Workforce Transformation & Technological Developments

By Julia Ng Lee Hoon, Group Director, Enterprise Development Group, Workforce Singapore (WSG)

In this article, Workforce Singapore (WSG) shares how they are committed to helping companies in Singapore transform jobs and future-proof their workforce.

The Future of Work is now. Across workplaces around the world, people have experienced the epochal changes that COVID-19 unleashed. Singapore was not spared those seismic shocks to its labour market, businesses and social fabric. But crises often bring on a transformative effect as well. Working remotely, using more technology, communicating and collaborating virtually, conducting business online, and learning digitally all became the order of the day. Jobs were lost, found and transformed, sometimes within a very short span of time. While the economic scarring has been significant, the future, as envisaged some decades ago, has arrived earlier than expected as a result of the pandemic and hence why we say, The Future of Work is now and something for which Workforce Singapore (WSG) is committed to helping companies in Singapore transform jobs and future-proof their workforce.

In Singapore, the transformation was already well underway but picked up speed during the pandemic. Structural shifts were taking place in the world – global growth was subdued; global productivity growth had been sluggish and global value chains had been shifting. Singapore’s national lexicon already featured “Smart Nation”, “SkillsFuture”, “Adapt and Grow” and “advanced manufacturing base for the world” much earlier on – this just moved into pole position when COVID-19 hit.

The Committee on the Future Economy (CFE), convened in January 2016, developed strategies for the next decade. Industry Transformation Maps (ITMs) were also started that year. They served as roadmaps for driving change not only within the industry but across companies and in turn impacting the economy. There were multiple converging forces including the increasing adoption of cuttingedge technologies, digitalisation, shifts in demographics, and greater connectivity as well as a broadening of the workforce since alternative work arrangements became possible with a gig economy.

With the onset of COVID-19, the Singapore government took decisive action and rolled out an unprecedented slew of Budget assistance within a span of three months, among which were WSG programmes for both individuals and companies. Please visit www.wsg.gov.sg/SGUnited.html#forenterprise for more details.

The immediate need has been to provide jobs for various categories – fresh graduates, professionals, managers, executives, technicians (PMETs), mature workers and midcareer workers, as well as workers who wish to switch away from the very sector they have been working in. WSG is at the forefront of these initiatives, including career conversion programmes such as the Professional

In Singapore, the transformation was already well underway but picked up speed during the pandemic.

Conversion Programmes and the Job Redesign Reskilling/ Redeployment Programmes.

WSG works closely with companies in their journey not only through this pandemic but in preparing the workforce for a future of rapid technological developments and digitalisation. Among the UK companies based in Singapore, Prudential Singapore, one of the city state’s leading life insurance companies, employs around 1,400 people locally and was one of those, among many, who saw benefits in participating in the SGUnited Traineeships and SGUnited MidCareer Pathways programmes, as well as the Professional Conversion Programme (PCP).

Prudential recruited over 70 trainees since August 2020. In the words of the Head of Future Ready Workforce at Prudential, Ms Neetha Nair, the traineeship programme is a good way for young graduates and mid-career individuals to gain experience in and knowledge of the insurance industry. It provides, she says, an opportunity to tap an additional talent pool to support the growth of the business.

Prudential has also been developing future ready skills for their employees through the PCPs. Ms Nair adds that for Prudential, the Redeployment PCP allows them to potentially reskill their employees into roles in growth areas in technology functions and equip their people with skills in Design Innovation, Data Analytics and Programming. This helps them better meet the evolving needs of their customers and expand their people’s skillsets as they now continue their digitalisation journey.

Nexia TS is an established mid-tier accounting company who has similarly seen a positive outcome. It is an independent member firm of the Nexia International network in the UK, with a staff strength of 250. To date, they have hired more than ten trainees from the SGUT and SGUP programmes with the new graduates seeking to learn while the experienced ones complement job placement in varied departments ranging from audit, tax compliance to human resource.

On the other hand, two mid-career PMETs impacted by business transformation were successfully redeployed within the firm last September. Both staff, who are technology-trained, underwent a six-month PCP offered by Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) Singapore, and are now proficient in internal risk control to undertake risk advisory projects.

For both the Singapore workforce and WSG, it is no longer a question of merely bouncing ‘back’ from a pandemic but more about bouncing ‘forward’ into the future.

Reflecting on these developments, Nexia TS Group CEO and Chief Innovation Officer, Mr Henry Tan, says the SGUnited Traineeships and MidCareer Pathways programmes could not have been timelier to help ease the financial strain on businesses caused by COVID-19, while giving the company access to a wider pool of talent with diverse background and specialisation. Mr Tan added that the pandemic caused many businesses to rethink and transform. While doing that, some jobs were unfortunately impacted. However, with the Redeployment PCP reskilling programme, they were heartened that some of their people could be redeployed into enhanced job roles and continue giving their best to the firm.

For both the Singapore workforce and WSG, it is no longer a question of merely bouncing ‘back’ from a pandemic but more about bouncing ‘forward’ into the future. With human capital being the biggest enabler of business success, WSG is about working closely with Singapore’s firms to embark on job redesign and co-creating human capital solutions to support them in their business and workforce transformation journey.

That the future of work is here, be it from a job role or skills perspective, and that it is now unfolding before our very eyes is something WSG is acutely aware of. Cliched as it may sound, it is more relevant in the Singapore of today where change is a constant. This future where recovery is certain but also patchy, is one which we march into with resilience and emerge together stronger as a nation from the pandemic.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Julia Ng Lee Hoon is the Group Director, Enterprise Development Group of WSG. She leads and drives human capital capability development and workforce transformation, including job redesign and sectoral data insights to support industry transformation, in collaboration with industry partners to prepare our workforce to be ready for the Future of Work. Workforce development and helping companies with human capital solutioning has been a central part of Julia's work for the past decade. This is what defines and drives her forward.

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Workforce Singapore (WSG) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). It oversees the transformation of the local workforce and industry to meet ongoing economic challenges. While its key focus is to help workers meet their career aspirations and secure quality jobs at different stages of life, WSG will also address the needs of business owners and companies by providing support to enable manpower-lean enterprises to remain competitive. Visit www.wsg.gov.sg for more information.