First 'Future of Work' forum touches on education, productivity
By Paul McBeth
Aug. 2 (BusinessDesk) - The government's first tripartite 'Future of Work' forum, bringing together policymakers,
business leaders and unionists, discussed upcoming education needs and ways to overcome the country's lacklustre
productivity.
The initiative seeks to find areas of common ground between the three groups where they can pool resources and ideas to
adapt to an uncertain employment environment as technology allows more existing jobs to be automated and responses to
climate change and changing consumer tastes create sunset industries.
Finance Minister Grant Robertson, flanked by Council of Trade Unions president Richard Wagstaff and Business NZ chief
executive Kirk Hope, told reporters in Wellington the forum's four key areas are ensuring "just transitions" in
industries undergoing structural shifts, introducing a lifelong learning approach to allow for swift training,
understanding what new technology will do to work practices, and lifting labour productivity.
"This is about areas where we have a shared and common interest and view that we need to be focusing on these to ensure
New Zealand transitions through these changes in the future of work in a way that's sustainable and ensures that we do
have those good jobs," Robertson said. "It's very important from a government perspective that this is not about the
forum doing the work, it's about making sure the perspectives of workers and businesses are in on that work and that we
can jointly share what's being done in workplaces around the country and what's being done by the government."
Robertson has been intimately involved in these theoretical issues for several years, undertaking a Future of Work forum
while in opposition and travelling to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris ahead of last
year's general election to pursue new economic policies to freshen up his platform.
The OECD has its own Future of Work initiative, including a specific platform for G7 nations. A March 2018 policy brief
on automation noted that OECD research suggested 14 percent of jobs across OECD member nations will be replaced by
automation and a further 32 percent will face significant changes in how they're carried out, with low-skilled and young
people most at risk. It said adaptable education systems are a key priority to address that risk.
New Zealand's plans to prepare education for future working styles include reviewing vocational learning in the
short-term to improve regional training and getting better career pathways. Short to medium-term initiatives include
reviewing and advising on the careers action plan and endorsing a Manufacturers' Network pilot programme to partner with
training providers and unions to help workers gain skills to fit in a changing environment. Another medium-to-long-term
goal is to develop a career system strategy to determine where the government fits.
The forum's proposed workplace productivity stream seeks to create workplaces that are more adaptable and resilient to
change, ensure education and migration systems respond to the labour market, and introduce new avenues for firms, unions
and policymakers to support workers gaining new skills. The short-term agenda includes using the 'High Performance, High
Engagement' approach that's been successful for Air New Zealand and KiwiRail. In the short-to-medium term the forum will
review and advise on Productivity Commission work, and in the medium-to-long term it will have input on how research,
science and innovation will support the Crown's goal of lifting research and development to 2 percent of GDP over the
next decade.
Robertson didn't have a timeframe for the next meeting, but said he wanted to touch on the other two strands of the work
programme.
The 'just transitions' work seeks to understand the pathways to transforming New Zealand's economy and how that ripples
through the nation, with a short-term goal for the forum aiming to help the government prioritise its framework for that
work. In the short-to-medium term, the forum will provide feedback on the climate change adaptation work group report
and help determine what policy levers are available to the government. The forum will also advise on engaging with
Taranaki on how best to cope with a transition to a low-carbon economy.
On the technology front, the forum's proposed work programme will seek to boost digital inclusion and get the most out
of the tech sector, while building digital capabilities for small businesses and helping people and firms adapt to
disruption. In the short term, it will advise on how to respond to a 'Digital Skills for a Digital Nation' report, and
help the Productivity Commission's inquiry into the adoption and impact of technology. The group will also give advice
to the chief technology officer when they're appointed, and explore ways emerging technology will impact the workforce.
(BusinessDesk)