iTnews

Woolworths to spend $50m equipping staff with 'tech' skills

By Ry Crozier on Feb 8, 2021 8:41AM
Woolworths to spend $50m equipping staff with 'tech' skills

Agile, analytics and automation training on the agenda.

Woolworths has allocated at least $50 million over three years to give more than 60,000 of its 200,000 staff technology-oriented skills.

The retailer said Monday that its ‘future of work fund’ would “help upskill, reskill and redeploy team members impacted by industry disruption and technological change.”

Training would be delivered through “key learning institutions” as well as a new online learning platform.

“The key technical focus areas for training will be in digital, data analytics, machine learning and robotics, with further investment planned for advanced customer service skills, team leadership and agile ways of working,” Woolworths said in a statement.

Much of the retraining aims to beef up Woolworths’ e-commerce and online operations, both at the front-end and behind-the-scenes.

Some effort will go into retraining staff impacted by the automation of delivery centres, either for “technical and supervisory roles with robotics and automation” in the revamped centres, or “to support a new career outside of the organisation”, the company said.

Woolworths said it also plans to hire and train “thousands of new online team members to assist with e-commerce growth.”

Additionally, the company said it would train staff working in “support functions” in agile ways of working and advanced analytics.

“Technological advances in automation, predictive analytics, AI and cloud computing are making core retail processes much faster and more efficient than ever before,” CEO Brad Banducci said.

“While these changes push our industry forward for the better, they’re also changing the nature of the day to day work many of our people do.”

Got a news tip for our journalists? Share it with us anonymously here.
Copyright © iTnews.com.au . All rights reserved.
Tags:
retailitskillsstrategytechnologytraining & developmentwoolworths

Partner Content

5 essential digital transformation ideas
Promoted Content 5 essential digital transformation ideas
Security "mindset shift" needed to protect organisations
Promoted Content Security "mindset shift" needed to protect organisations
How a 'micro data centre' enables your business, your way
Promoted Content How a 'micro data centre' enables your business, your way
Tick off the ransomware bandits
Promoted Content Tick off the ransomware bandits

Sponsored Whitepapers

Planning before the breach: You can’t protect what you can’t see
Planning before the breach: You can’t protect what you can’t see
Beyond FTP: Securing and Managing File Transfers
Beyond FTP: Securing and Managing File Transfers
NextGen Security Operations: A Roadmap for the Future
NextGen Security Operations: A Roadmap for the Future
Video: Watch Juniper talk about its Aston Martin partnership
Video: Watch Juniper talk about its Aston Martin partnership
Don’t pay the ransom: A three-step guide to ransomware protection
Don’t pay the ransom: A three-step guide to ransomware protection

Events

  • iTnews Benchmark Awards 2022 - Finalist Showcase
  • 11th Annual Fraud Prevention Summit 2022
  • IoT Impact Conference
  • Cyber Security for Government Summit
By Ry Crozier
Feb 8 2021
8:41AM
0 Comments

Related Articles

  • Endeavour Group injects $35 million into digital arm
  • Coles Group taps Australia Post as it assembles a new-look tech leadership team
  • Woolworths puts an extra $40m behind e-commerce, analytics
  • Woolworths ecommerce director to shift into supply chain leadership role
Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn Share on Whatsapp Email A Friend

Most Read Articles

Kmart Australia stands up consent-as-a-service platform

Kmart Australia stands up consent-as-a-service platform

Telstra to open its 5G network to wholesale customers

Telstra to open its 5G network to wholesale customers

Macquarie Bank creates a broker portal on Salesforce

Macquarie Bank creates a broker portal on Salesforce

Active Directory defaults lead to no-fix PrivEsc vulnerability

Active Directory defaults lead to no-fix PrivEsc vulnerability

Digital Nation

Case Study: PlayHQ leverages graph technologies for sports administration
Case Study: PlayHQ leverages graph technologies for sports administration
As NFTs gain traction, businesses start taking early bets
As NFTs gain traction, businesses start taking early bets
Metaverse hype will transition into new business models by mid decade: Gartner
Metaverse hype will transition into new business models by mid decade: Gartner
The other ‘CTO’: The emerging role of the chief transformation officer
The other ‘CTO’: The emerging role of the chief transformation officer
COVER STORY: From cost control to customer fanatics, AI is transforming the contact centre
COVER STORY: From cost control to customer fanatics, AI is transforming the contact centre
All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in any form without prior authorisation.
Your use of this website constitutes acceptance of nextmedia's Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.