Peter Laurie is a thinker, innovator and veteran within Queensland’s Startup and Innovation ecosystem. Often, Peter is seen sharing his experiences on building a business from the Startup stage, drawing digital diagrams to simplify complex topics. In the interview with Tomorrow’s Tech, he discussed the Technology Skills Gap in Australia, and how to best manage the Future of Work.
Stereotypes about the participants within Australia’s innovation ecosystems exclude sectors of the business community who could enrich the very communities they avoid.
“There’s a lot of people that really should be involved, but they’re just not… a lot of people are just too busy, getting stuff done. Right? They don’t have time to come over and do what they perceive as play when they’ve got some real work to do.”
The value of any given technology innovation hub is based on the people within them, their skill sets and willingness to collaborate. Peter stated that the perception of innovation as a ‘youthful sport’ will hinder its growth. Corporate and experienced SME business leaders can purposefully add to Queensland’s innovation landscape. Their contribution, as 3dotDigital has worked with, goes beyond innovation theatre.
When discussing the impact of Australia’s technology skills gap on innovation ecosystem, Peter mentioned:
“…one of the biggest questions I get is, how do I find good people?”
According recent reports from the OECD, on Future of Work, the opportunities and challenges that arise with globalisation, changing demographics and technological progress. In Australia, there is currently a gap between the demand and supply for high-skilled technical ICT professionals.
In the Tomorrow’s Tech episode, Peter shared a variety of strategies founders and business leaders alike can use to improve the skill level of their teams, and the likelihood of successful digital transformation efforts. Contextual technical education on emerging technologies was thought of as the long-term solution for this issue. To manage this transition with the least amount of disruption, workplace programmes and team augmentation are timely solutions, that can help businesses carry out a smoother transition.
To hear the rest of the conversation on this Tomorrow’s Tech episode, click here.
What are your thoughts on the demographics of Australia’s innovation ecosystem? How can we welcome more diversity?