Latest news with #SkillsFutureFestival
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Singtel spearheads data centre hiring drive for over 500 positions
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Around 40 per cent of those openings are for entry-level roles. SINGAPORE – Singtel's regional data centre arm Nxera and its industry partners aim to hire over 500 people here collectively in the coming months, growing capacity in line with robust demand from firms for artificial intelligence (AI) computing muscle. Around 40 per cent of those openings are for entry-level roles, said Nxera, defying early signs elsewhere in the technology sector of hiring pullbacks for junior staff who can be increasingly replaced by AI. Nxera chief executive Bill Chang on July 25 outlined the sector's prospects at the inaugural Sustainable AI Data Centre Career Day, spearheaded by Nxera. Around 1,000 students from tertiary institutions attended the careers event at Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College East, which is part of the ongoing SkillsFuture Festival. 'This is a paradox: One side of AI says it's going to disrupt jobs... The other side of AI needs (workers) – that's us, building AI infrastructure,' Mr Chang said. Nxera, which currently has over 200 staff, is 80 per cent-owned by Digital InfraCo, Singtel's stand-alone infrastructure unit, with the remaining 20 per cent held by global investment firm KKR. Mr Chang noted that unlike traditional data centres, AI data centres like those that Nxera are building pack an extremely high amount of computing power into a given amount of space, which also means very high heat output, as well as electrical and water consumption. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. 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For this effort, Nxera and partners needs both fresh talent and mid-career hires in fields ranging from facilities maintenance and sustainability to thermal engineering, among others, Mr Chang said. In Nxera's case, about half its openings lie in engineering, while the rest are spread across the rest of the business. To ensure Nxera can quickly draw in enough talent with the right skills, Mr Chang said it has helped put in place multiple pathways into meaningful roles in the up-and-rising sector, such as work-study schemes for ITE and polytechnic students. It has also tied up with the Singapore Institute of Technology, Nanyang Polytechnic, Singapore Polytechnic, Temasek Polytechnic and ITE to design courses about the latest data centres used for AI applications. The company remains on track to launch DC Tuas, its next data centre in Singapore, come early 2026. In what Nxera sees as a sign of resilient demand for data centres for the most sophisticated applications, DC Tuas has already pre-sold about half its capacity, Mr Chang said. Customers include fast-growing tech companies from the United States. Chinese firms are finalising terms as well, while discussions are ongoing with local enterprises. In his keynote at the event, Mr Tan Kiat How, Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information, highlighted support available for aspiring tech talent graduating from ITE and polytechnics. Addressing jobseeker anxieties that have emerged in recent months, Mr Tan said the Government will continue to work with industry partners and employers to new pathways and better jobs. For instance, since 2022, more than 1,000 good tech jobs have been committed by employers for ITE and poly graduates under the TechSkills Accelerator for ITE and Polytechnics Alliance, he said. He also noted the uptick in median salary reported by information and digital technology poly grads from $2,700 in 2022 to $2,900 in 2024. Mr Tan also noted that data centres are a key part of Singapore's future economy driven by AI innovation, but land and resource constraints mean higher sustainability requirements have been needed – something he praised players here for responding positively to. Mr Chua Wei Xun, 22, an associate engineer with Nxera, recently completed his work-study diploma in data centre infrastructure and operations with ITE College East, which included over a year of training on the job. He recommended the course to prospective students looking to work in IT, facility management or customer support, as it has 'quite a broad scope, so you can learn a lot'.
