DIGITAL SKILLS AND INCLUSION

Melbourne | 16 October 2017

This document summarises discussion at a workshop held by the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science as part of its consultation process. The outcomes of the workshop may be used to inform the development of government policy. The material includes the views of third parties, and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Commonwealth, or indicate a commitment to a particular course of action. To the extent permitted at law the Commonwealth accepts no liability arising from this material.

This workshop was designed to expand our understanding of how digital technologies are affecting particular groups. It assisted to identify potential strategies to maximize the benefits and address the potential disadvantages of a digital economy.

Key themes from the workshop

Key themes from workshop discussions were that the strategy should explore and focus on:

u  Digital participation access and affordability challenges for disadvantaged populations, and identify how the digital economy can facilitate positive connections and contribute to a more inclusive society.

u  The impact of employment insecurity and casualisation of the workforce, and broader social change likely to arise from the digital economy.

u  Issues of both technological access and proximity to infrastructure, which are important for digital inclusion.

u  The role for government in identifying and connecting up parties and enabling scalability of existing programs where appropriate. Program deliverers do not see government in the delivery role, but in a role of facilitating connections and removing barriers.

u  The importance of identifying industries and workers that may face disruption from technological change to enable early intervention planning for adaption and retraining.

u  The growth of creative and innovation work to provide future employment streams.

u  Data security concerns relating to the growth in data collection.

u  Strategies to develop skills and build individuals’ confidence with technology.

Details of discussion

What is the impact of the digital economy?

Key groups are represented in the table below.

Groups affected / Likely impact /
People with a marginal connection to the labour force e.g. occasional workers, pensioners, unemployed and low socio-economic status (SES) groups, people in transitioning industries / u  Digital economy likely to change the structure of work, with increasing casualisation of the workforce.
u  Those who move in and out of the workforce are less likely to have technology and skills to access the labour market or participate in work delivered digitally.
u  This may perpetuate marginal engagement with the workforce.
u  Cost of access to digital technology is a barrier to participation.
Regional and rural populations / u  Digital economy may facilitate greater connections within and between people and communities.
u  Current difficulties in internet speed, reliability, access and affordability reduce opportunities.
Young people / u  May have skills gaps across different types of technology arising from focus on mobile, and may be missing relevant work-based digital skills.
u  May rely on connectivity through relatively expensive mobile connections, in comparison to fixed connections, which could lead to reduced access.
Indigenous / u  Limited connectivity of remote areas may perpetuate systemic exclusion
u  As for young people, familiarity with mobile technology increases cost of connection and may limit development of more advanced technology skills
People with disabilities and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) / u  Additional needs for inclusive design and multiple languages may limit accessibility and participation.
Women / u  Existing attitudes and culture around science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) may discourage women from participating in growth sectors of economy.
Older people / u  May misjudge the extent to which they need digital skills and access, this could limit their ability to participate in society or the workforce. May lack the confidence, willingness or ability to learn new skills.
u  Low proximity to others/community with digital skills from which to learn and reinforce skills.
u  Affordability may affect older people disproportionately leading to exclusion from information and greater cost of delivery for health and social services.
Working people / u  Constantly changing technology will require a willingness to participate in life-long learning to maintain workforce participation skills.
Entrepreneurs / u  Increase in opportunities for digital economy start-ups and lower barriers to entry for new entrepreneurs.
u  Support will be needed for new entrepreneurs to develop skills for sustainability and scale.
u  May change the nature of employment, therefore tax and other social systems.
Transitioning industries and entrepreneurs / u  Industries do not always recognise that they are likely to be affected.
u  Competitiveness relies on early adoption but requires confidence to invest – need to utilise strengths and create new industries.

Key strategy ideas

Employment displacement

u  Strategy could address implications of interrupted work patterns, including: taxation, the intersection with government transfers, flexibility of superannuation contributions and forms of leave.

Scalability of existing programs

Government role could include:

u  Carrying out a stocktake to identify gaps and overlap

u  Evaluating existing programs and developing guidelines for successful programs.

u  Establishing means to share experience and learn from program delivery, including options for scaling up.

u  Ensuring programs are well targeted for delivery to particular target groups.

Facilitating positive connections within the community

A strategy for maximising the benefits of a digital economy could include establishing various marketplaces for connecting different community groups such as volunteers, migrants, and minorities. These could be established on a cost recovery basis through data, sponsorship, and advertising and be delivered via public/private/ NGO partnerships.

Education

There is a need for significant reform to the education system, curriculum and delivery modes, including a focus on critical thinking skills and multidisciplinary learning that goes beyond the knowledge and information that is readily available through technology.

Three suggested priority areas for the strategy include:

u  Encouraging and providing opportunities for members of the existing workforce to update their skills and engage in continuous retraining throughout life.

u  Vocational education as a genuine alternative to university, so that it provides skills for the new wave of jobs rather than training people for jobs, which may not exist in the future.

u  Mapping the skills needs of the future workforce to identify training needs

u  Encouraging non-traditional learning pathways to enable diverse groups to access the learning they need.

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