ISS is a strategic partner in ICT training and skills development. Industry practitioners and reputable companies like CrimsonLogic have come to benefit from its comprehensive and practice-based curriculum.
As the newly minted National Continuing Education Training Institute (NCI) for Singapore’s Infocomm Technology (ICT) sector, NUS-ISS demonstrates a high quality of delivery and commitment when it comes to workforce development programmes.
Playing a catalytic role in nurturing ICT professionals, ISS invests heavily in designing and delivering practice-based courses, premised on the belief that applied learning is the best pedagogical approach for practitioners seeking to upgrade their skills, keep abreast with the latest industry best practices, and sustain their value to their organisations.
Clients like CrimsonLogic Pte Ltd have attested to the sharper edge that is inherent in ISS’ customised learning programmes and short courses, which are aligned to technology trends and industry demands.
Having adopted the National Infocomm Competency Framework (NICF) in mapping the career development of its IT staff, CrimsonLogic believes wholeheartedly in training that is performance and development driven, aligned to career goals, and relevant to ongoing needs at work.
“ISS is a trusted partner of the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA). So, when it comes to NICF courses, we can be assured of a quality of the courses and trainers when we sign up with ISS,” said Mr Tham Chien Ping, Manager of Human Resource Development at CrimsonLogic.
In addition to this, ISS’ practice-based philosophy resonates well with CrimsonLogic, whose learning and development framework is based on the 70-20-10 model: “That’s 70% experience on the job, 20% exposure to guidance and 10% education and training,” Mr Tham explained.
“We’ve been pleased with the feedback from employees who have attended ISS’ training courses. The way ISS works with us to ensure that the right training is delivered to meet the needs of our people has boosted our strategic partnership,” he added.
Mr Yu Rong, Manager (Business Systems) from CrimsonLogic, who attended the NICF - Managing Project Stakeholders: A Practical Approach course this February, has this to say about his experience, "I chose to attend this course as it is relevant to my current job and could help me upgrade my current skill set. I particularly enjoyed the sharing of case studies and would recommend this course to my peers."
Enabling individuals and organisations
As at end of 2013, ISS has trained over 84,000 infocomm professionals and 5,100 corporate customers, including some 170 CrimsonLogic employees. It has also conducted training for 12,487 Infocomm professionals since becoming WDA’s appointed Continuing Education and Training Centre in 2008. Today, its service offerings include 60 NICF-accredited courses in 12 technology categories, as well as four graduate programmes.
While its programmes for the ICT sector are targeted at IT professionals ranging from developers and mid-managers, to directors and executives in the C-suite, it has recently unveiled a selection of service innovation courses designed for product and service managers from all sectors including hospitality, tourism and F&B.
Besides CrimsonLogic, ISS also has corporate training partnerships with clients in the public, semiconductor and banking sectors. According to ISS’ Deputy Director, Mrs Yum Hui Yuen, corporate clients are always appreciative of the real-world insights that come with the theories and IT concepts taught at ISS.
“Our course facilitators are IT practitioners in their own right with an average of over 20 years of experience. It’s quite natural for them to invigorate classes with industry-relevant case studies, or their rich industry, consultancy and research experience. Moreover, we aspire to bring value to clients by helping their employee put into practice what they learn here at ISS. That’s why we urge companies to take advantage of the subsidies and funding schemes available for NICF courses when they plan their staff development,” she said.
Mr Tham has been extremely supportive of ISS’ value proposition. “I’ve found ISS to be very professional in the delivery of its services. It is a strategic learning partner to any organisation.”
This article is first published in NUS-ISS quarterly e-newsletter, Issue 6 (Apr-Jun 2014).