Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher

The Albanese Labor Government will invest in 1,000 digital traineeships over four years to build capability in digital or technology related fields in the Australian Public Service as a direct outcome of the Jobs and Skills Summit.

Minister for Public Service, Finance and Women, Senator Katy Gallagher announced that this program has been designed to assist Australians facing barriers that are currently limiting their participation in the workforce.

A key focus of the discussion at the Jobs and Skills summit has been on how we unlock opportunities for people, including women, who want to reskill in order to more fully participate in the workforce.

This program will be focused on providing flexible training for digital skills, alongside employment in the public service, to First Nations peoples, women re-entering the workforce or seeking a career change, older people, Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel transitioning into civilian roles and their spouses.

“As a government, we understand that the tech and digital sectors are only going to continue to grow in coming years and it’s essential that Australians have the skills and training they need to take advantage of these jobs of the future,” Minister Gallagher said.

“This program will play a key role in ensuring that the Australian Public Service is able to diversify its workforce and grow its in-house digital capabilities across Australia after a decade of neglect under the former government,” the Minister said.

Trainees will complete a twelve-month training program that will culminate in a Certificate IV qualification in a digital or technology related field.

Mentoring will be provided by the Australian Public Service Commission to support trainees on the pathway to completing their qualification.

Applications for the Australian Public Service digital traineeship program will open in December 2022, with traineeships set to commence in 2023.