The Digital Skills Organisation (DSO) has appointed Patrick Kidd, OBE OAM, as its Chief Executive Officer. Patrick will lead the DSO as it aims to improve digital skills training in the VET system and provide an innovative and world leading approach to training and employing people in digital skills in Australia.
The DSO is an initiative led by the Department of Education, Skills and Employment as part of the Delivering Skills for Today and Tomorrow package. The Federal Government has tasked the DSO with taking ‘an end to end view’ of how best to get people into work within the digital sector.
The DSO is working in collaboration with State and Territory Governments, industry and small business, peak bodies and the training sector to develop, test and evaluate new approaches to digital skills training and getting people into digital jobs. These projects are designed to uncover innovative approaches to digital training that generate positive outcomes for learners and employers, quantified through increased enrolments, completions and employment.
Patrick’s appointment coincides with the DSO’s first pilot project to train and employ one-hundred data analysts. As part of the Train 100 Data Analyst Project, a number of bidders are currently participating in a competitive pitch process, to produce a range of innovative training solutions that will be funded by the DSO. The winners will be announced in November 2020.
Patrick brings to the DSO substantial experience in training and digital transformation. In his previous role, he worked in support of Infosys as the Programme Director implementing a large- scale digital transformation program into the Federal Government.
Prior to that Patrick worked with Deloitte Australia Consulting. During this period, he was seconded to the role of Chief Executive Officer for the Invictus Games Sydney where he led the Australian team that planned and delivered the 2018 Games. Patrick’s expertise in training was further developed over a thirty-year career in the British Army (1985-2005) and the Australian Defence Force (2005-2015).
