Bendigo & Adelaide Bank, La Trobe Uni, Google Cloud partner
Bendigo and Adelaide Bank and La Trobe University have partnered with Google Cloud to integrate Google Cloud's skills curriculum into the Computer Science and Information Technology (CSIT) programme at La Trobe University's Bendigo campus. The collaboration aims to address the critical skills gap in industry-relevant cloud technology and accelerate the onboarding process for students entering the workforce.
La Trobe University, Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, and Google Cloud have been working together to incorporate essential cloud skills into the university's curriculum. This initiative addresses the shortfall in technology skills currently impacting Australian businesses and the wider economy. A recent survey by the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) revealed that 99% of tech companies believe graduates are not job-ready and require additional training. Further, the Australian Computer Society's Digital Pulse report projects that the technology labour shortage will cost the Australian economy AUD $16 billion by 2030.
The incorporation of Google Cloud Skills Boost into La Trobe University's curriculum is part of the university's Industry Based Learning (IBL) programme. Since the adoption of this curriculum, students placed at Bendigo and Adelaide Bank are now onboarded in two weeks, compared to the previous eight weeks. This accelerated onboarding allows students to gain more hands-on industry experience during their 20-week placement. Additionally, Bendigo and Adelaide Bank benefits from quicker access to essential cloud skills to serve its 2.5 million customers.
"Google Cloud Skills Boost is a real differentiator for employers like us. It's giving our IBL interns the industry-relevant skills and foundational knowledge they need to hit the ground running when they join us and is a highly valued qualification that is improving the quality of entry-level candidates," said Matt Vermeer, Service Owner of Cloud Platforms and DevOps at Bendigo and Adelaide Bank. Vermeer, an alumnus of La Trobe University, joined the bank 10 years ago following participation in an industry-based learning programme himself.
Vermeer added, "While Bendigo and Adelaide Bank has had a longstanding 29-year relationship with La Trobe University transitioning students to the workforce, this additional Google Cloud Skills Boost certification is giving students the edge that will help get them hired post-placement."
Google Cloud Skills Boost provides on-demand access to 700 hands-on labs, role-based courses, skill badges, and certification resources. La Trobe University has embedded this comprehensive coursework into its curriculum, focusing on high-demand skills in areas such as big data and DevOps. These areas have proven to be particularly challenging for industry partners to fill.
"Our industry placements have historically resulted in very strong employment outcomes for students. However, graduates often take significant time to adjust their university learnings to the working world, requiring employers to invest in additional upskilling and training," said Simon Egerton, Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Information Technology at La Trobe University. "By aligning with the skills gap and priorities identified by Australian technology leaders, Google Cloud Skills Boost enables us to take responsibility for that onboarding burden away from businesses like Bendigo and Adelaide Bank. In doing so, it's helped us give students hands-on experience that makes their transition into the workplace much faster and smoother, and ensures La Trobe University's curriculum remains at the forefront of industry-relevant tertiary education in Australia."
In addition to foundational skills, the Google Cloud Skills Boost programme empowers students to adopt emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and take on complex leadership roles. At Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, participants in the IBL programme frequently enter engineering positions and roles responsible for product delivery, with around 60% of the bank's cloud and DevOps capabilities originating from its partnership and programs with La Trobe University.
Helen Stewart, Director - Financial Services and Telco, Australia and New Zealand at Google Cloud, noted, "In partnering with industry employers like Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, we're well aware that technology is only half of the digital transformation equation – the other half is timely access to talent that can use the technology to create value and stay competitive. La Trobe University's adoption of Google Cloud Skills Boost is an increasingly integral element of all CSIT teaching at the university. It directly increases the employability and adaptability of talent for the entire Australian tech industry, helping our organisations to balance the digital transformation equation and compete more effectively on the global stage."