Straits Times
18-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Residents in South West District get help to improve employability, find career opportunities
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Apart from the 14 training partners, the CDC is looking to expand the partnership and onboard more organisations. SINGAPORE – Residents in the south-west of Singapore looking for jobs or to upskill themselves for the future have access to a plethora of workshops, industry talks and consultations. T hey can receive one-to-one consultations with skills and training ambassadors from Lifelong Learning Singapore, and also with career coaches from employment agencies to help them work towards their career goals, like in mixed reality and urban farming. These opportunities are offered under a new partnership between South West Community Development Council (CDC) and 14 training partners supported by SkillsFuture Singapore . The organisers aim to reach 3,000 residents with these. Some of the training partners are Emarsity , which holds classes on how to produce videos using artificial intelligence; Tembusu Institute, which offers sewing classes; and Xprienz , which offers training on eldercare and caregiving skills . The tie-up was announced at an annual festival for career opportunities and professional development on July 18 by South West District Mayor Low Yen Ling. South West CDC, which covers areas like Jurong, Bukit Batok and Choa Chu Kang, is one of five CDCs in Singapore, including the Central, North East, North West and South East. 'With rapid changes in technology and the job market, our workforce has to continuously upskill and reskill,' said Ms Low at the SkillsFuture Festival. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 30% of aviation jobs could be redesigned due to AI, automation; $200m fund to support workers: CAAS Singapore Alleged Kpod peddler filmed trying to flee raid in Bishan charged with 6 offences Singapore UOB awarded $17.7m in civil suit against Lippo Marina Collection over inflated housing loans Life Kinokuniya opens third bookstore in Raffles City, weeks ahead of schedule Business DBS shares rally to a new record as STI clocks yet another high Singapore 5 foreigners charged over scheme to deliberately get arrested in S'pore to sell sex drugs Asia Lightning strikes kill 33 people in eastern India Apart from the 14 training partners, the CDC is looking to expand the partnership and onboard more organisations. The SkillsFuture Festival @ South West, taking place from July 16 to 19 at the Devan Nair Institute of Employment and Employability, is the first of five such events that will be held around Singapore in 2025. The next one will be held in Bedok Town Square on July 19 and 20 for South East residents. The festival at South West includes a community job fair and offers more than 50,000 job opportunities across different sectors to help job seekers gain skills, Ms Low said. Minister for Education Desmond Lee, who also attended the festival on July 18, said CDCs play an important role in reaching out to Singaporeans to tap on SkillsFuture offerings. These councils have strong networks and connections, and are keenly aware of the needs on the ground, he added. The SkillsFuture Advice initiative was launched in 2017 as a key partnership between CDCs and SkillsFuture to provide information on jobs and skills to residents and help them explore career pathways, he said. In 2024, around 80,000 individuals participated in 1,600 workshops that offered content tailored to the needs of specific industries. About 13,000 of these people later took action and enrolled in training with their SkillsFuture credits within six months of attending a workshop. The SkillsFuture Festival @ South West, taking place from July 16 to 19 at the Devan Nair Institute of Employment and Employability, is the first of five such events that will be held around Singapore in 2025. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO Mr Lee, who is also Minister-in-charge for Social Services Integration, said: 'We live in an increasingly uncertain world, with rapid advancements in technology. The SkillsFuture movement is more important than ever.' Amid the global trade war and globalisation, people are concerned about their livelihoods and jobs, he said. 'In the next decade, we must go broader, deeper and higher with our SkillsFuture efforts, so that we invest more intensively in our people, and ensure that we can remain competitive.' This includes going broader in partnering different sectors of society, he added. Mr Lee also added individuals must take personal responsibility for their training, employers must do their part to invest in the skills of the workforce, and tripartite partners such as the labour movement and trade associations can reach out to individuals and employers to invest in the development of their skills. The festival on July 18 showcased the digital, green and care sectors. Booths provided simulations for participants who are interested in the manufacturing and engineering industries to learn more about industrial and advanced machinery, and sustainable urban farming workshops taught attendees about transplanting seedlings. A community job fair at the festival also provided opportunities for job seekers to be connected with more than 20 employers from industries like logistics and healthcare, with some offering on-site interviews.
