In the post-Covid landscape, the way we work has transformed tremendously—from the shift to hybrid and remote working arrangements to the digitalisation of some of our work. As these changes continue to accelerate, it is of utmost importance to look at what these changes mean for our workforce of the future.
In June 2022, partners of the firm came together for a full day workshop to discuss and brainstorm ideas to address challenges on the People front. Through the session, four main initiatives were identified to prepare the firm for the future workforce. Each project is led by various partners and supported by key talents across different Lines of Service (LoS).
We developed and rolled out a Certification Roadmap for our Risk Assurance Services (RAS)* and Digital (DGT) teams. It is a structured training plan for our people who seek opportunities to further develop their skills and be future ready. With the roadmap in place, career coaches are further equipped and empowered to help their coachees’ development with more clarity around upskilling programmes available.
In 2023, we also assisted the Consulting LoS in the expansion of their Tech CoE which required employees to upskill with SAP. We worked directly with the Consulting and Learning & Development teams from both Malaysia and Singapore to ensure that our employees pursue the SAP certification in a timely manner.
*Risk Assurance Services has now been renamed to Risk Services, effective July 2023
Feedback from RAS and DGT who have completed the certifications:
As we continue to build on our technology and digital competencies across the firm, we acknowledge that there is a need to define a pathway for technology professionals, distinct from the traditional professional services career growth and development route including assessment of impact.
In 2022, we launched a Technology Career Pathway (TCP), which is an alternative career pathway designed to provide our technology and digital-focused professionals with more clarity of their roles, growth prospects and developmental opportunities.
Some examples of roles identified to be part of TCP are software or application developers, infrastructure engineers, penetration testers, and ethical hackers.
88% of our people have built a stronger foundation in data analytics and the application of digital knowledge as part of our commitment to continuous upskilling.
*FY refers to PwC’s Financial Year from July to June
We recognise that being fit for the future matters, and that everyone is at a different upskilling pace. In 2023, we have introduced additional opportunities in Digital and Human skills areas to help upskill our people.
Level Up has been added as part of Digital Skills offerings to allow our people to understand digital tools’ application and learn how to build and implement simple solutions effectively.
Digital Cafe Conversation is an initiative to raise awareness on digital topics, with the aim of providing a platform for dialogue and knowledge-sharing.
Monthly Data Challenge is a monthly challenge centred around solving data problems based on current pain points by each LoS in the form of a mission.
Digital Behaviour and Mindset is an initiative to engage and support our people to kickstart, build and sustain digital working culture.
Vantage is a learning tool customised to each individual, giving our people the ability to manage their learning, develop playlists (from podcasts to articles and e-learns) and share these with one another. The topics are diverse, ranging from artificial intelligence to leadership and wellbeing.
Our people are able to build PwC Professional capabilities on-the-go, by learning from resources such as Harvard Business Review, The Economist, PwC-developed thought leadership and our business curriculum.
While we are making the gradual shift to real-time development, we recognise that spending time in a training environment is still important.
Each person at PwC receives an average of 57 hours of training a year. This exceeds the Malaysian Institute of Accountants’ (MIA) mandatory Continuing Professional Education (CPE) average training hours of approximately 40 hours a year.
Training for our auditors is an average of 90 hours annually. This is above the average of 76 hours for Managerial staff and 68 hours for Non-managerial staff of training a year reported in Audit Oversight Board’s 2021 report.