TECHNOLOGY experts are sounding the alarm over huge falls in the number of students taking computer courses at university level, warning that the skills shortage will likely worsen in coming years.
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Information and communications technology enrolments at universities around the nation have dropped by 50 per cent in the past decade, the Australian Computer Society has reported.
The former chief executive officer of Open Universities Australia, Stuart Hamilton, said the nation needed to act on the figures or risk missing out on the full benefits of the national broadband network.
''One of the things the NBN is going to do is unlock - in education and health in particular - a much greater use of the internet,'' he said.
''We need clever IT people to develop new concepts and ways to use this new infrastructure's capacity.
''If we lack sufficient people with technology skills we will not make as good use of the NBN and the benefits it can potentially bring.''
Chief executive officer of the Australian Computer Society Alan Paterson said thousands of jobs were already going begging in the IT sector because of the skills shortage.
''The continuing decline in ICT course enrolments combined with an increase in the skills shortages is threatening the development of Australia's $100 billion digital economy,'' he said.
''Over the past decade universities have not been successful in attracting bright school leavers to consider ICT as a study area compared to other professions such as law and medicine.''
Mr Patterson said ICT as a general discipline was less likely to attract high-achieving school leavers with ATARs of more than 90 into tertiary study but was more likely to admit students with ATARs of less than 50.
He said that as well as universities, ICT enrolments in the vocational sector had dropped by 40 per cent in the past 10 years.
Spokeswoman for NBN Co, Cassandra Scott said Canberra high school students were being encouraged to take an interest through the use of the ''NBN Truck'' which is stationed at Federation Mall behind Old Parliament House in Parkes, until Wednesday afternoon.
The truck is a mobile interactive demonstration centre, where the public and school groups could learn more about the technology.
''We find that the young people really understand the importance of broadband and are very articulate and knowledgeable about the potential benefits,'' she said.
''They are an intensely curious generation and they ask a lot of questions.''
■ Details: nbnco.com.au/schools.
