From fintech to fun tech: Explore the diversity of Australia’s technology sector | Canberra Times

It may not seem like it to many of us ordinary Australians who use many internationally produced technologies every day, but Australia is actually a fierce technological innovator in our own right.

The Australian technology sector has experienced some major developments over the past decade, particularly and across a number of different industries, including financial technology, video game development and even industrial and consumer computing technology.

We’ll explore just some of these developments and innovations today, and how they make up the rich tapestry of Australia’s diverse technology sector as a whole. Alongside this, we will also explore how newer generations of tech-savvy Australian students can embark on these lucrative technical career paths.

Industry-leading graphic design courses are among Australia’s most popular tertiary institutions, with thousands of students each year picking up highly employable technology and design skills that can be used in a range of different sectors.

With the development of digital design technology, modern graphic designers are required to have a relatively high level of technical skills, along with a familiarity with software tools such as those within Adobe’s Creative Cloud. That is until the development of Canva.

Created by university students from Perth, Western Australia, Canva is a game-changing graphic design software that was originally designed to make the art of graphic design more accessible. Canva’s clean user interface is filled with templates and simple features to help budding designers, small business owners, and virtually any other Canva user with the ability to create their own graphic design creations with ease.

In other words, this graphic design tool has disrupted the industry in a big way, positioning design technology vendors like Adobe to assess the usability of their own software.

This is not to say that this $40 billion software program invalidates graphic design degrees. In fact, by making basic graphic design processes more accessible, Canva has also allowed graphic designers to turn their focus to perfecting their skills when it comes to using more complex software or producing more detailed pieces of commercial work.

Also, keep in mind that Canva is only valuable for fulfilling basic or entry-level graphic design needs, with templates for creating Instagram posts, posters, brochures, business cards, and other small digital or printable products.

For larger graphic design projects or commercial projects, business owners will always be better off enlisting the support of a professional graphic designer who can provide clients with high quality images and vector graphics that their clients can resize or resize without having to worry about image distortion or other annoying technical issues.

Graphic design students are encouraged to use Canva as a basis for their more technical education. Familiarizing yourself with all the different graphic design tools and software available to you will ensure that your graphic design skills and abilities remain fine and broad.

The fintech (or “financial technology”) sector has experienced some major developments in recent years, with the COVID-19 pandemic in particular triggering rapid growth. The rise of online shopping during the COVID-19 shutdowns prompted many fintech startups and major banks to improve their digital platforms, products and advice to give consumers more support when making purchases and generally managing their finances online.

But how do you get into the fintech sector if you are not a fintech entrepreneur? Although this sector is still relatively young, it has brought an abundance of new technology jobs to the Australian workforce, including sales and account management positions, customer service roles and plenty of software development and digital security positions.

Simply put, if you have a keen interest in the potential of fintech services and fintech companies like AfterPay, consider getting a qualification such as a technology management or computer engineering degree and start looking for professional opportunities at any company that catches your eye.

Students with an interest in the fintech sector are also encouraged to keep an eye on industry news by becoming a member of Fintech Australia, the country’s industry advocacy body. Membership with Fintech Australia can not only help you stay up to date with industry news, but will also ensure you are aware of all industry events and networking opportunities being organized in your local area.

Melbournians are likely to find themselves truly spoiled for choice, with their city at the center of Australia’s fintech sector. Melbourne is also the host city for Fintech Australia’s annual Intersekt Festival, which will run from September 7 to 8 this year.

However, Australian technology offerings don’t just include software. In fact, it was an Australian tech startup that made big leaps into quantum computing just earlier this year. Credited with developing the world’s first atomic-scale circuit technology, Silicon Quantum Computing (SQC) gives computer engineers and technology developers the potential to create high-capacity quantum computers to improve a variety of industrial technologies, including medical machines and other health tools, educational resources, and even with cars, bicycles and other offers from the automotive industry.

Atomic manufacturing capabilities will allow web developers in Australia to create new technologies that are smaller, faster and generally more powerful, giving consumers and professionals around the world devices that can do more with much less power. In this sense, these developments in quantum computing could also have some huge benefits in terms of streamlining Australian industries in response to the ongoing climate crisis.

Quantum computing is opening up a whole new world for computer engineers and software developers, meaning there’s never been a better time for students to enter these professional paths. If you’re a computer engineering student, a physicist, or a budding computer scientist looking to make your mark on this exciting new industry niche, you should definitely consider seeking internship opportunities with some of the industry’s most powerful innovators and up-and-coming startups alike.

With their recent success, SQC is looking to expand their own team as we speak. It may be worth looking into this and similar professional or academic opportunities.

While it could be argued that all the sectors we’ve looked at today have their own element of ‘fun’, there really is nothing more fun than video games, with indie video games in particular showcasing all the potential that the medium of video games offers to players and game developers alike . And Australia is no stranger to both indie and big name or mainstream video game development projects.

In reality, Australia is actually home to some of the most prolific game studios operating today, with the city of Melbourne being a popular location for studio headquarters. Among Australia’s top game studios, gamers and enthusiasts can find highly successful game developers like those at Halfbrick Studios – the innovators behind Fruit Ninja and Jetpack Joyride. Hipster Whale game developers are also known for creating gems like Crossy Road and Piffle.

And what about indie games? The developers at Melbourne-based studio House House are particularly known for creating the ‘Untitled Goose Game’, a game so incredibly charming and devious that it became an international hit with a cult following.

So what advice do we have for budding developers looking to contribute to Australia’s vibrant gaming scene? Looking for internships, jobs, or even freelance opportunities with some of Australia’s top game studios can help students enter this fun industry while still studying software development.

If, on the other hand, you prefer to experiment independently rather than find opportunities in existing game studios, you really can’t go wrong with taking the independent developer route and just bringing your own game concepts to life. After all, House House studio was just started by four friends with a fun idea!

When it comes to entering the tech industry, you’ll find that your career path is never something you can really map out. This is mainly because this industry itself is subject to such rapid changes and developments at all times, which in turn requires technical professionals to develop digital skills on the fly throughout their working lives.

With this in mind, your best recipe for success in Australia’s diverse tech sector is to simply keep an open mind and always be curious, regardless of what niche or niches you find yourself in.