Kiwi Businesses Must Upskill To Capitalise On Digital Opportunities Presented By Covid-19

Accenture New Zealand says Kiwi businesses need to invest more in upskilling their workforce or risk becoming digital laggards.

Accenture New Zealand Managing Director Ben Morgan says:

“New Zealand’s digital transformation was greatly accelerated during the pandemic. Change that would have taken a decade will now happen in just a few years. But we’re only scratching the surface of the scale and scope of what’s possible.

“AI technology is poised to change how Kiwis interact with businesses, manage their finances and their healthcare.

“The challenge however is that adoption of technology and new practices post-Covid is unequal, and the gap is widening.

“Pre-crisis, the top 10% of global companies leading in technology were performing at twice the rate of the bottom 25%. That performance gap has widened further since March as those businesses who had already invested in technology, were able to adapt to new consumer habits and workforce needs more quickly and effectively.

“This is a seminal moment for the hundreds of thousands of Kiwis who are unemployed, in reduced work or stood down. When these people return to work it’ll largely be in more digitised operations than they left.

“The most important lesson Covid-19 taught us is that we need our team of 5 million to overcome a crisis. We must ensure all workers have the right skills to participate in the rapidly evolving digital economy being built during the pandemic.”

Hyper automation

“When New Zealand first entered lockdown, retailers who already had omni-channel purchasing in place doubled down on their efforts and raced ahead. Meanwhile, the laggards – the companies that were partly online but hadn't really invested in the channel struggled.

“For business, the message was clear: if you did not have a digital platform in this new era, you would be left behind.

“As the laggards aggressively partner with technology companies to close the gap, the hardest challenge will be to rapidly boost digital knowledge and reskill the New Zealand workforce for their newly digitised organisations.

“Covid-19 has changed the ways Kiwis interact, how we purchase products and how services are delivered. The common theme is digital. Ensuring that Kiwi workers have the skills required for this new reality is a pressing concern for industry leaders and policymakers alike.

New Zealand’s opportunity

“The digital economy is here to stay. Now, more than ever, it is important we reskill our workforce for the jobs of the future.

“The future of work is not about Kiwis training as IT experts. For much of the nation’s workforce, the future of work will be about how technology augments with and changes pre-existing roles. Many retail staff will soon need to be trained on how to operate e-commerce and inventory channels. While in our primary industries, farmers will increasingly look to data to better understand inputs, yields and emissions.

“New Zealand is geographically isolated country, but one which is famous for leaving its mark on the international stage. To futureproof our country for the changing nature of work, it is imperative that we invest in upskilling our current and future workforce.

“No single enterprise can meet this challenge by themselves. Businesses, governments, citizens and non-profits will each play critical roles in helping Kiwis acquire the new skills and mindsets they need for future work.

“For too long New Zealand has noted an emerging digital divide. With the future of work now upon us, we cannot leave this skills deficit unaddressed. Leaving our people behind is not an option.”

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