Millennial educator on digi council
School money educator Kendall Flutey is on the seven-strong Digital Council to advise the Government on technological change.
Flutey founded the online money education service Banqer in 2015. It has been used by more than 100,000 New Zealand and Australian school children to improve their financial knowledge.
Kris Faafoi, Minister for Government Digital Services, and James Shaw, Minister for Statistics, announced the group of experts to advise the Government on how to ensure new and emerging technologies and uses of data improve New Zealanders’ lives.
‘‘We’ve brought together an impressive mix of people who can help navigate the fast-moving digital and data landscape through a specific New Zealand focus,’’ Faafoi said. ‘‘We want to understand the impact of technological change from a uniquely New Zealand perspective, including te ao Ma¯ ori.
‘‘The council will also help identify gaps in accessing and using technology, how it can benefit societies and our economy, assist our role in the Pacific, and help overcome our distance from major trading markets.’’ Faafoi said.
Shaw said: ‘‘Technology is changing how people do business and how we buy products and is reshaping how many of us interact, how we form relationships, and how we address some of the most pressing challenges we face.
‘‘These changes are happening fast and have undoubtedly created opportunities that would have been hard to imagine even a generation ago. But rapid change can also have an effect on people’s lives and it is important we understand what that is.
‘‘That way we can all work better to ensure that an increasingly digitalised and automated world improves everyone’s wellbeing.’’
The council would draw on members’ expertise, as well as gather views from communities across New Zealand. It will also learn from national and international experts to develop advice and provide recommendations for government consideration.
It will be chaired by Mitchell Pham from the Augen Software Group.
Also on the council will be futurist Roger Dennis, and Marianne Elliott, co-founder of the ActionStation community campaigning platform.
It will include professor Colin Gavaghan from Otago University’s Centre for Law and Emerging Technologies, Rachel Kelly, from the Artificial Intelligence Forum, and digital animator Nikora Ngaropo.