Soft skills are one of the hardest aspects of employability to signal to employers - especially if your work experience or personal work networks are limited. Most employers want soft skills, but few agree on how to define or measure them. EMPLE will be gathering feedback from envisaged user groups (job seekers, youth, vulnerable worker groups) to validate tool demand and requirements as well as potential tool partners. Output will be a high quality report and recommendations.

Research commissioned by the fund on the current state of supply chain transparency

A survey and subsequent report led by Accordant sought feedback from significant numbers of contingent workers, and also from hiring stakeholders in the government sector, regarding non-permanent work. The aim was to grow the knowledge base around non-permanent work in the public sector. The report covers a range of valuable insights, observations, and opportunities, including:

- Why organisations and job seekers should consider non-permanent work
- The benefits of temporary work for both workers and employers
- How to overcome barriers and improve the temporary worker experience
- Ways to reshape the hiring process and improve onboarding for non-permanent workers
- How to grow impact and productivity to maximise the benefits of a temporary workforce

The findings of the research can be found on the Accordant website.

Ivanov Consulting is conducting research into (and assessment of accessibility to) the systems NZ have in place to teach Future of Work skills. From this research, a report of the existing programmes (government and non-government) designed to address the Future of Work skills gaps will be created.

A Research Report commissioned by the fund, and executed by ThinkPlace on the Future of Work, to support our fifth Intake.

Scoping project to explore digitally assisted technologies for MoE.

Professor Shaun Hendy, Director of Te Pūnaha Matatini (a Centre of Research Excellence hosted by the University of Auckland), and his team, had a unique opportunity to investigate historical and anonymised bank transaction data to see if they could identify spending patterns in a community following a disease outbreak. If they could find patterns, they could be turned into a model that could be used by Government policy advisors – giving them new insights into how communities respond to large scale events.

Research project to consider the human centred challenges of cheque usage and explore solutions for transitioning from cheques to other payment options. The aim of the project was to produce a base of actionable insights that can be used by banks, businesses and government agencies to help transition people to less expensive and ultimately more durable and sustainable payment services.

In 2022, WGIF sponsored a team from Auckland Council called UpSouth to participate in the NZ GovTech Accelerator. UpSouth is a call-to-action platform that empowers the voices of rangatahi in Tāmaki Makaurau and the wider Aotearoa. It is a digital first solution solving engagement pressures through co-design with young people. Organisations provide micro-financing to rangatahi for their ideas through genuine engagement. The open invitation and fair compensation for their involvement attracts young people. Being heard, the sense of community and being a part of the future planning of our city keeps everyone engaged.
Based on a successful pilot in South Auckland, the UpSouth project aims to develop a viable social impact venture in partnership with private, public and third sector allies to transform this rangatahi (youth) engagement platform into a widely used positive social impact tool that supports an economy of mana.