03 December 2007

Chief information officers need skilled and talented people with Australian visas

Australian businesses are crying out for skilled and experienced IT people to come to the country through Australian immigration, according to a forum of top chief information officers (CIOs).

Attendees at the Australian Banking and Finance Magazine forum in Sydney confirmed that people are vitally important to the success of any IT enterprise.

"The people make all the difference. The test is how you invest in protecting and growing that particular asset," said Commonwealth Bank of Australia CIO Michael Harte.

We've invested in a program of taking people to MIT helping them understand the importance of non-traditional learning as it relates to their IT career path," he added.

Other CIOs discussed the current growth period of the Australian IT sector. Band of Queensland CIO Iain Blacklaw said he is concerned about the lack of investment in IT training and development in Australia.

"We just don't have the depth of capability in this country to deal with the things we have to deal with," he said. He noted that the industry is continuing to look to overseas talent.

Australia needs more IT professionals: Anyone applying for an Australia skilled visa should begin by completing the Australian Visa Bureau's online Australian visa application to see if they meet the Australian visa requirements.