New TechSkills Accelerator to help Singapore develop 'world-class' ICT workforce

THE TechSkills Accelerator (TeSA), a skills development and job placement initiative introduced during this year's Budget, will be the "umbrella framework" for information and communications technology (ICT) related training programmes and career development for all ICT professionals - and will help Singapore develop a "world-class ICT workforce".

The TeSA framework will be broadly structured into two focus areas - TeSA Core and TeSA Sector - Minister for Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim announced on Friday.

TeSA Core will focus on core or foundational ICT skills such as cybersecurity and data analytics that can be applied across all industries. TeSA Sector will focus on providing ICT professionals - who already have tech skills - with further training in specific domains starting with finance and health care.

Said Dr Yaacob: "Although TeSA will significantly boost our ability to train workers, our objective is not just to train more ICT professionals but to help them get better jobs and advance in their careers."

TeSA programmes will be conducted in partnership with major employers including Singtel, Mediacorp, ST Electronics, Integrated Health Information Systems, DBS and UOB.

To "institutionalise" this, a TeSA Governing Council comprising key hirers from the industry and TeSA Sector Committees comprising the main employers from that particular sector will be formed, said Dr Yaacob.

The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) and the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) have also jointly launched an integrated portal (www.infocommtalent.sg) comprising 380 training courses and certifications - offered by 34 training providers including the NUS Institute of System Science, NTUC Learning Hub and Singapore Management University.

Dr Yaacob said: "The world is changing rapidly, thanks to technology. Some say we are on the cusp of the fourth Industrial Revolution (after mechanisation, mass production and digitisation)." Singapore, he added, is well positioned to thrive in this exciting future.

The minister was speaking at the Nanyang Polytechnic School of Information Technology graduation ceremony on Friday.