The NSW PC has brought forth a NEW REPORT on, “how embracing tech could recharge our prosperity”

And practical just about all the ideas in it would be, if was not for the reality of gate keepers and ticket clippers in the economy – productivity commission reports from all over are like that.

One of the NSWPC’s concerns is “creeping credentialism” and it points to initial teacher education as an example, in particular replacing one-year grad dips with two-year masters. “The higher barrier to entering teaching has lowered the attractiveness of the profession for high achievers who hold a bachelor degree. This has worsened NSW’s statewide teacher shortages.”

But overall the commission finds reasons to be cheerful. It is keen on new providers and products in education and training. Thus,

“Google’s apprenticeship programme provides an equitable pathway to develop digital skills for people without a university degree or work experience in computer science”

And,

“micro-credentials have the potential to be a highly targeted and efficient method of learning, making them well suited to lifelong learning. Micro-credentials can also be used to target in-demand skills and offer a cost-effective means of upskilling older workers.”

And it suggests things could be better than the way they used to be,

“It is a mistake to assume recent slow productivity growth must continue forever. Historically, productivity growth has come in waves. We cannot predict when the next wave will come. Productivity growth could continue to decline. But it is also possible that the world is now on the threshold of an enormous technology opportunity. There is a suite of emerging technologies that, if widely adopted, could recharge productivity growth for years to come.”

Optimism! From a productivity commission!