Govt helping businesses improve their digital presence

New Zealand’s official digital training platform has hit another milestone, with over 60,000 people now registered to use the free, government-funded Digital Boost platform.

Digital Boost, which is run in partnership between the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE) and the private sector, aims to make New Zealand's small business sector the most digitally literate in the world. 

Digital Boost is designed for people of all technical abilities, and contains over 1,200 short training videos that feature how-tos, question-and-answer sessions and real-life case studies. The platform also offers a free diagnostic tool, called Checkable, that reviews your website and offers a personalised plan to make it better.

MBIE Director of Innovation Malcolm Luey said Digital Boost is a valuable resource for small businesses that can’t afford consultants, expensive software packages or training courses.

“The platform has paved the way for small businesses to take control of their digital presence and not be intimidated by changing technologies to ultimately increase productivity, resilience, and sustainability in an ever-changing technological world,” he said.

“The value is clearly seen with over 23% of casual users and 39% of weekly users reporting improved revenue for their business by making use of the tools and skills learnt on the platform.”