No one pathway fits all! 
There is a range of digital and ICT education and training options available that offer a variety of accredited and non-accredited qualifications, skillsets, industry certified micro-credentials and delivery modes - on-campus, remote and online or mixed mode.
There are various ways to pursue a digital and ICT career:
- Complete a short course or micro-credential
- Study at TAFE or university
- Gain on the job training
- Apply for the TasGrad Program
Workplace based learning offers valuable experience in the ICT work environment which is highly sought after by employers and bridges the gap between education and employment.
Vocational Education and Training (VET) Pathways
TasTAFE is the largest public provider of vocational education and training in Tasmania and offers a range of ICT nationally accredited and industry-endorsed qualifications with a focus on cyber security, networking, systems technology, and information technology support.
Qualifications include:
- Cert II in Workplace Skills
- Cert III & IV in Information Technology
- Cert IV in Information Technology
- Cert IV in Information Technology (Web Development)
- Cert IV in Cyber Security
- Diploma of Information Technology (with articulation into tertiary education)
- Accredited training and non-accredited courses in ICT qualifications and skillsets:
- Essential Eight Assessment Course
- Cyber Security Awareness Skill Set
- Workplace Course
Delivery modes:
- On-campus
- Online
- Workplace based (also known as traineeships)
- TasTAFE: Online and face to face Information sessions held each semester in June & November inviting expressions of interest to enrol in courses which ensures priority placement (first in first serve).
Traineeships in ICT and cyber security via Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) such as TasTAFE provide a solid pathway into the Tasmanian State Service that allows new entrants to gain on-the-job paid employment experience while undertaking nationally recognised industry qualifications and training.
Traineeships in the Tasmanian State Service are generally advertised and managed by Group Training Organizations (GTO) or Apprenticeship Network Providers (ANPs) such as Work and Training and MEGT.
Evidence of workplace experience that aligns with key units of competency in the ICT training package can be recognised through Recognition of prior learning (RPL) resulting in credits towards a qualification.
Articulation between VET and tertiary is available upon completion of the Diploma (AQF5) which translates into credits when applying for a university degree.
Through TAFECyber in collaboration with the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) specialist cyber courses such as Essential Eight are available through TasTAFE.
Tertiary Pathways
Tertiary ICT education is available in Tasmania through the University of Tasmania’s School of Information and Communication Technology offering the following range of qualifications and specializations:
- Associate Degree of Applied Technologies
- Diploma of ICT Professional Practice
- Undergraduate Certificate of ICT Professional Practice
- Bachelor of Information and Communication Technology
- Master of Information Technology and Systems
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Tertiary ICT educations develops foundational skills that can lead you into a professional or academic career. Those seeking a professional career, it is highly advisable to seek industry experience as early as possible in your degree to ensure employability skills are also developed.
Industry experience can achieved through unpaid work experience or placements with a host company as a undergraduate or as a graduate. The TSS offers a graduate program (TasGraD) that provides graduates 2 years of experience and professional development in the TSS.
Micro-credentials
Micro-credentials are another way to gain digital and cyber skills relevant to employers without having to undertake full tertiary or VET qualification. This is an affordable and time effective option if you are looking to upskill, expand skillsets or are transitioning from another profession.
For example, if you are trained in agricultural science and looking to expand your skills and knowledge in the agtech space, consider a micro-credential in data analytics or internet of things with industry certification outcomes rather than a full ICT degree or VET certificate.
Below are some typical places offering digital, ICT and cyber security training:
- Australian Computer Society (ACS)
- Australian Women in Security Network (AWSN)
- Microsoft/Prodigy Learning
- Fortinet
- Cisco Networking Academy (Netacad)
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- ISC2
- Linkedin Learning
Industry Professional bodies and Meetup Groups
Professional bodies and meetups are another way to develop your digital skills through access to formal training resources, such as the ACS Learning accelerator, attending thought leadership, technical and networking events, such as the TasICT Tapas and Tech, AISA branch meetings and AWSN mentoring program.
The key benefit of these events is having the opportunity to learn from subject matter experts and practitioners in the field through information and knowledge sharing, build confidence, gain access to mentors/coaches to support career pathways and develop social networks.
Meetup Groups such as Coding Sisterhood, AWS, and Splunk are another great way to learn from experts and practitioners in the field. These meetup events are informal and community focused but are effective in the way information and knowledge is shared.