Straits Times
10-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
What ‘skills first' really means: Panellists at SkillsFuture Forum talk culture, systems, mindsets
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox (From left) SkillsFuture Singapore chief executive Tan Kok Yam, Cragar Industries managing director Joseph Wong, Grab chief people officer Ong Chin Yin and Boston Consulting Group managing director and partner Sagar Goel at a panel moderated by ST associate editor for newsroom strategy Jeremy Au Yong on July 7. SINGAPORE – Every six months, the employees of Singapore's tech giant Grab receive feedback from their peers, not just on what they have accomplished, but also on the areas where they truly shine. This helps managers to identify desired behaviours and strengths, further aiding them in assessing each employee's skills and proficiency. It is also part of the ride-hailing giant's ongoing journey to build a skills-first culture, said Grab chief people officer Ong Chin Yin. 'You are truly 'skills first' when your job descriptions, your goals and your people are tagged more by skills than by descriptions of work to be done,' she said. Moving towards a skills-first workforce involves rethinking how skills are measured, work is structured and success is defined, said industry leaders at a panel on July 7. At the annual SkillsFuture Forum, they shared how they are reimagining workforce practices around skills, the challenges they have faced so far, and some solutions as they adopt a skills-first mindset. The panel was moderated by Mr Jeremy Au Yong, associate editor for newsroom strategy at The Straits Times. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. 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Panellist Sagar Goel, managing director and partner at Boston Consulting Group, said that going 'skills first' involves changing mindsets and practices. Mr Goel said that organisations should start by asking what business outcomes they want to achieve, and then work backwards to identify the skills needed to get there. This sort of business thinking indicates the shifting mindset today, he said. It also extends to performance evaluations, Mr Goel added. 'It shouldn't be just about business, operational KPIs (key performance indicators), but are you improving your skills? At our firm, your evaluation is also (based) on your competencies.' When companies recognise that their core strength comes from the competencies of their people, their approach can be described as 'skills first', said SkillsFuture Singapore chief executive Tan Kok Yam. 'A skills-first company starts from the point of view that what you put on the table is your comparative advantage, as your capabilities stem from the skills of your employees,' he said. He added that clearly signalling the skills companies are looking for, whether it is coding or communication, can guide individuals and training providers. But this clarity is not always easy to achieve. Grab's Ms Ong said that it is not easy to break down one's job into skills, and even harder to test how proficient in those skills your workers are. Many employers still struggle to define required skills and proficiency levels, while individuals often find it hard to articulate what sets them apart in terms of skills. 'So I think to be 'skills first', we need to make sure that the infrastructure of skills is well built, and that the inference of skills is not too difficult,' she said. Mr Joseph Wong, managing director at manufacturing firm Cragar Industries, said that the company's skills-first approach includes clearly communicating to employees the importance of upskilling and the need to demonstrate a willingness and ability to learn. For new hires in emerging areas like data and sustainability, the firm offers skill-based incentives, Mr Wong said, with plans to gradually extend this to existing staff. Traditional resumes often fall short in reflecting a candidate's true capabilities, Mr Wong said, noting that he places greater emphasis on whether the candidate has transferable skills and soft skills, such as willingness to learn. 'The resume that demonstrates transferable skills, soft skills and willingness to learn matches the skills-first approach that we want to have,' Mr Wong said. The manner of signalling what skills a job candidate possesses, especially for mid-career workers making a switch, was also discussed by other panellists. Mr Goel suggested that digital portfolios can help candidates showcase completed projects and feedback received from clients, especially if they are transitioning from a reskilling programme. Video testimonials or even recorded responses can also better reflect soft skills, he said. To better assess soft skills, Ms Ong said, companies also need to change their hiring processes. 'We do a lot of getting people to do homework during interviews,' she said. 'We either throw them a case, and they need to come back with their assessment... or we get them to pitch a story or sell something to us. 'We have built a very, very specific behavioural way to look at whether people have the cultural nuances that we're looking for.' The panellists also touched on how organisations can help employees to develop skills when artificial intelligence takes away entry-level tasks, and the challenge of investing in training employees who may leave. Mr Tan pointed out that society rarely questions the value of early education, but scrutinises the return on investment on adult training. 'You have to invest in the training first, and then you let your employees surprise you,' he said. 'You have to have a little bit of confidence in training ahead... of the agenda.' Mr Wong said that measuring the return on investment is difficult and often unsatisfactory, and instead suggested that employers consider the potential losses from not training their staff. 'If I don't train, don't invest, what will be my loss?' he said. Ultimately, the panellists agreed that thriving in a skills-first future requires a mindset shift. In response to the closing question on one important skill or mindset that is essential in that future, Mr Goel said: 'It's learning agility, the ability to learn, unlearn and relearn.' 'This is the No. 1 skill today for an individual,' he said. 'The rate at which you can learn will determine how competitive you are in the future.' Moving towards a skills-first workforce: Key quotes from the forum People at core 'A skills-first company starts from the point of view that what you put on the table is your comparative advantage, as your capabilities, stems from the skills of your employees.' - Mr Tan Kok Yam, chief executive of SkillsFuture Singapore Shifting emphasis 'The resume that demonstrates transferable skills, soft skills and willingness to learn matches the skills-first approach that we want to have.' - Mr Joseph Wong, managing director at Cragar Industries Ability to learn 'The ability to learn, unlearn and relearn... The rate at which you can learn will determine how competitive you are in the future.' - Mr Sagar Goel, managing director and partner at Boston Consulting Group Transforming culture 'You are truly 'skills first' when your job descriptions, your goals and your people are tagged more by skills than by descriptions of work to be done.' - Ms Ong Chin Yin, chief people officer at Grab
