diff --git a/.github/workflows/yarn-upgrade.yml b/.github/workflows/yarn-upgrade.yml
index df9615a68c650..c662783a4108d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/yarn-upgrade.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/yarn-upgrade.yml
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Locate Yarn cache
         id: yarn-cache
-        run: echo "::set-output name=dir::$(yarn cache dir)"
+        run: echo "dir=$(yarn cache dir)" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
 
       - name: Restore Yarn cache
         uses: actions/cache@v3
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ jobs:
         # These need to be ignored from the `ncu` runs!
         run: |-
           echo -n "::set-output name=list::"
-          node -p "$(lerna ls --all --json 2>/dev/null).map(item => item.name).join(',')"
+          echo "list=$(lerna ls --all --json 2>/dev/null | jq -r 'map(.name) | join(",")')" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT 
       - name: Run "ncu -u"
         # We special-case @types/node because we want to stay on the current major (minimum supported node release)
         # We special-case @types/fs-extra because the current major (9.x) is broken with @types/node >= 10
@@ -65,10 +65,10 @@ jobs:
           lerna exec --parallel ncu -- --upgrade --reject='@types/node,@types/prettier,@types/fs-extra,constructs,typescript,aws-sdk,aws-sdk-mock,${{ steps.list-packages.outputs.list }}'  --target=minor
           # Upgrade package.jsons in init templates
           for pj in $(find packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates -name package.json); do
-            (cd $(dirname $pj) && ncu --upgrade --reject='@types/babel__traverse,@types/jest,@types/node,@types/prettier,@types/fs-extra,constructs,typescript,aws-sdk,aws-sdk-mock,ts-jest,jest,${{ steps.list-packages.outputs.list }}')
+            (cd $(dirname $pj) && ncu --upgrade --reject='constructs,${{ steps.list-packages.outputs.list }}')
           done
           # Upgrade dependencies at an aws-eks integ test docker image
-          cd packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/sdk-call-integ-test-docker-app/app/ && ncu --upgrade --reject='@types/jest,@types/node,@types/prettier,@types/fs-extra,constructs,typescript,aws-sdk,aws-sdk-mock,ts-jest,jest,${{ steps.list-packages.outputs.list }}'
+          cd packages/@aws-cdk/aws-eks/test/sdk-call-integ-test-docker-app/app/ && ncu --upgrade --reject='aws-sdk,${{ steps.list-packages.outputs.list }}'
 
       # This will ensure the current lockfile is up-to-date with the dependency specifications (necessary for "yarn update" to run)
       - name: Run "yarn install"
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/app/javascript/package.json b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/app/javascript/package.json
index 065a5f226d93a..976b94ae09bf4 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/app/javascript/package.json
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/app/javascript/package.json
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "aws-cdk": "%cdk-version%",
-    "jest": "^27.5.1"
+    "jest": "^29.3.1"
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "aws-cdk-lib": "%cdk-version%",
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/app/typescript/package.json b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/app/typescript/package.json
index 5e8c69ae41a4d..82979c1479e80 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/app/typescript/package.json
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/app/typescript/package.json
@@ -11,15 +11,13 @@
     "cdk": "cdk"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
-    "@types/babel__traverse": "7.18.2",
-    "@types/jest": "^27.5.2",
-    "@types/node": "10.17.27",
-    "@types/prettier": "2.6.0",
-    "jest": "^27.5.1",
-    "ts-jest": "^27.1.4",
+    "@types/jest": "^29.2.3",
+    "@types/node": "18.11.9",
+    "jest": "^29.3.1",
+    "ts-jest": "^29.0.3",
     "aws-cdk": "%cdk-version%",
     "ts-node": "^10.9.1",
-    "typescript": "~3.9.7"
+    "typescript": "~4.9.3"
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "aws-cdk-lib": "%cdk-version%",
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/lib/typescript/package.json b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/lib/typescript/package.json
index d1f389889adf0..3905d72692f24 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/lib/typescript/package.json
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/lib/typescript/package.json
@@ -9,15 +9,13 @@
     "test": "jest"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
-    "@types/babel__traverse": "7.18.2",
-    "@types/jest": "^27.5.2",
-    "@types/node": "10.17.27",
-    "@types/prettier": "2.6.0",
+    "@types/jest": "^29.2.3",
+    "@types/node": "18.11.9",
     "aws-cdk-lib": "%cdk-version%",
     "constructs": "%constructs-version%",
-    "jest": "^27.5.1",
-    "ts-jest": "^27.1.4",
-    "typescript": "~3.9.7"
+    "jest": "^29.3.1",
+    "ts-jest": "^29.0.3",
+    "typescript": "~4.9.3"
   },
   "peerDependencies": {
     "aws-cdk-lib": "%cdk-version%",
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/sample-app/javascript/package.json b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/sample-app/javascript/package.json
index 065a5f226d93a..976b94ae09bf4 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/sample-app/javascript/package.json
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/sample-app/javascript/package.json
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "aws-cdk": "%cdk-version%",
-    "jest": "^27.5.1"
+    "jest": "^29.3.1"
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "aws-cdk-lib": "%cdk-version%",
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/sample-app/typescript/package.json b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/sample-app/typescript/package.json
index ab4ef616cc1a8..ce8fe7eec4a9f 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/sample-app/typescript/package.json
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/sample-app/typescript/package.json
@@ -11,15 +11,13 @@
     "cdk": "cdk"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
+    "@types/jest": "^29.2.3",
+    "@types/node": "18.11.9",
+    "jest": "^29.3.1",
+    "ts-jest": "^29.0.3",
     "aws-cdk": "%cdk-version%",
-    "@types/babel__traverse": "7.18.2",
-    "@types/jest": "^27.5.2",
-    "@types/node": "10.17.27",
-    "@types/prettier": "2.6.0",
-    "jest": "^27.5.1",
-    "ts-jest": "^27.1.4",
     "ts-node": "^10.9.1",
-    "typescript": "~3.9.7"
+    "typescript": "~4.9.3"
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "aws-cdk-lib": "%cdk-version%",