More professionalism in IT needed

The Minister for Communications, IT and the Arts, Senator Helen Coonan, has called for greater professionalism in the IT community, especially around insurance-related issues.

Coonan has convened a meeting of IT and insurance industry leaders today to help promote and support professionalism across the IT sector.

“Australia’s ICT professionals are talented and innovative, but there is always room for greater professionalism,” she said in a statement.

“As minister, I want to encourage the ICT industry to make a commitment to improving standards.”

Coonan added that she believed there was broad support for the move among industry representatives.

“High levels of professionalism and confidence in the ability of Australian professionals is vital to the continued growth of the ICT industry in a globally competitive environment,” she said.

When Coonan was Minister for Revenue and Assistant Treasurer, a national professional standards regime had been implemented but more could be done, she suggested.

National professional standards were only one way of promoting professionalism in the IT sector and improving professional standards and risk management to protect consumers, Coonan said.

Engineers Australia and the Australian Computer Society (ACS) had already promised to develop some professional standards schemes in consultation with the Professional Standards Council, she said.