Strong demand for tech talent in Singapore despite global Big Tech layoffs: Josephine Teo

DEMAND for tech talent in Singapore is still strong despite global layoffs by tech giants, while both Singaporeans and the government remain keen on opportunities in tech, said Minister for Communications and Information Josephine Teo at the launch of a tech talent training programme on Thursday (Jan 26).

Microsoft and Amazon have begun cutting a total of 28,000 jobs worldwide, while Alphabet, Meta and Twitter have also announced a slew of layoffs “which may impact their Singapore presence”, she noted. But she allayed worries about whether it is “foolhardy to continue encouraging our people to look at opportunities in tech”.

“Technology will continue to undergird the growth of our economies,” she said, even as tech companies face challenges such as geopolitical tensions and the lingering effects of the pandemic. Citing the problem of past over-hiring, she noted that the recent layoffs represent a “right-sizing” of the workforce.

Furthermore, there is increased demand for tech talent in non-tech industries such as financial services, hospitality, logistics and retail, she added. “Tech workers with highly specialised skills continue to be in demand, such as in software development, cloud management, cybersecurity and data science.”

Singaporeans themselves continue to be “hopeful of career opportunities in tech”, noted Teo, citing growing intakes for courses related to information and communications technology (ICT).

The government itself continues “to believe that investing heavily in reskilling and upskilling Singaporeans for career opportunities in tech is not only the right thing to do, but also a significant investment to provide opportunities for Singaporeans”, she added.

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The Infocomm Media Development Authority’s (IMDA) Tech Skills Accelerator (TeSA) initiative, for instance, has trained and placed more than 13,000 individuals into tech roles since 2016.

Teo was speaking at the launch of the Step IT Up programme by digital transformation firm Temus. Supported by IMDA via TeSA, the tech talent conversion programme is for individuals with no background or training in computing. Trainees are hired by Temus, trained for no more than five months, and then placed in tech roles.

Temus also intends to offer Step IT Up to partners in the public and private sectors, placing trainees in tech roles in those organisations.

The programme, which began last November, aims to place and train up to 400 workers by 2025. This March, 22 graduates are set to join Temus as full-time software developers. Applications are now open for the April 2023 intake.