The CSIRO report Global trade and investment megatrends explains that the necessity of remote working and learning, online shopping, healthcare, communication and entertainment has compelled a decade’s worth of digital transformation to occur within the space of a few months. The digital technology sector is expanding worldwide despite the global economic downturn and there is an urgent need to upgrade skills in artificial intelligence (AI), data science, machine learning, robotics, and cybersecurity.
ACS Australia’s Digital Pulse 2021 reports that the importance of digital technology has increased, with workers almost twice as likely to work from home in February 2021 compared to March 2020, retailers adopting e-commerce, and education providers transitioned to periods of online learning. Healthcare and education had the largest growth in overall employment and in technology occupations as they experienced greater demand for their services, and needed to shift to online modes of delivery.to mitigate a higher risk of spreading COVID-19.
The FutureNow Digital Technology Industry Snapshot states demand for the products and services of the digital technology industries has expanded significantly as people seek to engage for work and other pursuits remotely. Critical Role of Blue Tech and Digital Skills in Australia's Economic Recovery, indicates that when Australia starts moving into the recovery phase, the digital and AI disruption already being experienced pre-COVID-19 will accelerate, and the workforce needs to be prepared now.
Nine new skill sets were endorsed in relation to digital skills in July to assist the ICT sector to meet priority workforce needs in a number of specialty areas, followed by the Digital Skills for Small Business Skill Set and the Entry into Technology Skill Set in September designed to support small businesses as they adapt to operating in an online environment, and assist displaced workers to secure employment in areas of labour market growth.
The Australian Government Digital Economy Strategy 2030 states COVID-19 accelerated the take up of digital technology and highlighted the role it can play to support and enhance business operations across every sector of the economy, improve the delivery of government services and make life easier for Australians. The pandemic has driven a huge leap forward in Australia’s digital capability and appetite for data, and this momentum must be maintained to secure its future prosperity and protect its national interests.