Back to Basics. Are government agencies gearing up for the digital workforce needs of today? or tomorrow?
Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/russellstreet/4640528423
Last week I wrote a blog - “Back to Basics or Backwards Thinking? Education changes ignore the digital age”. I thought I would follow this up with where our lead government agencies are at in thinking about the future workforce, or even the current workforce needs in terms of digital technology, STEM / STEAM skills and capabilities.
Every agency has just produced a raft of Briefings for Incoming Ministers (known as BIM’s) so these felt like the best place to understand what their thinking on the future workforce will be? Where to start? the 4 lead agencies in the space - MBIE, DIA, MoE and TEC.
But before moving onto their BIM’s specifically I do want to say that I get it. Governments have a diverse range of challenges to address, we have hospitals and schools with mouldy buildings in dear need of strengthening, an overloaded medical system, people living in their cars, coastal erosion, Cook Straight ferries that break down on a regular basis, trains that won’t run when it gets too hot, gridlock in Auckland and other cities - they need to prioritise their efforts where the most urgent issues lie. So why should they even care about digital technology skills and capabilities?
The urgency for government agencies to embrace the digital workforce can't be overstated. We're operating in a hyper-competitive global landscape where skilled digital workers are in high demand. From cybersecurity experts to data analysts, these specialists are the backbone of modern economies. New Zealand, in particular, faces a double challenge. Not only are we competing for talent on the international stage, but our own workforce needs are rapidly evolving. Technology is advancing at breakneck speed, constantly reshaping the skillsets needed to stay relevant. Today's cutting-edge software might be obsolete tomorrow, requiring continuous learning and adaptation from our workforce. This dynamic environment demands government agencies to be proactive, not reactive, in equipping their employees with the digital fluency and specialised skills to thrive in the digital age.
What Government Briefings say about digital skills, talent and the future of work
Digital technology is hard to understand when you’re not in it and politicians have always grappled with understanding the role our industry plays. So it’s disappointing how little the lead agencies say.
For this I have steered clear of commenting on anything that isn’t in their briefing docs - and I acknowledge there is a lot more to say about each of these agencies roles and functions.
MBIE - the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
Their briefing for Minister Judith Collins covers science, innovation and technology. MBIE were the authors and fund holders for Industry Transformation Plans, which were cancelled by the incoming government immediately. So in this briefing they attempt to hold onto some of their pet projects funded under the digital tech one.
In positive news they do acknowledge skills as “the single most important constraint on growth” and note alignment with the government on improving “the skills of young people coming out of the education system” noting the issues I highlighted in last weeks blog post.
DIA - Department of Internal Affairs / GCDO - the Government Chief Digital Officer
DIA / GCDO also wrote a BIM for Minister Judith Collins. In this they acknowledge the size of the government workforce and the challenges they face including “The public service lacks sufficient internal digital capability and is highly reliant on contractors”. They talk about the $7M allocated to them for the rollout of SFIA across government - an initiative I understand has been shelved (no word on where the $7M has gone).
They don’t talk at all about one critical issue I have been asking GCDO to address for many years - the capability of those making digital technology investment decisions across government. CEO’s DCE’s and GM’s who are signing off multimillion dollar projects without understanding the transformational nature of the solutions (which are often like for like replacements and not transformational at all) or simply baffled by the complexity of the projects they are overseeing. Sorry I digress.
The DIA / GCDO conclude their three paragraphs on skills with:
MOE - Ministry of Education
Here is a link to the Ministry of Education’s BIM - it’s a very different document to the others and very general. It doesn’t address specific curriculum areas or the Ministry’s role in preparing our future workforce for a changing landscape at all.
TEC - Tertiary Education Commission
Finally a link to TEC’s BIM, also very general. Since I’m not going off topic I won’t rant about their massive focus on their yet to arrive careers platform which I have been asking (and asking) when they plan to engage with our industry to ensure it’s relevant and reflective of current times - but that would be a rant.
Here is the only mention of anything digital or tech, no STEM or STEAM in their BIM, and no acknowledgement on their role in preparing our future workforce for a changing landscape either. Work based training / work integrated learning / apprenticeships were assigned to Te Pūkenga to resolve with limited progress to date:
Where to from here?
While the government plays a crucial role in shaping the future of work, it cannot shoulder the entire responsibility alone. A collaborative approach is essential. Industry can contribute by investing in upskilling and reskilling initiatives for their employees, creating opportunities for work-integrated learning, and participating in developing national skills framework resources based on SFIA.
Communities can play a role in fostering a culture of lifelong learning, encouraging digital fluency capability development and - alongside parents and grandparents - encouraging our tamariki (young people) to pursue STEM / STEAM education opportunities.
Time for a national conversation?
