Industry expert warns: Australia facing skills gap crisis
According to Peter Grist, one of Australia’s most respected experts in the training and development sector, Australia is facing a skills gap crisis as a result of the COVID pandemic and the accelerated rate of change that is taking place across the globe.
“COVID has impacted our economy and job market more than we realise. Not only did organisations cut back on training during the pandemic, the world also experienced 10 years of technological change within a three year period,” Grist said.
“The pandemic accelerated the rate of change across the globe and things have not slowed. It is estimated that 50 percent of workforces will need to be retrained every three to five years to keep up with the increasing rate of change.”
Grist believes that as a nation, Australia is facing some serious issues moving forward.
“Australia, like many countries across the world, is going to be impacted by an era of lower skilled workers unless government and the private sector move quickly to address the issue,” Grist said.
“We know what this means. Lower productivity, less innovation, reduced job satisfaction, lower levels of customer service and stalled economic growth. Inadequate training and development is not immediately noticed until there is a tidal wave impact and effect on business and the economy.
“Training and development nurtures and encourages enthusiasm, it grows commitment and fosters a culture of innovation, creativity and action. People feel more energised and excited about work when they are learning and developing their skills and capabilities. Training and development is confidence building and more confident people take bigger leaps. Make no mistake, bigger leaps are needed given the rate of technological change we are seeing across AI and blockchain adoption.”
Peter Grist is the managing director of Australian corporate coaching and training business, GRIST, which works with many household brands.
“The other issue we are facing is screen fatigue. Not only are people ‘over’ working via a screen, the majority of online learning is boring and click and complete focused. As a result, staff simply go through the motions of completing training online without any real benefit. We call this ‘click and flick’,” Grist said.
“This is one of the reasons why we have launched The GIST, an innovative online training program that coaches people how to drive growth and better business outcomes through engaging online learning modules supported by the power of humour.
“The GIST is a revolutionary training program that consists of bite sized modules delivered by some of the country’s leading comedy personalities including Shane Jacobson.
“The program teaches people how to be better managers and leaders through actionable learnings. While people are exhausted from the challenges of COVID, they are also in need of training, but not just any kind of training, learning and development that can be undertaken online that is fun, engaging, and short and sharp.
“We need to get people back into the rhythm of learning and enhancing their capabilities while at work. The GIST does this using humour to keep people enthused and energised.”
Grist states that many businesses are grappling with how to reintroduce training to their organisations in a way that will get staff excited and eager to learn, and can also be delivered effectively while many team members are still working from home.
“There is no doubt that online delivery is now the preferred mode of training for most organisations due to its convenience and cost effectiveness,” Grist said.
“The GIST will enable organisations to deliver meaningful and engaging learning while also overcoming screen fatigue. The GIST delivers training through short punchy bursts of learning and comedy. This is the one of the best ways to get people engaged – deliver learning content that is entertaining and humorous. The GIST is infotainment at its most educational and productive best.”
Grist is passionate about elevating human learning and is looking forward to helping Australian workers reactivate their learning journey.
“At GRIST, we believe that conversations are the lifeblood of any organisation as they are the foundation of all human interactions and relationships and the key for building trust, understanding and collaboration. Our mission is to help organisations make every conversation count. We believe that the fastest, most effective way to implement behavioural change in an organisation is by making those required changes so small and simple, that they become easy to do,” Grist explained.
“We know that small changes, made frequently, deliver big results. We call these little changes in behaviour, ‘micro-behaviours’. We believe that leaders are the single biggest influence on people and performance, which is why we are so committed to developing learning solutions to help people lead effectively.
“Our new training and coaching platform, The GIST, enables organisations to make corporate learning more fun and enjoyable. Let's face it, we're never going back to only just doing face to face learning. COVID changed so much of how we operate. Hybrid and remote teams look like they're here to stay, so if a part of learning has to be done online, let's make it better.
“For over 30 years, GRIST has been helping organisations turn their learning programs into tangible business results. By embracing the power of micro-behaviours, GRIST enables the ‘progress principle’ and ignites intrinsic motivation in people. Our approach is unique and sets us apart from the competition who often rely on outdated methods like coaching to KPIs and numbers.
“GRIST empowers leaders to translate their desired outcomes into achievable, small steps. As people see the impact of these micro-changes, they unlock their potential, tap into a growth mindset, and become more invested in their work. These small changes, applied consistently and aggregated across a large group, drive measurable outcomes and can truly transform teams and organisations.”
https://gristconsulting.com.au/
