[LINK] PM "knowledge and ICT skills more important than minerals"

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

Prime Minister Julia Gillard says knowledge and technology skills will
be worth more to Australia than mineral resources in the 21st century.


Ms Gillard told a forum on the digital economy that the nation had to 
work out how to exploit the opportunities to come, with investment in 
information and communication technology (ICT).


"The commodity most precious in the 21st century, more valuable even than 
iron ore, is knowledge," Ms Gillard told the forum attended by 40 
industry representatives in Sydney on Friday.


"The way we create and share knowledge will be a key determinant of our 
success in the Asian century."


Ms Gillard said the forum emphasised the need to address a shortage of 
skilled ICT workers, such as software engineers.


"It is not something that we can let drift, because when people point to 
enrolment patterns now in our universities there is a real reason to be 
concerned," she said


Ms Gillard said the internet already contributed $50 billion directly to 
the Australian economy in 2010, but the indirect activity was just as 
important. "These effects aren't captured in GDP figures, but they're 
worth an extra $80 billion a year," she said.


The prime minister said the national broadband network (NBN) would 
underpin the digital economy by boosting productivity and offering more 
opportunities, both here and abroad.

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said the NBN was on track to pass 
758,000 homes either under construction or completed by the end of 2012.

He said 23,000 users were on the NBN, and the take-up rates at several 
trial sites were better than expected.

"Our take-up rate in two of our first trial sites, Willunga and Kiama, in 
just over 15 months, is 40 per cent," he said.

Labor's $37.4 billion NBN is to deliver high-speed optic-cable broadband 
services to 93 per cent of homes, schools and businesses by 2021, with 
the rest provided by fixed wireless and satellite technologies.


IBM Australia managing director Andrew Stevens said Australia would gain 
from investing in ICT services.


"High-speed broadband is really the basis of our confidence that the 
Australian economy is on the cusp of a new era of growth built on 
productivity gains," Mr Stevens said.


He said the last major lift in national productivity occurred in the mid-
1990s, when local businesses and government agencies invested heavily in 
ICT and reaped the gains from automating and streamlining operations.


Firms and governments had to harness technology to improve services while 
reducing costs, Mr Stevens said.


Australia Post CEO Ahmed Fahour said the government-owned enterprise was 
embracing technology to offer new services to customers.

"I believe that if anybody is going to cannibalise Australia Post that 
ought to be ourselves and allow ourselves the benefit of actually moving 
into the new world," Mr Fahour said.

Mr Fahour said the postal agency would launch a digital mailbox service 
later this month.

He said it would open a series of collection outlets across Australia to 
be in operation around the clock..

Ms Gillard said the forum emphasised the need to address a shortage of 
skilled ICT workers, such as software engineers.

"It is not something that we can let drift, because when people point to 
enrolment patterns now in our universities there is a real reason to be 
concerned," she said


"Knowledge worth more than minerals: PM"   19:12 AEST Fri Oct 5 2012 
By Ed Logue and Liza Kappelle http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8543552
/digital-economy-is-a-path-to-prosperity (snip)
--

Cheers,
Stephen


Message sent using MelbPC WebMail Server