SYDNEY, Australia— The Australian technology sector has teamed up to launch Skill Finder, a world-first, free micro-skills marketplace available to all Australians, including 3.5m JobKeepers and 1.5m JobSeekers. Skill Finder will enable Australians to equip themselves with in-demand, immediately applicable technical and digital micro-skills from the world’s leading technology companies, for free.

The technology industry collaboration led by Adobe, was developed in response to a call for action from the Hon. Minister Karen Andrews, Minister for Industry, Science and Technology. Skill Finder is a free resource offering hundreds of online courses focused on digital skills and is available to any Australian looking to reskill or upskill in the wake of COVID-19. When visiting the site, users are guided by an assisted user experience guide, ‘Jesse’, to the most relevant courses based on information a person chooses to share about their professional background, current expertise and future interest areas. 

Courses and micro-skills available span 12 categories and 144 sub-categories across creative graphic design, coding, artificial intelligence, machine learning, analytics, cloud computing, accounting software, business tools to content marketing. The course levels range from basic to advanced, with many of the skills gained being ideal pathways to accredited qualifications.

Skill Finder has been built free-of-charge by Melbourne-based and founded technology company, Balance Internet. The upfront cost of Adobe Magento Commerce, Adobe Analytics have been provided by Adobe for free, and Amazon Web Services (AWS) is providing cloud services to support the website. Australian tech leaders Atlassian, Canva, MYOB and Xero have all contributed free courses and micro-skills as has Adobe, AWS, Google, IBM, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Salesforce and Twitter.

The Hon. Minister Karen Andrews said, “Digital skills have proven invaluable during the COVID-19 pandemic and will only become more relevant and useful as we continue to recover and for the future. 

We need to make sure Australians have the skills they need to take advantage of the jobs that industry will create. The broad selection of courses on offer through Skill Finder are what Australia needs to drive digital transformation and innovation, ultimately delivering growth and jobs.“

James Horne, Managing Director of Balance Internet said, “The idea for Skill Finder was born out of a hackathon we hosted only months ago. It’s incredible to think our company, operating out of extended lock-down in Melbourne, has been able to corral the calibre of Australian and global technology companies involved to deliver on the Skill Finder concept. It’s our belief that 10 percent or even more of Australia’s total workforce could immediately upskill as part of this initiative.”

Suzanne Steele, Adobe Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand said, “The pandemic has accelerated digital transformation, reimagining many roles, and re-enforcing the need for an upskilled and resilient workforce. We are confident that Skill Finder will help any Australian looking to sharpen digital skills and knowledge as they re-enter the workforce or choose to change direction within it. Australian companies of all sizes will also benefit from a newly accredited digitally-skilled workforce, able to help them deliver the exceptional digital experiences brands and consumers have come to now expect.” 

Australians can access hundreds of free courses at http://www.skillfinder.com.au/

About Skill Finder

Skill Finder is committed to connecting the Australian workforce, small and medium businesses to new learning opportunities. A centralised marketplace, Skill Finder is powered by the world’s top technology platforms and software providers. With hundreds of online courses, the platform provides an opportunity for every Australian to up-level their knowledge with transferable and useful micro-skills, so they are prepared for an unpredictable future where agility and adaptability is key. 

What is a Micro-skill? 

Skill Finder focuses on the individual micro-skills that sit within and around degree qualifications, vocational training, short courses and micro-credentials. Micro-skills are designed and delivered by the technology companies that have built the platforms and software the skills apply to, in order to be delivered quickly and easily. They are designed to be immediately executable skills.

About Balance Internet

Australian-based company, Balance Internet, are experts in digital ecommerce. We partner with some of Asia Pacific’s leading brands, government agencies, educational institutions and corporations to deliver innovative and transformative digital experiences. For more information visit www.balanceinternet.com.au