Kia ora koutou IT Professionals | Te Pou Hangarau Ngaio members and supporters, welcome to this late pānui again -  I have been having fun recording podcasts today. 

It’s a bumper digital pānui today, there is just so much going on. Working with my colleagues Lee at Te Matarau, Graeme at NZTech, Craig at TUANZ, Brent at Netsafe and Viv at InternetNZ we are trying not to double up on our mahi, collaborating, sharing, supporting each others initiatives and working as key stakeholders - and I LOVE THIS, our industry bodies working together really effectively. So lots to share from these other orgs. 

In a week when I have barely had time to read my emails LinkedIN decided I was looking for a job and has sent me 5 emails now with roles that might interest me, I can probably find a setting to tone this down or switch it off but this did get me thinking about how LinkedIN has evolved - from the anti-social network where you could connect and learn more about others, to a sales platform sprinkled with Facebook like personal posts, Chain letter like spam posts, and an algorithm designed to fill your inbox on a daily basis. On balance I still like it but that like is waining. That said I did at least 3 business deals via chat on LinkedIN this week and connected with ~25 new people so it’s primary purpose remains in tact, just not loving the additional features. What do you think of LinkedIN these days?  

Other things happening this week, I have been in Auckland for the CIO Summit and awards, which I  will definitely write up a review of over the weekend. Had my final engagement meeting with Minster Andersen for the year before the election, she is really interested in Digital Equity and Inclusion and expressed her disappointment at the lack of budget allocated for initiatives this year (something she called me about right after the budget announcement so I believe this is genuine) and wanted to discuss AI - the topic on everyones lips. I haven’t assessed Labours policies heading into the election yet - only had time to write up Act’s so far - but I’ve been listening hard and haven’t heard them mention anything for digital technology yet. 

Next week I will be in Wellington on Monday and Ōtautahi Christchurch on Wednesday for the SFIA Roadshow events. Come for a chat if you are in town and able.

Bridging the Gap podcast - because you can’t be what you can’t see

This week’s podcast interview is with Valerie Chan who I first met as a graduate developer a few years back in the wonderful Snapper graduate programme. Since then she has moved around a couple of roles in the SAAS space and now a Python developer so it’s great hearing her journey so far. Loved chatting with Valerie. 

Valerie's podcast -  watch the interview here, or listen on Spotify or on Apple.

All the links to our previous episodes are on podcast.itp.nz or on Spotify and Apple.

What Professional Skills should our education providers be prioritising

Can you spare 5 minutes to complete a quick survey please?

We are often asked by universities, polytechnics, private training organisations and others what professional skills they should be prioritising in their courses. Here is your chance to provide input into the education system.
We’ve given you a few lists to rank and opportunities to add other skills and capabilities we have missed. I look forward to sharing the results. 

Survey - What do we need new industry entrants to have learned while studying?

From Mouthset to Mindset

I’m really taken with the concepts conveyed in this article - From mouthset to mindset shifts in co-creating systems change. The context of the article is about co-design and co-creating systems change and is really fascinating. I also love the collaborative approach to development of this structure. 
Pay attention to the two great graphics in there. The first for me applies to so many other contexts, while nothing compares with lived experience there is a continuum from co-opting language thinking you understand, to embodying language reflected in values, behaviours, spaces and policies. So relevant in the Digital Equity space. 
The second graphic on Degrees of Citizen power from 1969 (the year I was born) is described in the article by “Concepts like co-design, co-production, and systems transformation can be adopted in hollow ways, co-opted, and manipulated. In 1969, warning us about ‘exacerbated rhetoric and misleading euphemisms’, Sherry Arnstein depicted this happening on the lower rungs of the ‘ladder of citizen participation’” 
Again oh so relevant in the Digital Equity context. 
Hope you enjoy this read.

Digital Skills Report

The latest deliverable from the Digital Technologies Industry Transformation Plan launched this week. The partnership board (which I co-chair) will now look at the work programme to ensure the recommendations from this report are targeted in what we do next. 
Please have a good read of - Digital Skills for Tomorrow, Today - it’s an important piece of research for our industry as a whole, grounded in the insights of businesses. Thanks to Graeme Muller for your hard work pulling this together. 

