Led by Adobe and built and managed by Balance Internet, Skill Finder involves more than 30 technology and education providers, and more than 300,000 Australians have visited the site.

Courses cover areas such as graphic design, cloud computing, data analysis and management, digital marketing, security, and UX design.

Skill Finder's reach has been extended by its integration with the benefits finder feature of the Commonwealth Bank's business and personal banking apps, and the development of Digital Skills Organisation's SkillUp proof of concept which is aimed at helping employers assess the digital fluency of their employees and connect them to relevant courses.

"Skill Finder was the first collaboration of its kind, where major tech companies came together to focus on supporting Australia's economic recovery by upskilling the nation," said Adobe ANZ vice president and managing director Suzanne Steele.

"Digital experiences have never played a more critical role in making every aspect of our lives possible – from keeping families and coworkers connected, to enabling new ways of learning, to powering digital commerce, and ensuring continuity of essential business operations. Australia's future prosperity will depend on us driving and enabling a thriving digital economy, and this will involve the upskilling and reskilling of many of our workforce."

Minister for Superannuation, Financial Services and the Digital Economy Jane Hume said "Digital skills are vital to our recovery and job creation post COVID-19. Around 60% of workers will need higher-level digital skills, but all future jobs will need basic digital capabilities."

"Initiatives like Skill Finder empower Australians to up-skill to meet demand, helping them get jobs they aspire to," she added.

Balance Internet CEO James Home said "Skill Finder was born from a vision to empower all Australians and businesses, regardless of size, to build the professional, technical and digital skills they need to upskill or find employment.

"I am so proud that we are on the road to achieving this. The unique collaboration of leading tech companies has underpinned Skill Finder's success, now and for the future."

Atlassian head of global policy and regulatory affairs David Masters said "The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the digital transformation of the economy and has created an enormous demand for digital skills. There was an urgent need for platforms that supported people to explore industry-aligned training to upskill or reskill. Skill Finder stepped into that gap - an excellent industry-driven initiative supported by the Australian Government - enabling people to dip their toe into tech skills."

Microsoft ANZ managing director Steven Worrall said "The pandemic has seen several years of digital transformation occur in just months as organisations adapted to new ways of delivering products and services. As the economy recovers, we believe equipping Australians with digital skills will be vital in driving future economic growth. Microsoft is proud to support the Skills Finder initiative, which makes free learning resources available to anybody who is seeking to improve their digital skills."

MYOB chief employee experience officer Helen Lea said "We are passionate about continuous learning at MYOB and have been delighted to support the Skill Finder initiative. Over the past 18 months, businesses and individuals have had to adapt to a rapidly changing environment. We recently commissioned research which found the pandemic drove 63% of respondents to upskill, which demonstrates the value people have placed on training as they sought to meet the challenges of this pandemic head on. Programs such as Skill Finder are vital in offering tools for business owners who may require upskilling as they navigate new requirements, as well as individuals interested in dipping their toes into a new career path."

The ongoing development of Skill Finder has been helped by a $2.7 million grant from the Australian Government earlier this year.