The 'Smart' in Smart Nation is also about being more human

IN his 2017 National Day Rally, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong underlined Singapore's vision to be a Smart Nation. The Smart Nation masterplan favourably positions the country economically and socially for the future, where being "smart" defines most, if not all, aspects of our life from the home to the workplace.

What does it take for the workforce, businesses and citizens to thrive in a Smart Nation? Is there a risk that the implementation of smart technologies will outpace the population's ability to learn and adapt?

With more smart projects identified across different domains, it is expected that the country's workforce landscape will shift. The development and implementation of smart projects will require more talent such as the likes of engineers, programmers, data analysts and technicians. The imperative to build deep skills in programming, coding, computational thinking, engineering, software development, data science or machine learning is evident. The government is encouraging students to take up engineering and computer science. Skills Future and Professional Conversion Programmes also encourage technical skills development and career conversions for such roles.