Australia Post has announced it will invest A$20 million (€14 million) in training staff ingrowth areas such as parcels, logistics, retail and digital services over the next three years. It
has also opened a new online store.The $20 million Future Skills investment comes just four months after a new business renewalprogramme, Future Ready, which sees the organisation rely less heavily on its traditional lettersbusiness, and expand into new business growth areas such as retail, eServices and parcelsareas.
“The Future Skills investment will equip our people with the skills they need to work in the neweconomy as letter volumes decline yet online shopping grows rapidly,” said Australia Post’s CEO andManaging Director, Ahmed Fahour. “While electronic communications such as email is the letter’sworse enemy, it is our parcel business’ best friend with online shopping growing rapidly.”
This structural change in the postal business meant there was a strong need to re-train infuture growth areas, Fahour stressed. The $20 million Future Skills investment represents how theorganisation could fulfil its commitment to retain and redeploy staff, and enhance employees’ skillbase in the face of a changing business environment.
“The world is changing and we must move with it but we must take our staff with us. Developingthe skills of our staff is a key part of Future Ready and it is of vital importance as the businesschanges to meet the challenges we all face as a result of letter volume declines. Our staff workingin mail centres, delivering the mail, driving trucks and working in our outlets know better thananyone that we are seeing declining mail volumes and understand why we must cultivate new sourcesof revenue,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, Australia Post has partnered with OfficeMax to launch an online office products storefor business customers. Since 2 August, OfficeMax’s 10,000 products have been available on theAustralia Post website at www.auspost.com/stationery, where they can bepurchased and delivered straight to the customer’s door. The products available range from deskstationery through to technology hardware, consumables, cleaning items and even furniture.
“Australia Post is delighted that our extensive delivery network will be used in partnershipwith OfficeMax to deliver affordable office and technology products to workplaces across thecountry,” says Australia Post Merchandise Services Manager, Rowan Howarth.
The online store will be available for once-off purchases, but is expected to be of particularvalue to businesses who seek the convenience of online retailing for their everyday officeneeds.
“OfficeMax is thrilled to offer Australia Post customers all the products they need for theiroffices through a contemporary online store,” added OfficeMax Managing Director, David Armstrong. “It’s an excellent desk-to-door service, allowing busy people to focus on their work.”
The online partnership with OfficeMax adds to a host of new digital initiatives launched byAustralia Post in recent months including an iPhone app, a mobile-enabled website for smart phoneusers, the integration of the Click and Send service with eBay, and a transport and logisticspartnership with BIG W online, enabling the delivery of 4,000 of BIG W’s most popular productsaround the country via Australia Post’s delivery network.
