Peak human potential: preparing Australia's workforce for the digital future

Australia’s workforce – and, by extension, its economy – is on the precipice of massive change. With digital technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, high-tech robotics and the Internet of Things disrupting and displacing human labour at an accelerating rate, the workers of today and tomorrow face uncertainty about job security. It is imperative that educators, policy makers and employers think carefully about how to prepare workers for the new future of work and take action before it’s too late. To better understand Australian workers’ views towards the future of work, the Centre for the New Workforce conducted a study with our research partner YouGov. In November 2018, we asked 1,000 Australian workers about their attitudes to work, their perceptions about how work is changing, and how they are preparing for the future. To gain deeper insight, we analysed the results against comparable research from organisations including McKinsey, World Economic Forum, AiGroup and Deloitte. Within this report, we provide expert analysis and recommendations on how policy makers, educators and employers can help pave the way for a successful future for Australia’s workforce.