Robert Stewart on Avanade's new Engineering Hub in Adelaide
Plans to support organisations through a period of accelerated digital transformation saw Avanade establish its presence in Adelaide, South Australia, with the opening of its new Engineering Hub.
Already a booming tech hub, the city was voted Australia's most liveable city by The Economist Intelligence Unit's Global Liveability Index in 2021 and is Avanade’s first footprint in Adelaide. The hub is already making waves – delivering digital solutions on the Microsoft ecosystem for the government sector whilst fast-tracking the city’s innovation ecosystem.
The opening of the hub created 50 jobs, with plans to double this number over the next 12 months, while shining a spotlight on new and hybrid ways of working, modern software development, and agile delivery methodologies.
Meeting these business objectives means looking internally at ways to overcome the challenges of Australia’s technology skills shortage and cultivating the right skillsets to better serve clients. From improving diversity in the technology workforce to Academy and training programmes, here’s three ways how Avanade’s Engineering Hub in Adelaide is setting the benchmark as a centre of excellence in Australia and globally.
Rethink talent acquisition
To bolster innovation and deliver modern ways of working for clients, it is key to overhaul traditional talent acquisition by keeping a lens on diversity and attracting wide-ranging skillsets. This means rethinking the way we recruit to meet the needs of the company and our clients.
As a responsible business, our Adelaide Engineering Hub is committed to hiring at least 40 percent women and aims for a minimum of 5 percent of our local workforce to be made up of Indigenous Australian talent. Bespoke training and hiring programmes are set to recruit and train early career talent, creating opportunities for graduates and trainees, as well as people from outside the technology industry and individuals returning to work.
Narrowing the technology skills shortage
The Tech Council of Australia has forecast the country will need 1 million people in technology jobs by 2025, which means approximately 260,000 more people will need to enter the Australian technology workforce.
Strategic partnerships go a long way in building a talent pipeline. To meet our needs for talent and our commitment to diversity, Avanade has partnered with organisations such as Microsoft, Modis, Goanna Solutions, Generation Australia, and MEGT to attract and upskill new consultants.
Through our Academy, we conduct training programmes designed to source talent outside of traditional technology streams. We target individuals with transferable skills – such as consulting, customer-focused and communication skills – and equip them with the knowledge, technical skillsets, and tools before they embark on their respective roles and permanent placements within the hub.
Embracing modern ways of working
To thrive in today’s workplace that is constantly evolving, we reimagined the traditional office setting to establish modern ways of working. Teams within the hub are trained to work in a cross-functional capacity – working closely with clients on a product or a project. This creates the room for agility in delivery, as well as quicker and more frequent feedback – leading to efficient delivery from insight to product or solution.
With these key focus areas well in place, our Engineering Hub in Adelaide is set to be the benchmark for a national delivery capability and joins the existing network of Avanade offices in Australia located in Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney – as well as a network of new Avanade Engineering Hubs globally.
