Ensuring Alignment of Training Initiatives with Emerging Skill Needs in Fourth Industrial Revolution

Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Education how is the Ministry ensuring that training initiatives, including SkillsFuture, are adequately aligned with emerging skill needs in the Fourth Industrial Revolution which is transforming sectors through the integration of digital, physical and biological technologies.

Training is a key enabler for many sectors, such as manufacturing, logistics and healthcare, to adopt Industry 4.0 technologies, for example, automation and robotics, Internet of Things, 3D printing and artificial intelligence. In particular, our shift towards advanced manufacturing provides an instructive example of how we ensure training can meet existing and emerging skills needs.

In 2020, the Government set up the Advanced Manufacturing Training Academy (AMTA) that is now under the Singapore Manufacturing Federation, with support and partnership from several economic agencies as well as SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) and the Nanyang Technological University. AMTA scans new Industry 4.0 developments, works with SSG and sector agencies to understand the emerging and in-demand skills needs in the manufacturing sector and coordinates with training providers, such as the Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs), to refresh training programmes and curriculum. This approach ensures a strong industry-academia nexus.

Today, our IHLs offer a good range of training programmes, whose content and curriculum are refreshed through industry feedback and IHL staff's involvement in industry projects and attachments. IHLs cover Industry 4.0 knowledge and technologies in the engineering curriculum at the Nitec, diploma and undergraduate degree level. Further industry specialisations are offered at the post-diploma level and the Masters level. Existing professionals in the manufacturing sector can take up shorter bite-sized upskilling programmes related to Industry 4.0 supported and curated by SSG under the SkillsFuture series. Today, there are about 350 of such shorter training programmes, attended by about 11,300 individuals last year.

In addition, leading manufacturing companies that SSG has appointed as SkillsFuture Queen Bee companies are supporting local firms in meeting their technology, skills and talent needs in advanced manufacturing. An example of a Queen Bee company is Siemens, which is mentoring other organisations to adopt new technologies through training programmes and co-developed proof-of-concept projects. About 330 companies have benefitted from being in these Queen Bee networks in the manufacturing sector.

I urge companies to make use of the various channels available, to align training with emerging industry needs. Companies may work directly with the educational institutions or through AMTA and the relevant SkillsFuture Queen Bees, to help develop training provisions that prepare our workforce well for Industry 4.0.