A new report from PwC, entitled Where next for skills? How business-led upskilling can reboot Australia, takes a strong stand in favour of national action to close the digital divide.
The report states the challenge:
“Barriers of access, affordability, and digital ability confront many Australians who find themselves on the wrong side of the digital divide. The ability including cognitive skills and digital acumen, required to engage in the digital economy will be even more critical in a post COVID-19 world. These skills can make the difference between an individual who can participate in the economy, access government services, connect with their community, and someone who cannot. People without basic digital and cognitive skills are at risk of being isolated and disconnected from opportunity.”
The report notes a major “pivot to digital” has taken place in Australia, with “the imposition of social distancing obligations, and the shutdown of certain activities.” Our response to the pandemic has “unleashed a number of self-reinforcing forces,” including remote working – which “will become the new normal”; consumers purchasing more online; and businesses flexing to deliver services remotely, principally through digital channels.
PwC predicts that these changes will likely intensify. Increased reliance on technology-enabled delivery means high-tech skills will be required over traditional lower-tech skills:
“Barriers of access, affordability, and digital ability [will] confront many Australians who find themselves on the wrong side of the digital divide… These skills can make the difference between an individual who can participate in the economy, access government services, connect with their community, and someone who cannot. People without basic digital and cognitive skills are at risk of being isolated and disconnected from opportunity.”
The report points out that, “during the lockdown ABS household survey identified that 15% of households have had no access to a stable internet connection.”
“The rapid changes triggered by COVID-19 present a unique moment for business and government to work in partnership with education providers,” says the report.
Community Colleges Australia Comment
“The PwC Report confirms at length what most of us know from our daily activities since March. The world of work, commerce and employment has changed dramatically, and will not likely ‘re-set’ to the past once the pandemic ends,” said Dr Don Perlgut, CEO of Community Colleges Australia.
“Australians most likely to be excluded from the digital world are Indigenous, people with a disability, with less than year 12 education, unemployed, over age 50, lower income, with mobile-only internet connections, and regional and rural,” said Dr Perlgut.
“It’s no coincidence that these are the very groups that Australia’s not-for-profit adult and community education providers specialise in reaching. Our sector does ‘the heavy lifting’ in engaging these marginalised groups in post-secondary education and training,” said Dr Perlgut.
“Programs such as popular Tech Savvy Seniors (operating through community colleges in NSW) and the NSW Tech Savvy for Small Business program show how NFP community education providers already provide a significant service to closing the digital divide. The PwC report underscores how these programs must be supported and expanded,” said Dr Perlgut.
