OUTSOURCE Fiji is eyeing global development in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) space in a bid to tap into it and grow Fiji’s outsourcing industry.
Outsource Fiji president Morika Hunter revealed this in an interview with The Fiji Times at yesterday’s ‘Leadership Graduation Ceremony’ in Suva yesterday which saw 16 workers from the outsourcing sector graduate after leadership development training.
“What we’re observing internationally is the AI and the KPO space,” Ms Hunter said.
“This is a segment that really is going to grow and take off in the next few years.
“We know that we are up to par with that.
“We have Australia, the US and other countries that are a little bit ahead of us in some of that space, but we know right now, with the way we are growing, with the focus that we have in leadership, in our Outsource Fiji team, that we have the connections, the capability and the companies in Fiji to excel in that space too and expand in it.”
The Government-funded agency is likely to be asking for a budgetary bump in the upcoming 2025/2026 national budget.
“We’re working on our final submission,” Ms Hunter said.
“We have given a preliminary submission and again, it is really focused on the education, upskilling space, as well as marketing and awareness.
Ms Hunter highlighted that Fiji’s outsourcing industry would not progress if it lacked awareness.
“We’re not going to really thrive and have this industry grow if we’re not creating the awareness that Fiji is that destination for potential businesses to come in and partner with one of our existing outsourced companies.
“We want to make sure that our council and our members grow and expand. That is our job here.”
The Outsource Fiji president further shared that they were also looking into areas that would benefit women and the special-abled in the outsourcing industry.
“We’re currently finalising the findings of a survey that we’ve done, and that’s in two parts: one is women and children, what are the opportunities and where are the day care centres located or/and which companies have facilities for children?
“Because what we found is for mothers in the industry and their shift roles, we don’t want to have their kids at home without a caregiver; so we’re trying to see how we can capture and support that.
“The other one is that we are working with our members to assess who can support people with disabilities.
“There are people with disabilities with incredible skills and we want to help enhance and support that.
“Right now, we’re doing the assessment to say who has wheelchair accessibility, who has software and development for the blind, that they can easily come into this space and this segment and find really wonderful jobs.
“So those are the two areas that we’re really trying to enhance and promote and work with as we move forward,” Ms Hunter said.
Hunter. Picture: LITIA RITOVA
