Messages
Messages
Messages
Messages
For any digital economy to grow and flourish, the critical enabler is digital talent. Several paradigm shifts are poised to happen over the next few years, which will shape future jobs and skills in Singapore and beyond. New skills and modalities of learning are required to develop the digital talent of tomorrow. NUS-ISS’ looks beyond the ongoing disruption towards the year 2025, outlining a strategy towards effecting this urgent imperative—a journey that must start today.
Chariman's Message
Ms Janet Ang
Chairperson, NUS-ISS
Management Board
The pace at which changes are happening in the digital age can make us feel anxious and uncertain about what the future might bring. But the reality is that the digital is here to stay, and it presents exciting opportunities.
The key to capturing these potentials is to embrace continuous learning. A professional who is always learning will be able to, in the face of rapid changes and uncertainties, reimagine and reinvent themselves. This is the next generation of digital talent that will enable Singapore’s transformation into a Smart Nation – and which NUS-ISS is committed to leading the way in developing.
In the past year, NUS-ISS trained over 10,000 PMEs from more than 850 companies – a 23% growth from the year before. A total of 512 students enrolled in our graduate programmes, with a year-on-year increase of 7% compared to 2017. The students completed 319 projects in total, for notable companies and organisations such as HP Inc, IBM, Jurong Port, Land Transport Authority. We also hosted a total of 27 seminars, conferences, and Community of Practices (CoP) sessions in 2018. More than 1,500 like-minded industry professionals and thought leaders gathered to share their digital journeys, exchange ideas and best practices, as well as learn from each other.
NUS-ISS Learning Day 2018, held on July 13, was part of the inaugural SkillsFuture Festival. The one-day event attracted almost 500 attendees – a 30% increase from last year. Together with our network of industry partners, NUS-ISS curated a series of industry keynotes, panel discussions and hands-on demonstrations that offer unique learning experiences for young learners, working professionals, as well as active agers. We also launched Singapore’s first Smart Health Leadership Professional Diploma in October 2018. The programme comprises stackable short training courses that incorporate experiential training to build key skills for health sector transformation. The NUS-ISS career services team collaborated with companies including larger MNCs such as HP and IBM, to secure over 200 job placements for our graduands in 2018, which was an increase of over 6% from the previous year.
It has been a great year of service to NUS-ISS, and I am proud of our contributions towards the Smart Nation, as well as the needs of the industries and professionals. The team at NUS-ISS has contributed generously towards the institute’s vision, and I am grateful for their support. Our achievements would not have been possible without their dedication and commitment.
In the coming year, I am confident that NUS-ISS will continue to go from strength to strength. I look forward working together with the NUS-ISS staff community, our industry partners and stakeholders as we continue to inspire and develop the next generation of digital talent.
CEO Message
Mr Khoong Chan Meng
Mr Khoong Chan Meng
CEO, NUS-ISS
The most pressing concern that one would have about digital disruption, is that of future jobs and skills. Digitalisation is changing the fundamental nature of work, making certain roles obsolete and creating new jobs that never existed before. Developing the right skills for these future jobs has become an urgent imperative. It is a journey needs to begin today—and NUS-ISS is poised to support and lead the movement.
NUS-ISS was established in 1981 to develop digital talent—one of the key pillars of Singapore’s transformation into a knowledge-based economy in the 1980s. For the past 38 years, the institute has been unwavering in its mission. Close to 130,000 professionals walked through our doors to upskill or reskill themselves for resilient and impactful careers.
In 2018, we embarked on a strategic plan which looks beyond the ongoing digital disruption towards year 2025. The ISS2025 strategy responds to the changes happening in the industry sectors, identifies the critical emerging skills, and shapes NUS-ISS’ programmes moving forward. This coming year, we will continue to implement the ISS2025 strategy and fulfil its promises.
Another primary focus for us is the completion of the fourth agreement with SkillsFuture Singapore, as well as the launch of the fifth agreement. New learning pathways are being devised; one of them is workplace learning, which will provide companies with a new means to employee development. New programmes will be progressively rolled out to meet the demand for emerging skillsets, such as artificial intelligence, data science, software engineering and design, digital leadership and innovation, as well as product and project management.
In a major overhaul, NUS-ISS is converting all our graduate programmes into Stackable Programmes. This will allow learners to craft and align their learning with their job roles and career needs, and complete the certifications at their own time and pace. We will also increase corporate engagement with the industries, working more closely with companies to ensure our certifications can fit their needs—not just in terms of employee development, but also business transformation.
At NUS-ISS, we value our people’s growth. By ensuring that all our processes and systems are fine-tuned, we aspire to offer a productive and creative environment for our staff. In the coming year, we will continue to bring in talents from the industry and develop our people so that NUS-ISS as an organisation stands ready to help the industry at large acquire future skills.
I am also excited to share that a major construction project is underway to build the expanded brand new NUS-ISS building at the current site. During this period, our campus spreads over three locations—29 Heng Mui Keng, Shaw Foundation Alumni House, as well as the JTC Launchpad. The new premises are designed with our staff and students in mind, creating a welcoming space where they can collaborate and work more effectively.
The past year has been an exciting journey, and I am honoured to have led and worked alongside the dedicated NUS-ISS team. While the pace of the digital disruptions remains relentless, NUS-ISS is committed to fulfil our purpose-driven vision in enabling a digital economy that is always learning and always leading.