PwC seeks to boost employees’ digital skills, launches training program on blockchain, AI and drones

PwC is rolling out a two-year training program to enhance the digital skills of its employees, according to a report from DigiDay dated August 30.

The program, Digital Accelerators, will begin in January with 1,000 employees. It will replace the usual workload of these employees with digital-intensive projects and weekly classes.

The initiative is aimed at reducing costs for clients. By enhancing the digital skills of its employees, PwC would be able to cut down billable hours on projects when employees finish tasks faster.

According to the report, the program has three primary focus areas:

• “The first is data and analytics and will include classes on collecting and cleansing data and blockchain.
• The second area focuses on automation, including classes on cybersecurity, drones and augmented reality.
• The third is focused on artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Participants will also take coding, user experience and design thinking classes that deal all these topics.”

The company opened the application for this program to all of its 46,000 employees in March. Out of 3,500 employees who applied, PwC selected 1,000, said Sarah McEneaney, digital talent leader at PwC and head of the Digital Accelerators program.

Around 100 of these selected employees will work directly with clients in the area of marketing consulting, with 16 of these to work particularly on PwC’s own marketing and sales teams. The objective is digitize PwC’s own marketing efforts.

“My job is to future proof our workforce,” said McEneaney. “It just seems table stakes at this point that people should have more technology skills. It’s needed for us to remain competitive and to be responsive for what our clients are also going through.”