Australia’s first website designed to link Australian charity organisations with free IT-tech support has been launched.
CharityWorks.com.au is a new platform that matches under-resourced charities with under-worked or inexperienced IT candidates looking to bolster their CV while gaining real-time work experience and contacts at the same time.
The program’s founder, John Christian, said undergraduates and new-comers to the IT industry are often looking for pro-bono work they can add to their portfolio of work while they attempt to enter the industry
“Resource-poor charities are always looking for help with their IT-tech infrastructure, so we believe CharityWorks.com.au is a win-win,” he said.
The Brisbane businessman broke into the IT industry by volunteering himself at Queensland & Northern Territory Multimedia in 1997.
“The objective of CharityWorks is to bridge the gap between the two - free of charge," he said.
“Most charities in Australia are historically horribly under-resourced and one of the areas that is normally overlooked is a charity’s IT-tech infrastructure.
“Undergrads or people looking at a career change in the IT industry don’t necessarily find work immediately in the sector.
“CharityWorks.com.au works by linking these two groups together so the charity groups get the crucial IT-tech support and advice they so desperately need while undergrads and/or new-comers obtain some vital experience they need to kick-start their careers.”
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Mr Christian said there are enough websites, like e-lance or Freelancer, taking work away from the Australian technology industry as the work is outsourced to primarily India, China or Russia.