NZTech Inform – increasing domestic skills

For the majority of members I meet, skills shortages continue to be their primary focus. This requires a continual drive to increase domestic skills as well as improving access to international talent. Last week on RNZ I highlighted the value of investments being made by firms like AWS, Microsoft and Salesforce in helping grow the domestic pipeline. The next day, there was a follow up in the business news as there is growing interest across the economy on the efforts underway to boost the New Zealand digital workforce to fill demand.
 
This week we are meeting with Minister Clark as we work together with officials to ensure that immigration policy for digital workers has as many barriers as possible removed to support the efficient access of these high quality, globally in demand skills. There is increasing awareness that these workers are not only required for the tech sector’s continued growth, but are also critical for the entire economy.
 
One great initiative that NZTech has underway to help address longer term skills shortages is ShadowTech Teachers. A collaboration with the Ministry of Education, this is an extension of our ShadowTech programme (where students spend a day in a tech firm with a TechWomen mentor). With ShadowTech Teachers we are inspiring teachers with potential future jobs for their students. There was so much demand from teachers and support from industry mentors that the programme is now over-subscribed. If you would like to help initiatives that connect students with the tech sector check the TechHub website for other ways to get involved.
 
The Techweek22 team is busy reviewing submissions with a diverse range of events catering for community, business and education based audiences. Techweek22’s preliminary programme and headline events will be announced later this month. However, it’s not too late to submit an event, so please don’t forget to get involved. Techweek is a nationwide festival of tech and innovation events, both live and digital, showcasing and celebrating New Zealand innovation.

Ngā mihi,

Graeme Muller
CEO
NZTech

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