As Singapore prepares to roll out 5G, institutions from three sectors are coming together to hire and reskill 1,000 professionals.
The Singapore Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), the city-state’s main Mobile Network Operators, Singtel, M1, and StarHub, and education institutions, the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Singapore Polytechnic are working together to launch TechSkills Accelerator, an initiative that will provide high-quality training to Singaporeans to enable them to take on 5G jobs.
“Talent development is the next critical phase of our investment in 5G. This effort extends Singapore’s momentum in 5G following our investment in building infrastructure capabilities,” said Mr. Lew Chuen Hong, the Chief Executive of the IMDA.
30% of the 1,000 roles will be new, while the remaining positions will require professionals to be upskilled in areas including 5G, cybersecurity, and solution engineering.
“We have worked with the local MNOs to unlock the potential of 5G for these 1,000 professionals and will continue to do so to create good jobs and opportunities for Singaporeans,” added Mr. Hong.
Under the initiative, 5G Workforce Transmission Committees have been established to oversee general planning and development. The National University of Singapore and Singapore Polytechnic will be appointed as 5G and Telecoms Programme Managers, who will aggregate hiring and training requirements from the Committees and the wider 5G ecosystem players.
Professor Susanna Leong, Vice Provost and Dean of NUS said: “We are committed to working with the telecommunication operators and various sector leads to take an integrated approach in co-developing and providing frontier 5G tech skills training that deepens existing employees’ skills and prepare new talents with in-demand competence.”
Over the next three years, the overall plan is to equip a total of 5,000 professionals with the skills to become a strong workforce with 5G knowledge.
“We hope, through this participation, NUS could contribute in catalysing the development of innovative 5G applications and services, and enabling the transformative impact of 5G for enterprises,” added Professor Leong.
The first wave of TechSkills Accelerator training will begin at the end of 2020.
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