Calling all data scientists – the government wants you! Data science has been rated the most in-demand technology skillset within the public sector, according to representatives polled at the FST Government: Queensland conference.

Nearly 40 per cent of surveyed delegates rated ‘data science’ the most sought-after technology skillset for government sector technology specialists, significantly higher than coding (8 per cent) and user/customer experience (UX/CX) design (20 per cent).

Data scientists analyse and interpret complex datasets to distil vital information that can help organisations in improving service delivery and making more informed decisions.

DevOps ranked a close second in the four skills contest, rated by one in three delegates (32 per cent) as the most in-demand technology skillset within the public sector, revealing a clear demand within government services to expand in-house software development capabilities.

The results reflect a clear push by state and federal governments to exploit their vast data repositories, not only to deliver better, more nuanced, decision-making capabilities, but also to assist in the development of tailored digital services for the public.

In a separate poll, a plurality of participants (36 per cent) rated data sharing and analytics as the definitive ‘game changer’ technology for the industry, well above machine learning, AI (20 per cent), cloud-backed business models (22 per cent) and maturing digital transformation initiatives (22 per cent).

The live poll, accessible through the FST smartphone app, was a first of its kind at an FST Government conference, revealing unique insights on key trends and digital initiatives within the government sector. 

More than 120 delegates from state and federal government services sector and industry attended the conference, hosted at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on 14 March, 2018.