Google Cloud, La Trobe University, and Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Team Up to Close Cloud Skills Gap
Digital transformation is about more than just technology. Our conversations with customers consistently reinforce a crucial insight: while cutting-edge tools are essential, they’re only half the equation. The other half? The right talent to harness these technologies, drive innovation, and maintain a competitive edge.
Recent Google Search Trends data for Australia paints an interesting picture. There has been a 40% increase in AI & cloud computing searches in the past six months, with “Google Cloud AI certification” being one of the top searched topics in this category.
This explosion of curiosity isn’t just academic. It mirrors a significant shift we’re observing in Australia’s tech talent market. More and more, our partners and customers are seeking professionals who can dive into AI and cloud projects from day one, armed with the skills to deliver immediate impact.
We’ve joined forces to integrate Google Cloud’s cloud skills curriculum into La Trobe University’s Computer Science and Information Technology (CSIT) program. This initiative is equipping students with the practical, industry-relevant skills needed to thrive in today’s competitive tech landscape.
The initiative has seen fast results, already helping to close gaps in industry-applicable cloud skills for partners like Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, which takes up to five students per semester from La Trobe University’s CSIT graduate pool through various scholarships and programs.
Since adopting Google Cloud Skills Boost as part of its Industry Based Learning (IBL) Program, La Trobe University’s interns are now onboard 4x faster, from 8 weeks down to 2, with Bendigo and Adelaide Bank and require much less on-the-job upskilling.
This means interns have more time to gain hands-on industry experience during the 20-week placement, and Bendigo and Adelaide Bank gains faster access to crucial cloud skills that create immediate value for the bank and 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 is also a La Trobe University alumni who joined the bank 10 years ago following participation in an industry-based learning program himself.
Equipping students with foundational skills in emerging technologies
Google Cloud Skills Boost offers on-demand access to 700 hands-on labs, role-based courses, skill badges, and certification resources that develop students’ skills in the most sought-after technology disciplines worldwide.
When embedding Google Cloud Skills Boost into its curriculum, La Trobe University went beyond just cloud, also focusing on foundational skills in areas like big data and DevOps, where demand from industry partners like Bendigo and Adelaide Bank has proven greatest–and often hardest to fill.
“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,” said Simon Egerton, Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science and Information Technology, School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematical Sciences at La Trobe University.
In addition to foundational skills, Google Cloud Skills Boost empowers students to drive the successful adoption of AI and other emerging technologies and take on increasingly complex leadership roles within their teams.
At Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, participants in the IBL program frequently enter engineering positions and roles responsible for owning product delivery, with around 60% of the bank’s cloud and DevOps capabilities coming from the pipeline of talent from its partnership and programs with La Trobe University.
Our partnership demonstrates how industry, academia, and technology providers can collaborate to bridge the skills gap and drive innovation. As the demand for tech talent continues to rise, partnerships like these are essential for fostering a skilled workforce that can shape the future of Australia's digital economy.