Business Times
07-07-2025
- Business
- Business Times
Skills, upskilling efforts should be part of employees' performance assessment: panellists
[SINGAPORE] Performance assessments should take into account not just employees' work output, but also their skills and efforts to upskill, said panellists at the SkillsFuture Forum on Monday (Jul 7). Providing opportunities for employees to upgrade could address the longstanding fear of employers – that employees would leave after being upskilled. But employees may come around to seeing the value of the company and stay on instead, they added. Human resource (HR) practitioners have been discussing the idea of rewarding employees for skills-upgrading, said Ong Chin Yin, chief people officer at Grab. The managing director at Cragar Industries, Joseph Wong, employees at the precision manufacturer are encouraged to submit proposals for training and upskilling opportunities, and apply what they learn in their jobs. These efforts are then considered in annual performance reviews. It can be hard to motivate employees to undergo training, as they may already be 'firefighting' in their day-to-day work or have other commitments, he noted. It is therefore important to provide incentives. Skills should be embedded in performance measures, said Sagar Goel, managing director and partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG). BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up At BCG, staff are evaluated partly on their competencies, he said. 'It shouldn't be just about business, operational KPIs (key performance indicators). How are you improving your skills?' Held at Raffles City Convention Centre, the SkillsFuture Forum kicked off the 2025 edition of the annual SkillsFuture Festival. The forum, run on the theme 'Building Business Resilience and Enabling Career Growth through Skills Development', was moderated by The Straits Times' associate editor for newsroom strategy, Jeremy Au Yong. Keeping talent The panellists said that contrary to the fear of losing trained employees to other employers, the provision of training may itself help with retention. BCG's Goel said: 'Why people choose to leave is because of the organisation, the people practices, the culture. If you are providing upskilling opportunities that are seen as meeting an emotional need, that is the reason people stay.' Even if employees do leave, this could reflect positively on their original employer, said SkillsFuture Singapore chief executive Tan Kok Yam. If an employee spends many years with a company and can then command a higher salary elsewhere, the company should 'claim credit', he quipped. 'You are successful now, partly also because you spent five, 10 years with me. So this will be on my recruitment poster.' Wong of Cragar Industries suggested that the loss from not training employees may be greater than the loss from their departures. 'If I'm going to have an employee that's not trained, not upskilled, (then) when I'm going to implement technology to stay relevant, and I don't have the people, what would the impact be?' he asked. 'What would the losses be?' The precise return on investment (ROI) from training is less important when one considers the cost of not having trained staff, he added. Goel acknowledged that many employers may not consider the ROI on training, because they see it as taking workers away from their jobs. But if conducted at the workplace with the managers as trainers, training can be low-cost and have a higher ROI, he suggested. The role of bosses Though HR practitioners are usually given the responsibility of pushing for skills development, all other players – from management to individual employees – should have a part to play, said the panellists. Ong from Grab suggested that HR people can start by asking their bosses 'smart questions', such as: 'Do you think we are maximising the skills available in the organisation?' Such 'business-first questions' will prod management into considering how to make the best use of their employees' skills, she added. Employers should tell their workers about the skills the company needs, said Wong. Employees need to know their company's direction, how they can align with this, and how it will shape their careers. Goel proposed that employers work with employees to design training programmes and link these to their everyday, on-the-job needs. Noting that there may be tension between the training needs of employees and the company, Tan stressed the need to arrive at 'some fundamental alignment'. Where such tensions exist, they could provide an opportunity for employees to take ownership of their own careers, said Ong. Employees should figure out what they would like to pursue, then engage their managers on the issue. Taking ownership Employers can let employees take ownership by providing choice, Goel said. Consultants at BCG are given a training budget, rather than being instructed to attend specific courses. They can discuss how to spend this with their line managers. Upskilling is especially important because younger workers typically do not stay in each job as long, and also because technology is evolving and artificial intelligence (AI) is starting to take away the simplest jobs, said the panellists. Cagar is trying to entice young workers to join the company, but progress on that front has been slow, said Wong. So it instead employs mature workers with transferable skills – even those from other industries – and trains them. This helps the company 'buy time' to bring in younger talent. When they are found, the trained older workers are ready to serve as mentors. Goel noted that AI may eliminate some jobs, but it will augment most. Humans need to go back to human-centric skills, such as critical reasoning and figuring out problems to solve, he said. They are also capable of creativity, fresh insights and innovations. Ong said: 'We might not need people who analyse data at the professional level anymore, but they need to know what the principles of analysis are, for example.' Schools should not just impart knowledge as content, but ought to train their students to apply that knowledge in the workforce, she added. This can be done through work-study programmes and engaging practitioners to teach.
