Telework
At the Institute for a Broadband-enabled Society (IBES) Telework Congress held in Melbourne on 12 November the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy announced the release of a report by Colmar Brunton and Deloitte Access Economics, Creating jobs through NBN-enabled telework.
This report is an analysis of how participation in the labour force may increase with the rollout of the National Broadband Network (NBN) and the additional opportunities it will provide.
Some key findings:
- The economic modelling found that NBN-enabled telework may create 25,000 additional jobs in full-time equivalent terms by 2020-21. Around 10,000 of these jobs will be created in regional Australia
- 60% Of mature workers reported that they would take up telework if it was available to them and as a result delay retirement by an average of 6.6 years – this is a notable result given the ageing of the population and the impact this will have on overall participation rates.
- 74% of people not in the labour force with family or carer responsibilities reported they would take up a telework employment opportunity if one was available to them
Creating jobs through NBN enabled telework full report
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Teleworking is working regularly from a place other than the office, in most cases from a home office, utilising information and communications technology to stay connected to colleagues. Australia currently lags internationally in levels of teleworking.
Telework in Australia
By delivering reliable, high-speed broadband to all Australian premises, the National Broadband Network will give more employees and employers the confidence to engage in teleworking.
The Australian Government is committed to achieving the telework goal set out in the National Digital Economy Strategy—that by 2020 Australia will at least double its level of teleworking, so that one in eight Australian employees (12 per cent) report having a regular telework arrangement with their employers.
The telework website provides detailed resources to help organisations and employees understand how telework will benefit them. Research, case studies, upcoming events and a Return on Investment (ROI) tool are all available. The website also links to the network of Telework Partner organisations that are already benefitting from telework.
National Telework Week 2012
Australia's first National Telework Week was held from 12 to16 November to raise awareness of the opportunities, benefits, and practical issues associated with working from home.
The week generated 288 articles across traditional and social media sites reaching more than 48.8 million people based on readership and unique browser figures. There were also more than 30 different events put on by business partners and communities across Australia.
The week also included an announcement by the Prime Minister that 12% of the Australian Public Service would telework by 2020.
You can find out more about the events of the week by visiting the telework website.
2011 Telework Forum: Bringing home the benefits of teleworking using the NBN
To help develop a consensus around how best to take advantage of the NBN to boost teleworking in Australia, the government held a telework forum in August 2011 with key experts, industry leaders and government agencies.
The forum showcased Australian businesses and government agencies that are using telework to improve business performance.
Participants identified a number of actions government and industry can take to maximise the opportunity the NBN provides to extend telework in Australia.
Visit the government initiatives page on the NBN site to find video highlights, outcomes and more information about the telework forum.
Contacts
On Twitter, search for @DBCDEgov and the hashtag #telework
The National Telework Week hashtag is #NTWau.
Join the department's telework LinkedIn group—Telework2020
Email: telework@dbcde.gov.au