As the new year kicks off and students across Australia consider their study options, network security specialist and TAFE NSW student Jerome Saligne is encouraging school leavers to consider an alternative to studying ICT at university.

Jerome has landed his dream job at information security firm Shearwater Solutions and wants to remind students that they can apply to study the hands-on Bachelor of Information Technology (Network Security) at TAFE NSW, without an ATAR.

ACS Australia’s Digital Pulse report forecasts Australia will need more than 200,000 ICT workers by 2023 to become a global leader in the digital economy[1]. A survey by specialist recruiter, Robert Half reveals nine in ten (88%) of Australian CIOs say it is more challenging to find qualified IT professionals compared to five years ago and will become more challenging over the next five years[2].

When Jerome finished school he pursued a career working for a supermarket chain. He was relatively happy with his career path but knew he wanted to boost his emploment outlook.

Jerome said, “I had been working in the retail sector for about ten years and I knew that there was a chance to increase my earning capacity if I completed some further study.”

Like any good student, Jerome did his research and found that there is a skills shortage in ICT in Australia – network security in particular - an area of study he had become interested in. When he discovered that TAFE NSW offers a degree tailored specifically towards a career in network security, all of the pieces fell into place.

“TAFE NSW customises a degree in network security so that students who want to get straight into a career can do so, rather than studying IT elsewhere and then waiting to gain enough experience to splinter off into a career in this specialised area.”

“TAFE NSW is well known for providing high quality network security specialists and halfway through the degree I was headhunted by the team at Shearwater Solutions.”

“I never in my wildest dreams believed I could be employed in this industry so quickly and it’s a testament to the incredible practical nature of the teaching and employer connections at TAFE NSW that I have secured this position.”

To find out more about studying the Bachelor of Information Technology (Network Security) at TAFE NSW in 2020, visit www.tafensw.edu.au or phone 131 601.

Media contact: Alice Dalley, TAFE NSW Media and Communications Business Partner, alice.dalley1@tafensw.edu.au, mobile 0402 528 210