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PwC's Innovation Challenge tests university students' potential
PwC and Universitas 21 (U21) have come together to offer exclusive professional development opportunities for U21's graduate students through the Innovation Challenge competition.
Worldwide, organisations are undergoing fundamental changes in the way they work and will work in the future. New laws and regulations, the flexibility of labour, the push and pull between humans and machines, and broader trends in consumer and worker sentiment will all influence the workplace of the future.
Never before have there been so many challenges and changes in the workplace, but also one that holds promise for the future. Now, more than ever, business leaders, government, policy makers, educational institutions and other stakeholders need to think about how to prepare and build the workforce of the future.
The workplace of the future
PwC has completed global research into the challenges and difficulties on the workplace of the future, and what future talent and skills are important for CEOs around the world.
In that future workplace, we are looking at megatrends such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), cyber issues, social responsibility, climate change and sustainability.
All these megatrends are shaping the world and our future workforce. In all of these issues, there is also a focus on the skills of the future and the need to fulfil them.
According to PwC’s annual Global CEO survey, 83% of business leaders think getting the right human skills in their organisation is the key to competing in the future. PwC are now extending the research to include the views of leading educators, and how they can work more closely with employers to anticipate future needs and provide opportunities that prepare their students for successful careers.
The Innovation Challenge
To this end, PwC and Universitas 21 (U21) have come together to offer exclusive professional development opportunities for U21’s graduate students through the Innovation Challenge competition.
The online competition arises from an international collaboration between PwC and U21. U21 students respond to challenging questions about the workplace of the future and how they see themselves preparing to thrive.
Their video blogs are shared with judges drawn from PwC clients, thus giving the students exposure to potential employers. Conversely, the judges will have a unique opportunity to see the skills and talents of a pool of world-class, skilled, motivated students. The prizes include a variety of career-enhancing training and coaching opportunities.
Sally Jeffery, global education network leader at PwC
Sally Jeffery, PwCs global education network leader says, “This Innovation Challenge is linked to scenarios or the future workforce. We are interested in seeing and hearing student’s perspectives on how they see the future workforce evolving.”
The Innovative Challenge is open to any registered graduate student in one of U21’s member universities.
The first regional round, with students from Australia, India, New Zealand and China was completed in July 2018. The next group round will commence in October 2018.
The final round, which will include the University of Johannesburg, a U21 institution in South Africa, will take place in January 2019.
Complete the U21/PwC Innovation Challenge Registration 2018 form to get involved.
