Push For Tech Reskilling Opens Up New Prospects For Workers in Singapore

• Job seekers and career switchers ride the digitalisation wave to land
  new roles and more opportunities with acquired skills
• 58% increase in tech training places since the start of the pandemic

SINGAPORE
– Media OutReach – 18
June 2021 – When the pandemic hit,
57-year old Muhamed Ibrahim Mohd Salleh found himself
unemployed and not being able secure a job. Having only offline sales
experience and zero background in tech, he found himself facing unfamiliar
changes. He realised that the ‘new norm’ would be more tech-driven, prompting
him to take a leap of faith to enrol himself in the SG United Skills Digital
Marketing and E-Commerce Specialist Programme by NTUC LearningHub (NTUC LHUB).

Despite the steep learning curve, he pressed on
and four months into the nine-month programme, he decided to set up his own
barber shop with his son. Confident of his newly acquired tech skills and
knowledge, Ibrahim is now promoting his shop through social media marketing and
managing online appointment bookings.

The course is just one out
of many programmes under NTUC LHUB’s training offerings in Infocomm Technology
(ICT). The leading training provider saw a 58% increase in training
places for ICT courses from 2019 to 2020[1]. Workers
are now upskilling to ride the wave of digitalisation, which offers new jobs
and business opportunities. As
the pandemic has accelerated the adoption of digital transformation across
industries, businesses are looking for workers to fill new tech roles.

The top
courses include those in Agile Skills, Data Analytics and User Experience. NTUC
LHUB observes that many of its trainees are looking to either advance in their
careers or make a career switch in the tech space. 

NTUC LHUB’s Head of ICT Isa
Nasser says, “COVID-19
has changed business needs and there is now a pressing demand for Singapore to
build a strong local talent pool in tech. The time to upskill in tech is now,
even for those who may have little to no knowledge in tech. Keen job seekers or
even entrepreneurs can start small, through bite-sized learning offered through
platforms such as our LHUB GO Infinity online learning platform. Learners can
search for any tech topics they may be interested in and acquire the basics
through introductory videos as short as 10 minutes.”

“Learning
can be done anytime, anywhere and at their own pace. They can then delve
deeper, sharpen their skills and level up in areas where they want to
specialise in. And after learning, they can join a community of practice to
keep up to date with the ever-evolving tech landscape. This will ensure that
learners remain employable,” Isa adds. 

Upskilling to progress into new roles 

As a former wealth manager in the finance sector, NTUC LHUB trainee Kun
Da experienced a downturn in sales volume when the pandemic hit. The
25-year-old Singaporean knew that he needed to upskill to make a career switch.
Taking more than 20 courses at NTUC LHUB in 2020, he upskilled in areas such as
Data Analytics Fundamentals using Microsoft Excel, Blockchain for Capital Markets,
and Machine Learning and Advanced Analytics. Kun Da’s efforts paid off as he
managed to secure a new job as an associate analyst at an international firm,
where he currently works on investment research and strategic consulting for
asset management across Asian markets.

Another trainee, Lim See Teo, returned from Hong Kong after stepping
down from his job in the semi-conductor industry two years ago. He heard from
his friends that opportunities abound in the Information Technology sector
which motivated him to take up the Digital Workplace and Microsoft Azure
Fundamental courses. The 63-year-old is now a Digital Sales Coordinator in a
start-up company.

Despite not coming from a tech background
or having prior experience, these are examples of workers who have pivoted by
empowering themselves with new skills to enter the industry. Challenges due to
a lack of experience, expertise or age have been overcome in the quest for
better opportunities.  

“I haven’t studied in ages, so it was a
challenge for me to go back into that, and especially sitting in a virtual
class now, instead of a physical classroom like how we all did in the past. But
the engaging trainers have made it easier for me to adapt to this new mode of
learning,” says Ibrahim. 

To find out more
about tech courses offered by NTUC LHUB, visit www.ntuclearninghub.com/it-academy or www.ntuclearninghub.com/lhub-go.