The 4 best ICT Courses you can take online

As digital technologies become ever more ingrained in our daily lives (over 88% of Australia’s population are now currently active internet users), Australia’s ICT industry continues to thrive as one of the nation’s leading industries. The field is currently worth over a whopping $120 billion, and sits as the fifth largest ICT market in the Asia-Pacific region.

Due to our increasingly digitised landscape (and the field’s stability, even during unforeseen economic events – such as the current coronavirus pandemic), pursuing an ICT career has never been more attractive.

With our country requiring a predicted 100,000 extra employees in the field by 2024, industry newcomers are bound to find plenty of job opportunity, security, and high salary potential.

Below, we explore five of the most popular online courses in the ICT field – and how each can potentially lead to rewarding, lucrative career paths.

Website Development

You’d be hard-pressed to find any business – of any size – without their own, official website. As e-commerce continues to dominate the economic landscape, websites are increasingly relied upon to effectively build brand presence and expand consumer reach.

As such, studying web development opens plenty of doors to career opportunities in ICT. The predominantly online nature of the profession also makes it easy to study online – and allows for plenty of flexible or remote work positions.

Students who pursue an online web development course will explore the foundations of website-building: layout creation, creating dynamic web pages, developing CSS (cascading style sheets), designing a user interface and familiarising themselves with the latest web technology trends and practices.

Lumify Learn currently offers an online Diploma in Website Development; equipping students with competencies as well as general skills in ICT ethics and copyright; identifying client requirements; and implementing application security.

SEEK currently predicts a 9.2% job growth in web developers in the next five years, granting students plenty of job opportunities upon graduation.

Software Engineering

Software engineering was among the highest-paying areas of IT in 2019 (in Australia) – with software engineering managers, in particular, earning an average of $147,155 a year.

Software is an integral part our everyday tech use, making up the various systems, programs, and apps our mobile devices, laptops, desktop computers, and other digital gadgets rely on. Engineers in the field design and develop these digital technologies – these including operating systems, computer games, network control, and business applications.

Students who pursue a software engineering course will learn the fundamentals of software design; data structures and algorithms; systems development; the Internet of Things (IoT); and other tools for software construction. General areas of IT, such as programming and networking, may also be touched upon.

Employment growth for software engineering shows no signs of stopping, with a projected 23.4% increase in jobs within the next five years – according to SEEK statistics.

Cyber Security

With increasing numbers of annual cybercrime in Australia (costing businesses $29 billion each year and affecting nearly one in three Australians in 2018), it’s no surprise that cyber security has a earned top priority among most Australian companies.

Recent years have seen vast improvement in preparation for cyber-attacks, with 77% of local businesses now implementing incident response plans. Additionally, the 2019 Telstra Security Report found that a greater awareness of cyber security lead to 84% of businesses increasing security budgets (on a then-average of $900,000 per annum) to fend off emerging threats.

As such, cyber security has never been a more lucrative, expansive ICT field. Aspiring security experts can choose from a wide array of specialised roles (and courses) in the sector – including penetration testing/ethical hacking, security engineering, cryptography, consultancy, and security software development.

Those who pursue a course in cyber security will typically delve into the tools and tactics for spotting, isolating, and managing potential threats and vulnerabilities in computer systems. Programs may also explore varying actor types and their attributes, security protocols, incident response procedures, risk management processes, and other concepts.

Lumify Learn currently offers an online Certified Cyber Security Professional program that encompasses all such areas, while covering general IT skills such as networking, hardware configuration, and basic data and recovery methods.

According to the Institute of Data, Australia should expect demand of at least 17,600 security experts by 2026 – providing course graduates with plenty of job opportunity.

General Information Technology

Finally, for those looking to start a career in ICT management, administration, or support – perhaps a general course in information technology is your best fit.

A course in information technology can help equip you with the skills and expertise to navigate and lead in an ICT landscape; and may also he a handy starting point for determining further sub-specialties you’d like to pursue.

Courses in general information technology will typically touch upon networking concepts, ICT maintenance, ensuring sustainable systems, ICT project management, and disaster recovery and contingency plans. Business skills such as matching ICT needs to one’s overall company strategy; ensuring a safe workplace; and identifying business requirements may also be explored.

Lumify Learn currently offers an online Diploma of Information Technology that delves into each of these topics, while also diving into web development concepts such as a CSS development and building complex page layouts.

Potential career paths to take after graduating a general IT course include ICT system management, systems administration, project management, and network support.

Pursuing a career in ICT?

If you’re looking to get your start in the growing world of ICT – Lumify Learn’s got some of the industry’s most popular courses to get you started.

As mentioned, students can choose from courses in website development, information technology, or cyber security; each providing thorough, nationally-recognised skills training to pursue successful careers in their respective fields.

All programs are also delivered completely online, allowing students to tailor their studies according to personal needs and schedules.

Join Australia’s booming ICT industry – and enquire with us on a course today.