SINGAPORE - The national movement to build a culture of lifelong learning will kick into higher gear, boosting training in digital skills and paying greater attention to groups that need more help. 

Education Minister Chan Chun Sing on Tuesday said SkillsFuture will build on the progress it has made since its launch in 2015, and support skills upgrading at scale and at speed in response to a changing world. 

He was speaking at the SkillsFuture Forum held at the Lifelong Learning Institute in Paya Lebar. The event, which focused on digital upskilling for business and career growth, was organised by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) and supported by The Business Times and SPH Media.

Mr Chan said more effort will be channelled into coordinating the demand and supply of skills in a dynamic market.

Beyond identifying skills in demand, these skills also need to be translated and developed into relevant training content, he said.

“Employers, on the other hand, must also recognise the new credentials and certifications in their hiring,” he added. 

One new skill that was in high demand in Singapore in 2022 was “solar photovoltaic energy assessment”, he said, in line with the national drive towards a greener economy. 

Locally, digital skills such as product development and customer experience management, big data analytics and artificial intelligence application are in short supply across all sectors, said Mr Chan. 

“Our learning and skills ecosystem must respond with broad-based digital upskilling, so that we have a skills surplus and not a deficit,” he said. 

To this end, the training and adult education sector is working to better deploy technology and online learning to make skills training more accessible and timely, he added. 

The SkillsFuture Digital Workplace initiative – to help Singaporeans acquire digital skills – will feature refreshed digital content in four key areas: automation, cyber-security risk, data analytics and in-demand digital tools. 

Mr Chan said the SkillsFuture movement will also broaden its outreach to two groups which have greater needs and are at risk of falling behind – mature mid-career workers in their 40s and 50s, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). 

The first group needs help to preserve their human capital and employability, as they face a higher risk of their skills getting obsolete and being retrenched, he said. 

In 2022, close to 2,500 mature workers took part in programmes such as SSG’s SkillsFuture Career Transition Programme and Workforce Singapore’s Career Conversion Programme, which support mid-career transition to sectors with hiring opportunities. 

SSG on Tuesday also released a report for mid-career workers interested in joining the digital economy, to guide them in their training decisions. 

SMEs may face challenges in training, given the day-to-day demands of business operations, said Mr Chan. 

“We are trying different approaches to facilitate SMEs’ participation in skills development and training,” he said.

One such initiative is Skills Profiler, a digital platform rolled out by SSG in collaboration with JobKred – a Singapore-based start-up that uses big data and artificial intelligence – which identifies skills gaps and helps companies with personalised training recommendations. 

The tool, which was launched on Tuesday, aims to benefit 400 SMEs, which can get 12 months of complimentary access to the platform.

More than 200 SMEs have registered for the service since its launch in May. 

Individuals and companies must take more ownership of their training, said Mr Chan, adding that he has urged SSG to personalise job insights so they are more relevant for people. 

This process of identifying one’s skills, strengths and opportunities needs to extend beyond the school system, he said. 

“With technology and data, we can do it much better than before. This is how we envisage a system that can continuously help fellow Singaporeans identify what they are good at, what they lack, what they should acquire, where to acquire it, and how to get it recognised.” 

More than 192,000 Singaporeans used their SkillsFuture Credit in 2022, he said.

“This is higher than in pre-Covid-19 days, but it is still a fraction of what we want to achieve.

“We need everyone to join us in this effort. We can find the financial resources to support enterprises and workers, we can use the data to figure out skills demands – but ultimately, we will need individuals and companies to take a step forward.”

SkillsFuture Festival highlights

This year’s festival, which runs from July 4 to Aug 18, focuses on digital skills. Participants can take part in both physical events and online activities. Here are some highlights.

• SkillsFuture Roadshow: Held at Suntec City from July 7 to 9, the event will provide information on in-demand jobs and skills in the care, digital and green economies. Participants can also get training and career advice on-site.
• SkillsFuture Festival X Amazon Web Services Roadshow: It will give participants the chance to learn more about cloud computing and its uses through games, workshops and dialogues. It will be held from July 14 to 16 at VivoCity.
• Enabling Academy Learning Festival: Persons with disabilities can find out more about inclusive vocational training and personal development opportunities.
• WorldSkills Asean Competition 2023: Singapore will be hosting the event for the first time from July 22 to 27. Visitors can visit interactive booths and workshops to learn about skills in different industries.
• SkillsFuture SME Conference 2023: To be held on Aug 18, attendees can learn about new initiatives to drive skills development and the journeys that SMEs have taken to transform their businesses.