A new report reveals the skills that Australian children will need to remain competitive

Super connectivity and nationwide access to fast broadband will influence the skills needed for the jobs of 2030 and will put Australian children on an even playing field, no matter where they live, according to new research released today.

Developed in partnership with nbn, the Regional Australia Institute’s (RAI) ‘The Future of Work – Setting Kids up for Success’ report reveals one in two Australians will need skills in programming and software development, as well as an ability to build digital technology, to remain competitive in the 2030 job market.
 

The report also details that in the next five years, at least 90 per cent of the current workforce will need a basic level of digital literacy to confidently communicate, find information and purchase goods and services in order to be appealing for prospective employers.

In response, nbn and the RAI have built and launched a practical, online toolkit for parents and children to build the skills and attributes they will need for the future. Based on the key findings of the report, this new toolkit focuses on providing practical insights and activities that build both  ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ tech skills to help develop creativity and entrepreneurial capabilities.
 

Jack Archer, CEO at the Regional Australia Institute said:
 

“Once the rollout of the nbn™ network is complete, our kids are going to face a radically different work environment from what we see today. Everyone’s talking about it. Our future workforce will demand that young people not only know how to program and interact with technology, but also know how to communicate, collaborate and think critically.
 

“In partnership with nbn, we’ve moved beyond peak noise on this topic to do something really useful and practical about it. We’ve delivered an online toolkit to make sense of the future of work, what it means for kids and their parents and to provide them with the tools they need now to build capability for the future.”
 

Peter Gurney, General Manager of Community Affairs at nbn said:
 

“Technology has influenced the employment landscape over the past decade and will continue to impact the digital skills that young Australians need for the future workforce.  Whether you live in the city or in the bush, with access to fast broadband via the nbn™ network, all Australians will have an even playing field to learn the right skills for their future success.
 

“This dynamic job environment will require Australian kids to shape how they work to deal with competing priorities. The jobs of the future will leverage our digital infrastructure to connect to people, consumers and markets all around the country and the globe.”
 

‘The Future of Work –Setting Kids up for Success’ report, associated case studies and online toolkit are available now at www.TheFutureofWork.net.au
 

There are more than 3.3 million homes and businesses around the country which can already connect to the nbn™ network with every Australian set to have access by 2020.
 

Media enquiries                                                                                                        

Jaye Sellen	nbn™ Media Hotline
Mobile: +61 429 328 152	Phone: 02 9927 4200
Email: jayesellen@nbnco.com.au	Mobile: media@nbnco.com.au

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Notes to editors
 

References:

^*‘The Future Of Work - Setting Kids up for Success’ report was commissioned by nbn in September 2016 and includes research from the Regional Australia Institute (RAI).
 

About nbn:

• nbn is building a new and upgraded, fast wholesale broadband network to enable communities across Australia to access fast broadband from their retail service provider. Our goal is to connect eight million homes and businesses by 2020.
• Fast broadband like that delivered via the nbn™ network can provide a range of benefits for Australians such as opportunities to work from home, access to online education tools and options for on-demand entertainment.
• End-user experience, including the speeds actually achieved over the nbn™ network, depends on the technology over which services are delivered to your premises and some factors outside our control like equipment quality, software, broadband plans, signal reception and how the end-user’s service provider designs its network. Access to your work network will depend on factors outside our control like your organisation’s IT policy and infrastructure.

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