Key insights:

• Diversity - 29% women, 4.8% Māori, 4.4% Pacific People work in our industry
• Top roles employed in 2022 - Software developer, Support / testing / training, Business Analyst, Project Manager
• Top skills in demand - Full stack, Python, AWS, .NET, Javascript
• Most important skills required - Collaboration, Problem Solving, Communication
• Participation in learning Digital Tech is declining at all levels of the Education system 

There is also a good focus on SFIA and one of the recommendations is to rapidly deploy the SFIA framework. 

Blogs this week

I had some fun with my AI wrap trying a couple of different tools to write the copy. There has been so much AI news this week it’s hard to do pick which articles are most interesting, there are a few interesting NZ initiatives - one in farming, another on pest control and the role AI is playing. Other topics of interest are - OpenAI’s latest acquihire, AI in the construction industry, powering the worlds largest travel app Tui, Google embedding AI into Chrome, AI replacing the role of actors and a list of 21 startups to watch.

Peter’s editorial - which also inspired Brendan’s cartoon - is on the proposed changes to travel entry requirements between Aotearoa NZ and Australia which might include ditching passports or moving identity to RealME for country entry. Another article on this to read is here on RNZ.

Peter also wrote earlier in the week on a local initiative to boost NZ-India digital links. The New Zealand Centre for Digital Connections with India designed to connect businesses, assist with diversity and inclusion, help newcomers to NZ and provide input to government policy.

Our guest blog - Can human moderators ever really rein in harmful online content? New research says yes - talks about online harm, the role of the EU’s Digital Services Act and whether how this could help to moderate online harm.

TUANZ call to government on affordable connectivity

Over the coming weeks you will see statements coming out from all of the industry bodies - including ourselves - the first from TUANZ, the Technology Users Association, is on connectivity:

"Government recognising and prioritising connectivity is a key utility like electricity or water.
Government needs to continue to invest to close the gap between rural and urban quality of service and to consider the socio-economic benefits in their business case discussions.
Development with the industry of a national connectivity register linking addresses to connections to ensure help is provided to the right people."

Netsafe funding under fire?

Our friends at Netsafe have been struggling with a Government decision to consolidate their contracts and funding within the Department of Internal Affairs in recent weeks. They describe this in their Safer Online Services and Media Platforms Consultation:

“Netsafe has a further specific concern in that during the consultation period Government made a decision to move the Approved Agency contract and funding arrangements from the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Education to the Department of Internal Affairs. Neither Netsafe, nor apparently the MoJ or the MoE were consulted about this. Moving the contractual relationship to the DIA raises questions such as whether there are greater plans afoot to consolidate the online safety regulatory ecosystem within the DIA”

This situation was picked up by Melissa Lee of National who has asked a range of written Parliamentary Questions this week.

The reason for highlighting this here is a general level of concern by industry leaders at the way this has happened, the lack of communication from the DIA to the effected parties and more broadly and the lack of background or context. When there is nothing communicated then every speculates so DIA just tell us what’s going on please?

Events

Did you see the SXSW Sydney announcement? I have never managed to get to South By Southwest in Austin but everyone I know who has loves it, a convergence between tech, film, tv, music and art in a conference that takes over a whole city. It’s soon - 15-22 October - so I won’t be able to make it but just in case you’re in Sydney then check it out.

TUANZ conference at the end of this month in Auckland looks great - 30 August

CITRENZ reminder - also in Auckland - 27-29 September

SFIA Roadshow Events in conjunction with the Digital Skills Agency - Wellington, Christchurch, Napier (I won’t be there), Dunedin and Nelson (we are still booking other dates and locations).

Cyber Security Courses coming up

Our really popular Cyber Security short Courses - NZISM Fundamentals, Cyber Security Essentials and Cyber Incident Response are scheduled to run once more this year. Lifting the Cyber capability of Aotearoa is our collective challenge, everyone who works in digital tech should understand the essentials to help protect ourselves, our whānau and colleagues. The feedback on these courses and instructor Elf from ZX Security, is consistently awesome so do please check them out. 

Te Reo Maori Digital Technology Terms

This time some connectivity terms, the wider glossary can be found here.

ahokore wi-fi
tuihono online
hono iarere bluetooth

I hope you enjoy this issue and have fabulous weekends. Kia pai ō rā whakatā Vic