IBM will hire and train 300 Singaporeans in emerging technological areas over the next four years, under a memorandum of intent (MOI) that the tech giant and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) signed yesterday.
Applicants will receive training for roles such as data scientists and cloud architects in the company-led initiative, which falls under IMDA's TechSkills Accelerator programme.
Of the 300 roles on offer, 60 are for mid-career professionals, while the other 240 are open to both new and mid-career professionals.
The initiative is part of IBM's Future-Ready Intelligent Digital Workforce Programme, which aims to meet the demand for technology consulting and deep technical skills - both needed to support the acceleration of digital transformation across all industries.
It is also in support of the SG-United Jobs and Skills Package.
Participants in IBM's programme will be exposed to emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain and the Internet of Things.
They will be assigned to work with local, regional and global teams on a variety of projects to gain practical experience.
Communications and Information Minister S Iswaran, who witnessed the signing ceremony, said that the MOI is part of ongoing efforts between IMDA, the Digital Industry Singapore government office and industry partners to create jobs and training opportunities for Singaporeans.
He added that the close collaboration between government agencies and the industry will help generate employment opportunities and furthermore ensure that the skills received by programme participants - such as cyber security and data analytics - are validated by the industry.
This partnership with industry players is key, Mr Iswaran said, especially in terms of recruiting Singaporeans into job opportunities.
"In the ICT sector, which is a bright spot in the economy, we can identify opportunities together with them," he noted.
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300 Number of Singaporeans IBM will hire and train in emerging tech areas over the next four years.
60 Number of roles for mid-career professionals.
240 Number of roles open to both new and mid-career professionals.
"At the same time, through this partnership and through the (company-led training programme), we are able to work with them to help adapt the skillsets of the people that they have identified, so that they can move into these positions and hit the ground running."
Ms Lee Hui Li, managing partner of Asean Global Business Services at IBM, said: "We take a holistic, outcomes-focused view which encompasses people, processes and technology.
"That is why, in addition to skills development, our Future-Ready Intelligent Digital Workforce programme will place emphasis on the practical application of those skills in real-world business scenarios so that, for example, data and AI can make workflows smarter and insights are applied to improve the customer experience."
Last month, e-commerce platform Shopee's parent company Sea signed a MOI with IMDA for a company-led initiative to hire and train around 500 Singaporeans over the next two years.
Other participating companies with job opportunities on offer under the IMDA's company-led training programme include cyber security firm Ensign InfoSecurity and professional services firm KPMG.
