Singapore is elevating its SkillsFuture initiative to address the increasing need for digital skills among its workforce. During the recent SkillsFuture Forum, Education Minister Chan Chun Sing emphasized the urgency for workers to adapt to constant technological changes and the emergence of new jobs. He stated, “With frequent tech disruptions, shortened half-life of skills and knowledge, and new jobs emerging every day, our workforce must retool, at scale and at speed.”

The forum, themed “Digital Upskilling for Business and Career Growth,” kicked off the SkillsFuture Festival 2023 and featured the relaunch of the SkillsFuture for Digital Workplace (SFDW) program as SFDW 2.0. This updated initiative will focus on four essential areas: automation, cybersecurity, data analytics, and essential digital tools. Customized training programs, lasting up to two days, will target six sectors with a higher proportion of older workers lacking digital skills: built environment, food services, manufacturing, retail, tourism, and transportation.

Employers from other sectors can collaborate with appointed partners to tailor similar training. To encourage participation, SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) will subsidize SFDW 2.0 course fees by up to 70% and provide absentee payroll funding of S$4.50 per hour for eligible enterprises sending employees for training.

Minister Chan highlighted that the drive aims to create an agile skills ecosystem that responds effectively to the evolving needs of both individuals and enterprises. He underscored the importance of industry experts not only identifying in-demand skills but also elaborating on them to ensure training providers develop relevant content. Enterprises must also recognize these credentials during hiring processes.

In addition to building a robust skills ecosystem, Chan announced a pilot program to reach vulnerable groups through the Skills Profiling for SMEs platform. This tool, a collaboration with software provider JobKred, will help small and medium-sized enterprises identify skills gaps and receive tailored training recommendations. Over 200 SMEs have already registered for this initiative since its launch in May.

Furthermore, SSG released a report focusing on the employability of mid-career workers, suggesting that many tech-heavy roles could be suitable for these individuals due to their transferable skills. The report emphasizes the need for clear communication from employers regarding job requirements and the relevance of training to alleviate fears associated with learning new skills.

The ongoing SkillsFuture movement is seeing significant participation, with approximately 560,000 Singaporeans and 20,000 enterprises benefiting from various programs in the previous year, indicating a growing trend in training participation since 2015.