SINGAPORE - A guide to help the public zoom in on "hot" technology skills to pick up was rolled out on Friday (Nov 10).
Called the Skills Framework for Infocomm Technology, it covers 119 job roles and more than 80 skills that will be needed across sectors such as retail, logistics, finance and healthcare.
The skills include analytics and computational modelling, cyber forensics, data engineering and user experience design. These skills are required for jobs related to artificial intelligence, cyber security, the Internet of Things and immersive media - four trends that are expected to lead to new frontiers for businesses.
Minister for Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim, who announced the guide on Friday, said that over the next three years, Singapore will need to fill 42,000 technology jobs in addition to the current 180,000 technology jobs to be filled. These include positions for data scientists and cyber-risk analysts.
"Hence, we also want to ensure that Singaporeans are equipped with the relevant skills to benefit from these good jobs," he said.
Besides helping individuals, the guide can be used by employers to design career maps and list job requirements. It can also be used by training providers to develop infocomm technology courses.
It also maps out career pathways across seven tracks, namely security, support, infrastructure, data, professional services, software and applications, and sales and marketing.
The framework was jointly developed by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), SkillsFuture Singapore and Workforce Singapore.
Eleven organisations have already made use of the new guide to provide training for staff, including consulting firm Accenture, telco Singtel, Singapore's Cyber Security Agency and DBS Bank.
Another IMDA initiative that the public may be interested in is its tech skills development and job placement initiative, TechSkills Accelerator. Since its launch in April 2016, it has trained 16,000 professionals in new technology skills to prepare them for the digital economy.
One individual who has prepared herself for the digital economy is Ms Wong Ching Yee, 40. Nine years ago, she made a mid-career switch from chemical engineering to healthcare after completing a nursing diploma course.
Ms Wong continued to upgrade her skills and is now working as a nursing informatics application specialist at Farrer Park Hospital, training doctors and nurses in the hospital's electronic medical record system.
"Career progression is about keeping an open mind in accepting challenges and stepping out of our comfort zones," she said.
