A national survey that will have particular significance to EAs and PAs who work at the heart of their organisations, suggests that Australian businesses are not doing enough to empower workers with the skills needed to succeed in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
The survey, was commissioned by Ajilon, one of Australia’s leading ICT consulting providers and subsidiary of Adecco.
One in three respondents do not feel prepared to embrace the technological revolution in the workplace (33%), despite 97 per cent agreeing it is imperative to be upskilled.
The findings revealed more than two in three Australians experience some form of barrier to upskilling in technology (68%), majority of which points to the lack of organisational and management support.
For over a third of respondents, the shortfall in ongoing training and development resources was a key barrier to technological adoption (36%). This was followed by the lack of business focus on the importance of technical skills (22%). Almost half of all office jobs are forecast to disappear over the next 10 to 15 years and it’s a matter of concern that almost one in five believe their senior management teams do not understand the importance of embracing technology (15%).
“Driven by robotics, artificial intelligence and automation technologies, the Fourth Industrial Revolution has brought with it an unprecedented pace of change, disrupting every sector of the global market and transforming the traditional workplace. Now the real question for educators and candidates is “what makes me relevant for todays and tomorrows vacancies” , said Rod Crozier, National Staffing Manager at Ajilon.
“To remain relevant, workers must continually upskill themselves. Nevertheless, businesses must also play a part by providing the right resources and tools to empower employees with the skills needed to thrive in an era where intelligent robots are rapidly redefining traditional roles,” he added.
Have your say
Is your organisation doing enough to enable you to keep current with technology, or could it do more? Email our chairman Russell Peacock russell@executivepa.com.au and let him know your experiences. All responses will remain confidential.
