PwC’s research shows that one in three jobs is likely to be severely disrupted or to disappear in the next decade because of technological change. Over the next four years, we at PwC are committing US$3bn to digital upskilling. This will primarily be invested in training our people, and in technologies for supporting clients and communities.

Mike Bynoe, PwC East Caribbean leader, commented: “It’s clear that one of the world’s most pressing challenges – and one faced by business – is the gap between the skills people have and those needed for the digital world. There is a need for organisations, governments and educators to come together to fix this growing problem and business has a vital role to play. That’s why PwC has launched, ‘New world, New skills’ –  an initiative to tackle this important problem for our people, our clients and the communities in which we operate.”

Sirpaul Jaikaran, PwC East Caribbean Digital Transformation leader, said: “Technology is only as good as the people who work with it every day. This is why we’re investing in our people to have the right mindset to elevate our business. I’m excited to be part of our digital upskilling strategy where we’re providing new digital skills to our entire workforce, more than 200 people at PwC East Caribbean. We’ll be learning everything from data analytics to automation to machine learning.”

The programme focuses on four key areas:

• Upskilling all of PwC’s 276,000 people. PwC will roll out different programmes that meet their particular needs, from skills academies to digital fitness apps to leadership development. A proportion of our workforce will develop specialist skills in areas including data analytics, robotics process automation and artificial intelligence for use in their work. For others, it’s about understanding the potential of new technologies so they can advise clients, communities, and other stakeholders.
• We are also advising our clients on the challenges posed by rapid technological change and automation. This includes identifying skills gaps and mismatches against likely future needs, workforce planning, upskilling programmes and cultural change.
• We will work with governments and institutions to reach a much broader group of people. For example, PwC in Luxembourg helped develop the Luxembourg Skills Bridge which brings together trade unions, associations and businesses to build digital industries and develop digital skills, including among those populations most ‘at risk’.
• We will help millions of people improve their skills and knowledge for the digital world by making upskilling a focus of our not-for-profit initiatives. This includes working with students and teachers, which will help ensure opportunities are more evenly spread and we reach people who may otherwise be left behind.

The quality of PwC’s work is at the heart of the organisation and the network invests significant and increasing resources in its continuous enhancement across all of the businesses. This investment is targeted into many different areas, including training (technical, ethical and behavioural), methodologies, adding resources in key areas and exploring new ways of delivering our work.