH 1.12%

EMPLOYMENT 95,402

BASE SALARY $134,071GROWTH

1.67%EMPLOYMENT 47,011

EMPLOYMENT 183,247

BASE SALARY $102,439GROWTH

1.69%

Figure 3: ICT Employment and remuneration by State

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GraduatesThe number of domestic enrolments in IT degrees has trended upwards since 2009, with growth increasing in recent years. Completions have followed a similar trend, benefiting from a lift in enrolments. This growth has come after almost a decade of decline, which followed the burst of the dot-com bubble.

Skill shortages have been reported across much of the profession in recent years, with demand for skilled ICT professionals outstripping supply. This has encouraged more school leavers to choose ICT degrees when entering tertiary study. The profession is benefiting from this growth, however additional supply is still required as technology becomes more pervasive.

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Figure 4: Domestic enrolments in IT degrees

Figure 5: Domestic completions in IT degrees

Source: Department of Education u-Cube (2016)

Source: Department of Education u-Cube (2016)

While opportunities for ICT professionals will be abundant over the years ahead, skill and experience will be major factors in determining the prospects available to each professional. Students will need to be mindful of the needs of the workforce, tailoring the resume to reflect in-demand skills, upskilling where possible, and building a compelling portfolio to enhance employability.

Graduate wages fell slightly over the past year according to GradStats⁸, raising some concerns for the profession. The latest data places the average graduate wage at $54,000, compared with $55,000 the year prior, representing a 1.8% decrease. These findings fall reasonably in line with responses from our survey, with graduates reporting a mean commencing salary of $52,445. However, over the longer-term, graduate ICT wages have trended upwards, with annualised growth of 1.6% recorded over the past five years.

While growth in the latest year was poor, the average wage for ICT graduates represents an outperformance of the average graduate wage across all professions, which sits at $52,500. Some businesses have reported gaps in the workforce when looking to hire ICT professionals, providing opportunities for new graduates. The increase in remuneration and the overall strong performance compared with other graduates indicates that employers are willing to pay more to attract the best graduate candidates.

⁸Graduate Careers Australia, Gradstats, 2015

Source: Graduate Careers Australia

Figure 6: Domestic completions in IT degrees

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The outlookThe outlook for ICT professionals looks relatively bright, with businesses across Australia expected to ramp-up their reliance of ICT as their operations become increasingly digitalized. Gartner group, one of the world’s foremost IT research companies, has made some bold predictions regarding the future of the industry. Gartner group⁹ forecasts that by 2018, businesses will require half the number of process workers and five times the number of digital workers. The cost of business operations is also expected to fall by 30 percent through ‘smart machines and industrialised services’. While these trends seem to suggest a likely downsizing in the labour force, ICT professionals will be in high demand as businesses look for skilled staff to implement new systems and steer the ship.

Improving technology will continue to drive the industry forward. Computer consultants are expected to be in high demand as businesses look for solutions capitalising on these advances in technology. The domestic industry is also expected to benefit, at least in the medium term, from data security concerns and privacy and surveillance legislation associated with offshoring data. While the offshoring of ICT roles is expected to continue to some degree, this will be mainly limited to operational roles. Professional and consulting roles will be more resilient, as the need to implement cutting-edge technology in business operations becomes more pressing.

⁹Gartner Group Website: businesses will require half the number of process workers and five times the number of digital workers – Last accessed 16 March 2017.

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OutsourcingBusinesses across Australia are increasingly outsourcing their IT services to focus on their core business activities. While larger companies have traditionally maintained in-house IT departments, the growing complexity of IT systems and their increasingly pervasive nature is driving companies to employ external consultants and managers, with in-house depart-ments managing more basic operations. Technology is progressively being employed across the world to drive productivity and improve business outcomes, rather than simply being used in an operational sense. The rise of “big data” has dramatically increased the breadth and depth of information use in making strategic decisions. ICT professionals are pivotal in collecting, storing and managing this data, establishing systems to integrate this data into other areas of the businesses, and deriving insights that are useful for businesses in guiding their decision making.

