New digital technologies training facility to drive jobs at Lot Fourteen

A proposal for the establishment of a $60 million Digital Technologies Academy at Lot Fourteen has been given the green light by the Australian and South Australian governments under the Adelaide City Deal.

The new Academy will offer digital technologies and cyber related education and training, delivering a pipeline of professionals to meet rapidly growing labour demand across a broad range of high-tech sectors.

The Digital Technologies Academy gives effect to the vision in the City Deal of

an industry-focused training institution designed to produce job ready graduates in vital growth sectors, while realigning that vision away from the sectors first envisaged towards the innovation and technology sectors.

This will complement and support the strategy of establishing Lot Fourteen as a global innovation and technology precinct, by training thousands of South Australians so they have the knowledge and skills to fill the future pipeline of high-tech jobs in South Australia.

Deloitte Access Economics forecasts the number of technology workers in Australia will pass 1 million in 2024. By 2026, there will be nearly 300,000 more technology workers in the Australian workforce.

A number of world-leading digital technology firms, including Accenture, MTX, Cognizant and Deloitte, are already investing in Adelaide and are seeking to employ large workforces to meet their business needs.

South Australian Premier, the Hon Steven Marshall MP, said a dedicated digital technologies training academy is a game-changer for South Australian tech and cyber jobs.

“At a time where more and more high-tech jobs are coming online here in South Australia, it’s absolutely vital we can train the talent to take these jobs,” Premier Marshall said.

“South Australia is unashamedly the space, defence and cyber state – it’s my aim to create a pipeline of jobs in these industries so we can put the brain-drain behind us and be the country’s beacon for major companies in these areas.

“Increasing digital skills and capabilities is crucial to drive innovation and productivity in South Australia, while enabling our businesses to remain internationally competitive.”

Federal Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, said the Academy would help develop a highly skilled and diversified workforce that will support Australia’s growing tech industry.

“The new Digital Technologies Academy will help provide South Australians with the necessary skills to fill the many high value tech jobs already on offer across the state – a number that is expected to grow significantly in the future,” Minister Fletcher said.

“The Morrison Government is making significant investments in growing the digital and tech sector, including through our Digital Economy Strategy 2030 and Australia’s Cyber Security Strategy 2020, and now through the establishment of the Digital Technologies Academy here in Adelaide.

“This project is another great example of the positive collaboration being fostered between all levels of government through the Adelaide City Deal, which is delivering transformational infrastructure that enhances the vibrancy and liveability of the CBD.”

Lot Fourteen State Project Lead, Di Dixon says the Academy could be a highly complementary addition to the hi-tech research and industry focus at Lot Fourteen, joining the Australian Institute for Machine Learning, Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre, MIT bigdata Living Lab and industry partners Google Cloud Services, Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure.

“A new educational facility, aligning closely with the vision and objectives of Lot Fourteen, would be another fantastic business attractor for the innovation district and the state,” Ms Dixon said.

“Lot Fourteen provides companies with the opportunity for co-location with like-minded businesses, curating a collaborative ecosystem of entrepreneurs and innovators in space, defence, hi-tech and creative industries.”

Next steps for the project include detailed project scoping with a view to commencing construction in late 2023.

The Adelaide City Deal is a 10-year partnership between the Australian and South Australian governments and the City of Adelaide to deliver $699 million of new government investment in Adelaide with an aim to grow Adelaide’s innovation economy.