More than a quarter of Australian businesses expect to increase their workforce due to community expectations of a more sustainable economy, according to a new survey.
Ai Group’s Centre for Education and Training (CET) Skills and Workforce survey found 26 percent of businesses surveyed said they would increase headcount because of customer demand for environmentally-sustainable practices.
The same number said they would hire more people due to “decarbonisation-driven investment decisions”.
The report found that this investment was despite 71 percent of businesses expecting supply chain disruption and rising input costs to impact their operations over the next two years.
Ai Group Chief Executive Innes Willox said 59 percent of companies cited new work practices as a key driver of change in their business.
“This reinforces what we often hear about businesses finding new ways to seek and utilise skills, with work and jobs looking different as a result,” Mr Willox said.
When businesses were asked about their workforce’s ability to navigate the challenges ahead, 74 percent felt their leaders and managers had the skills and capabilities needed to move towards improved sustainability.
“However, only a third (35 percent) said they had the capability to navigate the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into their operations,” Mr Willox said.