The reliance on data insights is expected to increase further over the coming years, as new technology and competitive pressures force companies to seek out new ways to get ahead. ICT professionals are expected to benefit, and become increasingly vital to the success of businesses. The progression in the breadth of services offered by the industry will encourage growth through all sectors, with experienced professionals required to implement systems and less-experienced graduates required for operational roles. However, the outsourcing of some functional roles abroad will continue to place pressure on local ICT professionals. The challenge for the local workforce will be to differentiate their offering, providing tailored services that cater for the needs of businesses and individuals.

11 ¹⁰ IBISWorld Industry Report X0004 Online Shopping in Australia, November 2016

Respondents skilled in Citrix, C/C++ and system administration were the most likely to report expected decline in demand. ICT professionals are keenly aware of areas of declining importance in the profession. As new technology is developed, older, less efficient, or less productive technologies are gradually superseded. ICT professionals are directly responsible for incorporating new technology into businesses and removing older technology.

Figure 8. Skills Identified as Most Likely to Experience Reduced Demand

Skill % Respondents who Believe Demand will Decrease

Citrix 30%

C/C++ 27%

System Administration 25%

TCP/IP UML 25%

VOIP/Telephony 23%

RF/Wireless 22%

.NET 21%

UNIX 21%

SkillsParticipants in Professionals Australia’s annual ICT Professionals Employment and Remuneration Report were asked how they expect demand for their specific skills would change over the next three years, as well as whether they felt those skills were at risk of offshoring. Respondents skilled in ETL, iOS and Python were the most likely to report increased demand. ICT professionals are in the best position to identify potential areas of growth in the profession as they are directly responsible for incorporating new technology into businesses. The ability to effectively manage the transition from older technology to newer technologies requires in depth knowledge, and may provide a competitive edge for ICT professionals that maintain a strong history of ongoing professional development.

Figure 7. Skills Identified as Most Likely to Experience Increased Demand

Skill % Respondents who Believe Demand will Increase

ETL 100%

iOS 88%

Python 80%

Sales 80%

Business Intelligence 70%

Business Development 70%

Analytics 68%

Compliance & Risk 63%

Offshoring is a prominent issue in the ICT professional at present, with some organisation seeking to minimise short-term costs by outsourcing processes overseas. Respondents identified citrix as the skill most at risk from offshor-ing over the next three years, followed by SAL, android, oracle and data. The trend of outsourcing raises concerns that some Australian businesses may not have the skilled workforce on hand locally to drive innovative business practices, and ultimately this may negatively affect workforce development in the profession.

Figure 9. Skills Identified as Most at Risk of Offshoring over the Next 3 Years

Skill % Respondents who Believe it is at Risk of Offshoring

Citrix 70%

SAP 60%

Android 50%

Oracle 50%

Data Warehousing 50%

TCP/IP UML 50%

UNIX 47%

.NET 43%

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Future of jobsAccording to the Australian Computer Society “ICT is uniquely dynamic – and will remain that way for the foreseeable future. Many of today’s young people will work in jobs nobody has even heard of today.” The world is currently in the midst of a golden age of technological advancement. The way people and businesses utilise technology has changed dramatically over the past decade, and this change is not expected to slow. The development of the ICT workforce will be integral to this process, with professionals required to develop new technologies and integrate these technologies into existing business models.

The future of ICT jobs is also being shaped by growth in online commerce. Online shopping has grown by an annual-ised 16.2% over the past five years, totalling $18 billion in sales¹⁰. To put this in perspective, this means that revenue derived from online shopping has more than doubled over the past five years. While growth is expected to slow to an annualised 9.4% over the next five years, this is still significantly faster than the rest of the economy. Additionally, many of the world’s largest and fastest-growing businesses operate through online-only models, avoiding the overhead costs associated with a bricks-and-mortar business.

Even among businesses with a physical network, a strong, user-friendly online presence can be critical to success. However, most small businesses lack the capacity to manage these operations in-house. As a result, outsourced ICT services and web development and hosting services will become increasingly critical over the coming years. With more technological avenues opening up, and with technology becoming more prevalent across all areas of business, companies are seeking to manage their full suite of ICT operations through external contracts. While some larger companies are developing in-house teams, the larger trend is towards outsourcing to specialist providers. The Australian Workforce and Productivity Agency stressed the imprtance of investing in ICT if Australian businesses are to keep up with the digital age, stating that ‘if Australia is to maximise the potential of digital technologies and the Asian century, it needs more people choosing IT as a career.’