Singapore must distinguish capability from credentials and competency

I refer to the recent commentary, “The ‘CV trap’: Why Singapore must hire for potential, not pedigree”.

The article highlights an increasingly important challenge for Singapore. In a rapidly changing economy shaped by artificial intelligence (AI), it is no longer enough to judge people mainly by academic pedigree, familiar career paths, or directly relevant experience. A strong CV may reflect past achievement, but it does not always reveal a person’s true potential for future contribution.

A CV is, after all, a record of the past. It shows qualifications earned, positions held and responsibilities performed. What it often does not fully capture are qualities such as learning agility, adaptability, resilience, curiosity, judgment, creativity and the ability to transfer knowledge across domains.

Yet these are precisely the capabilities that will matter most in the age of AI.

AI is expected to take over more routine, repetitive and rules-based work. As this happens, the comparative value of human beings will shift towards areas such as critical thinking, ethical discernment, collaboration, empathy, innovation and the capacity to respond effectively to unfamiliar situations. In short, capability will become more important than pedigree alone.

Capability should be distinguished from credential and competency. A credential reflects prior attainment. A competency shows that a person can perform a known task to an expected standard. Capability goes further. It is the ability to learn continuously, adapt to change, solve new problems and remain effective in complex and uncertain environments.

This has implications not only for employers, but also for education. If Singapore wants to prepare future-ready citizens and professionals, we must move beyond over-reliance on examination performance and credential accumulation alone. We need learning environments that develop confidence, resilience, reflective thinking and the ability to apply knowledge meaningfully in new contexts.

This is where brain-based learning can play an important role. Grounded in how the brain naturally learns best, brain-based learning emphasises meaning, patterning, emotion, active engagement, reflection and application. It helps learners build deep understanding rather than surface memorisation. It also supports low-threat, high-challenge environments where learners feel safe to explore, make mistakes, refine their thinking and grow.

In the AI era, developing human capability must become a national priority. Employers should place greater value on learning agility and growth potential. Schools and universities should create richer learning experiences that nurture adaptability, creativity and whole-person development.

SEE ALSO

AI may reshape the labour market, but the deeper disruption is in education

The ‘CV trap’: Why Singapore must hire for potential, not pedigree

Qualifications and experience still matter, but they should not define the whole person. If Singapore is to thrive in a world of accelerating change, we must learn to recognise, develop and trust human capability more fully.

Er Meng Hwa Emeritus professor, Nanyang Technological University