But are workers prepared for a digital future? Not quite, one study suggests
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Amid the digital talent crunch, Australia is looking to generate 35,000 new jobs in the information technology sector this year, a new study predicts.
About one in five organisations are creating new positions – particularly those related to artificial intelligence – in response to the challenge of digital transformation, according to Telsyte research commissioned by DXC Technology.
While there is a looming threat of unemployment because of the advent of AI, most organisations (57%) believe more jobs will be created than destroyed. In fact, nearly half of business leaders see an AI-augmented future where humans and robots collaborate on tasks.
Companies that aim to innovate, deliver long-term growth and stay ahead of their rivals are now implementing their digital strategy across their entire organisation, said Seelan Nayagam, managing director of DXC Technology.
Despite the eagerness of companies to adopt emerging tech, however, more than a quarter (26%) are attributing their failure to implement IT projects to a lack of employee involvement and interest, while only less than a third of organisations are investing in the digital upskilling of their workers.
“More needs to be done to take employees on the transformation journey,” Nayagam said in a ComputerWeekly report. “To achieve success, employee education must be the cornerstone of any digital transformation programme and not regarded as an afterthought.”
It isn’t just the frontline workers who require upskilling, however. Among CEOs, 30% to 40% are said to be lagging behind in their technical skills and deemed ‘digitally illiterate,’ the study suggested.
