Singapore to develop tech talent in key areas, help firms defend against cyberrisks

THE Singapore government is ramping up efforts to grow a workforce skilled in key areas of technology as it looks to meet future demand for a fast-growing digital economy.

Through the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA), it will also launch a scheme to help businesses with cybersecurity.

The scheme co-funds up to 70 per cent of businesses’ costs for engaging pre-defined cybersecurity services for the first year.

“The importance of digitalisation is not lost on our businesses,” said Minister for Communications and Information Josephine Teo on Tuesday (Feb 28). “Ninety-three per cent of Singapore firms have adopted at least one digital technology, and the demand for tech talent across the economy is strong.”

Teo was speaking during her ministry’s Committee of Supply debate.

“But there are still areas where businesses face hurdles, especially as the global baseline of digital adoption rises and competition heats up.”

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The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) will expand on existing tech reskilling efforts. It is appointing training partners to develop programmes with employers in the areas of software engineering, cloud and mobility, and artificial intelligence (AI) and analytics.

The Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) will also work with the industry to train specialists in emerging deep tech. It is focusing on areas such as 5G, AI and cybersecurity.

The information and communications (I&C) sector is one of Singapore’s fastest-growing sectors, with the resident workforce growing 42 per cent over the past five years.

Even with the recent wave of tech retrenchments, around 9,000 job openings remain available as of September 2022.

Meanwhile, seven in 10 of retrenched locals in the I&C sector were able to find another job within six months.

“The tech space is fast-moving, and there are many competitors to Singapore’s tech hub status,” said Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information Tan Kiat How in Parliament.

“We need to help our tech workforce stay competitive and relevant for the needs of tomorrow.”

The government intends to enhance the talent pool for tech jobs. Through the 5G Academy, a public-private partnership launched in 2020, around 10,000 professionals have been equipped with skills such as 5G network architecture or software development.

It exceeded the initial target of 5,000 professionals.

“We are pushing for a mindset shift within industry towards skills-based hiring and development, rather than being overly focused on academic qualifications,” said Tan.

To drive digitalisation across the economy, MCI will launch a road map of initiatives that help businesses keep pace with technological advancements, while protecting themselves against digital risks.

CSA’s cybersecurity co-funding scheme, expected to be launched in May, helps address several common challenges faced by small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) in implementing cybersecurity measures.

Such challenges include rising business costs, a lack of in-house staff, and a wide range of solutions and providers in the market that make it difficult to decide what to prioritise.

Cybersecurity consultants will take on the role of the SMEs’ chief information security officer (CISO). Companies can aim for national cybersecurity certification, such as CSA’s Cyber Essentials mark.

Separately, IMDA will work with the sector lead agencies to refresh the Industry Digital Plans (IDPs), which guide companies on digital solutions and training programmes to adopt.

Since 2017, 20 IDPs have been launched, with 85 per cent of SMEs registering time savings and 75 per cent reducing their dependence on manual labour.

Refreshed IDPs for the retail and security sectors, and a new IDP for the legal sector based on the refreshed IDP framework, will be launched in 2023.