Business Times
07-07-2025
- Business
- Business Times
Professionalisation of adult educators, more ‘Queen Bee' companies among SkillsFuture updates
[SINGAPORE] The SkillsFuture movement is bringing greater professionalisation of adult educators – including a national registry – and more 'Queen Bee' companies that lead others in workforce skills development. The Lifelong Learning Institute, which will be rebranded to Lifelong Learning Singapore, will also have more facilities and offerings. At the opening of the annual SkillsFuture Festival on Monday (Jul 7), Minister for Education Desmond Lee highlighted three aims of the next phase of the SkillsFuture movement. First, raising the quality of Singapore's training and adult education (TAE) sector; second, strengthening employers' commitment to training; and third, getting individuals to take more ownership of their skills development. First, a new Training and Adult Educator Professional Pathway aims to keep such educators updated and professionalise the industry. 'The one-off certification programme we have today will not be enough,' said Lee. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up A national registry will therefore be set up, serving as a consolidated database of qualified and practising adult educators. From Apr 1, 2026, AEs must be on the registry to deliver training that is supported by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG). Registration opens in the fourth quarter of 2025. To stay registered, they must complete at least 40 Continuing Professional Development hours and 80 practice hours every two years. The pathway is developed by the Institute for Adult Learning (IAL), with the support of SSG.. To bring in more adult educators with current and relevant knowledge and experience, the pathway will also increase the ways in which expert practitioners in selected professional sectors can be certified as adult educators. IAL and SSG will work with sectoral leads – such as the Singapore Academy of Law – to identify experts and nominate them to register. They will begin with the healthcare and legal sectors before expanding to various other sectors. Helping employers Second, the SkillsFuture movement aims to help employers better develop their workforce. This is not just by creating conditions for workers to pursue training, but also recognising and rewarding employees for skills attained, said Lee. While it is natural for employers to worry that their staff will leave after getting support for skills upgrading, everyone will be worse off if Singapore does not build up its human capital and resilience, he said. SkillsFuture will continue to grow Queen Bee companies that help smaller companies train their staff. As at March 2025, 37 such Queen Bees have provided training and advisory to 5,770 participating companies. Participating companies sent an average of three times more workers for training, compared with non-participating companies, said Lee. Of these, 86 per cent reported positive business impact from the programme. About 80 per cent of beneficiaries are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). UOB will be the newest Queen Bee, with Lee announcing its three-year appointment on Monday. The bank has launched an SME Elevate Programme to champion skills development in artificial intelligence (AI), digitalisation and sustainability. This will benefit about 200 SMEs and 800 of their employees. The programme will include workshops, funding support for approved courses, one-to-one mentorship, access to UOB's financial literacy and banking solutions and networking opportunities. On Monday, UOB also signed Memoranda of Understanding with three institutes of higher learning – National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University and Ngee Ann Polytechnic – under the SkillsFuture Queen Bee initiative. It will leverage their expertise to design targeted upskilling content, co-developing training curriculums, workshops, advisory and mentorship initiatives for SMEs in high-growth areas such as AI, digitalisation and sustainability. Lifelong Learning Singapore Finally, to encourage Singaporeans to take ownership of their skills development, the Lifelong Learning Institute will be enhanced. To be rebranded as Lifelong Learning Singapore (LLSG), the institute will gain a new advisory centre that provides strengthened career guidance, up-to-date jobs-skills insights and opportunities for industry exposure. The institute will also organise more sectoral workshops, delivered together with employers and industry, said Lee, urging individuals to tap on these opportunities. This year's SkillsFuture Festival was launched with a forum themed 'Building Business Resilience and Enabling Career Growth through Skills Development', held at Raffles City Convention Centre. The festival, which runs from Jul 7 to Aug 18, will feature over 150 events.
