Furini added that a clamp-down on migration levels could make it difficult for Australians wanting to work overseas, and Australian universities have a role to play in stemming the level of IT skills loss in Australia.

"Migration makes the market more competitive, as people bring skills into the work environment and then transfer those skills to locals, but the important thing is targeting the people with skills that are in short supply," Furini said.

"Universities need to tailor courses not to offer just run-of-the-mill IT, because IT is ubiquitous ... people that combine IT degrees with another area of learning will find themselves in high demand."