Demand for information and communication technology (ICT) workers has exploded in Australia.

As data has become more integral to business processes, the workforce’s capacity for digital skills and capabilities has increased in importance.

Despite this, 72 per cent of businesses across Australia and New Zealand have fallen behind when it comes to leveraging tech, indicating the needs of Australian businesses are not being met.

In order to help build Australia’s digital workforce, Adobe and RMIT University have formed a partnership that will arm students with the skills required to succeed in today’s workplace.

With the support of Adobe, RMIT is introducing three courses on digital marketing that can be undertaken as part of RMIT Online’s professional course offerings.

These courses will provide education on digital marketing best practices, data-driven marketing and the game-changing impact of AI, and are co-designed and delivered with Adobe and RMIT.

Adobe APAC senior director of public sector & education Tony Katsabaris said, “In order for Australia to remain competitive in the global economy, it is imperative that we address education needs in the digital space.

“RMIT and Adobe share values of innovation and creativity, and we believe this partnership will continue to find exciting new ways to benefit Australia’s businesses and workforce.”

When the courses launch on August 20, they will combine Adobe’s leadership in digital marketing and RMIT’s commitment to delivering education that actively addresses the needs of Australian industry.

In doing so, the partnership will create and deliver meaningful, practical and applied content that will ensure students have the digital skills that are essential in today’s economy.

Vice-Chancellor and president Martin Bean CBE said RMIT has continued to partner with some of the best employers to provide its students with job-ready skills.

“RMIT and Adobe are both known for technology leadership, so this new partnership is a perfect fit for us,” he said.

“By introducing new courses like this, we are creating real industry connections and collaboration opportunities to ensure our students are equipped for the future world of work.”

Students taking part in the courses will be asked to use real-world problems that they will then address through their studies with the guidance of mentors, student advisors and a course manager.

In addition to offering the involvement of these highly dedicated support staff, by conducting the courses online, Adobe and RMIT will provide new, flexible and accessible study options for students in an increasingly digital and connected world.

RMIT Online CEO Helen Souness said the university is placing an increasing importance on co-designing courses with leading industry players like Adobe.

“This new suite of Digital Marketing courses is an exciting addition to our rapidly expanding portfolio of short, future skills courses.

“We’re covering a broad spectrum of topics, from designing digital marketing strategies; to using data driven insights and visualisation to create meaningful change in business, to exploring new technologies like AI in marketing.

“Industry is the right place for us to look for this content, and we’re pleased to partner with Adobe to help professionals navigate their way through the changing world of work.”

The Digital Marketing offering takes students through the following:

• Digital Marketing Strategy
• Marketing Analytics and Insights
• AI and Emerging Technologies for Strategic Marketing

Each course runs for 6-8 weeks, with Digital Marketing Strategies commencing 20 August and Marketing Analytics and Insights commencing 1 October.