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NZTech Inform – a better tomorrow!
Following a successful Techweek21, planning is underway for Techweek22 and our countdown has begun! Save the date now (16-22 May) and start considering how you would like to be involved. Techweek provides opportunities to demonstrate how tech can help keep people connected and the economy active. It’s also a time to showcase local tech talent, inspire the next generation and help build tech capability throughout the country.
Last Friday, NZTech and IT Professionals partnered to re-launch TechHub. TechHub is a platform for the industry’s nationwide in-school programmes, helping introduce kids to digital tech. The new platform hosts the tech industry’s primary nationwide programmes in schools, launching with Tahi Rua Toru Tech, TechHub Talks, ShadowTech and CodeClub Aotearoa.
Speaking of ShadowTech, don’t forget to register as a mentor for ShadowTech Teachers 2022. Our tech mentors will have two teachers shadow them at work for half a day between 28 February – 4 March. It’s the ideal time to talk them through your role, career to date, share insights and discuss skills and qualifications. Everything you need to know about being involved is here.
Last week I attended several productive meetings with the Government including:
- presenting to the Economic Development Select Committee regarding our recent submission about the importance of regulations that don’t inhibit innovation and why data ownership and management should be included in the Electricity Amendment Bill.
- a session with Inland Revenue, Callaghan Innovation and the Chief Financial Officer’s of a small group of New Zealand tech firms to provide feedback on new guidance for the R&D tax incentives to help improve the outcome for software firms.
- a regular catch up with the Ministry of Education on aligning initiatives within the Ministry and the Digital Technology Industry Transformation Plan to discuss steps to introduce digital apprenticeships, or ways to earn while you learn.
- plus a meeting about tech visas.
Meanwhile, we are continuing to respond to as many of the Government’s requests for submissions or feedback as possible before the year ends. If any of the following are important for you I recommend putting in your own submission:
- Digital Identity Trust Framework (2 December)
- Civil Aviation Bill including autonomous drones ( 2 December)
- Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act (AML/CFT) Review (3 December)
- Future of Money (Central Bank Digital Currency) issues paper (6 December)
- Data and Statistics Bill (22 December)
Digital Trust is now on our agenda so often that we have scheduled a national summit, Digital Trust Hui Taumata, for May next year. If you’d like to be involved as a partner, please drop me an email and I’ll get back to you with more details.
Finally, this week we are hosting our annual NZTech strategy day. This year we will begin the process of updating the vision for the NZTech Group. Our current vision and purpose, “helping create a more prosperous New Zealand underpinned by technology,” was developed in 2009. This vision has served us well, however, New Zealand has further evolved during the last decade. I am looking forward to working with stakeholders to develop an inspiring new vision that will serve us well for the next decade.
Stay well.
Ngā mihi,
Graeme Muller
CEO
NZTech
