2022 is set to be a stellar year for tech. With companies going all out to ramp up their digital capabilities in preparation for living with the pandemic, the spotlight is also cast on hiring workers with the necessary tech skills to take on those in demand roles.
In view of the heightened interest in tech, professionals in this arena can expect to earn 10 to 15 per cent more of their salary for this year. This is as Singapore’s hiring activity picks up, according to surveys from recruitment firms.
To retain the top tech talents, the majority – a whopping 85 per cent – of Singapore tech firms are also giving pay raises. It’s the highest amongst other sectors, the surveys showed.
The heated interest in tech is not expected to slow down anytime soon, said Randstad Singapore.
To add to this high demand in tech workers, Singapore’s job market is set to face a major reshuffle amid the “Great Resignation” wave, a phenomenon that’s already hit local shores. A separate survey from jobs portal Indeed which polled 1,000 workers showed that one out of four Singapore workers is planning to leave their current employer in the first half of 2022.
This means that a lot of people will be quitting their jobs in this period and with their resignations comes job openings for others.
For savvy workers who want to capitalise on these trends, they have to jump on this digitalisation wave.
They can do this by taking a first step into learning some tech know-how that will help workers to “future proof” their jobs from becoming obsolete and prevent themselves from “losing touch” from the world.
Transformation is always at a rapid pace here in Singapore. Just by looking at our skyline 30 years ago, we will know how fast-paced the country develops itself.
Singapore’s digital transformation
In the latest Robert Walters Salary Survey 2022, it revealed that the top tech roles in demand in Singapore are data scientists, engineers, and developers (front-end, back-end, full-stack).
Are you unsure of how to get those jobs and get a foot in the door for them? Fret not, we are here to piece together what’s important in the digital era, so that you won’t be lost or end up learning irrelevant skills.
According to HR and recruitment firms, the important tech skills to learn are data science knowledge, analytics, coding, and UX design.
Singapore’s government portal My Careers Future also states that tech skills like data analytics and coding are the top digital skills that are needed in 2022. That’s because digital transformation is changing traditional workplaces and workers have to deepen their tech skills.
Upskilling with Vertical Institute
Singapore’s Vertical Institute (VI) prepares individuals for the jobs of tomorrow with in-demand tech skills. The training from the school is industry-recognised, as seen by it being the training partner for government agency GovTech in data analytics.
It provides tech bootcamps led by instructors who are industry practitioners from large tech firms Apple, Google, Alibaba, and Gojek. The tech bootcamps consist of live online classes for data analytics, UX design, and data science.
The school has alumni from all walks of life, including those from well-known companies who have graduated from its bootcamps, such as employees from sovereign wealth fund GIC, JP Morgan, and LinkedIn.
Beginners welcome
The courses are suitable for beginners. No prior background knowledge and prerequisites are required.
The curriculums from the bootcamps are industry-recognized as VI is accredited by the Institute of Banking & Finance Singapore (IBF). Courses from VI will help add value to your resumes and make you stand out in the job market.
For those that have completed the bootcamp, you will receive a verifiable digital certificate. You’ll also be part of VI’s alumni community where you can continue networking with peers, instructors, and experts.
Up to 90% funding support for eligible S’poreans and PRs
Singaporeans and Permanent Residents can obtain up to 90 per cent of funding support for the IBF-accredited courses from VI. For Singaporeans who are aged 25 and above, they can utilise their SkillsFuture Credits to fully offset the remaining fees.
It’s important to make use of the Covid-19 downturn to upskill, and the subsidies make it all the more attractive to sign up.
The classes will be done face-to-face via Zoom with instructors and there are flexible schedules outside working hours. The bootcamps consist of seven lessons with each lasting three hours long.
The tech bootcamps available with Vertical Institute and what you’ll learn
Data analytics
They say data is the new oil in the digital age. So what does data analytics mean and why is that important in this era?
Data analytics is the systematic computational analysis of data or statistics. It is used for the discovery, interpretation, and communication of meaningful patterns in data. Potential jobs that can stem from having such skills include working as a data analyst with tech firms like e-commerce platform Shopee or with banks.
At the VI Data Analytics Bootcamp, you’ll get to learn industry tool skills like Excel, structured query language (SQL), and Tableau. You’ll also get to analyse large real-world datasets and create data dashboards and visualisations.
Through the expert-led lectures, you will be trained on new tech concepts. This includes SQL fundamentals, data visualisation, and analytics. Participants also learn to create a capstone project in FinTech to solve real-world data problems.
UX design
UX design is according to business networking platform LinkedIn, one of the top skills to learn in 2022.
UX/UI designers are highly in demand globally and paid competitively. These designers tap on creative thinking and data-driven research to produce digital products. Many industries, including traditional industries, require UX designers.
UX designers are being recruited by internet companies like Ninja Van, Garena, and Sephora, and even insurers and banks like Maybank, and Great Eastern are hiring for these roles.
Participants with VI’s UX Design Bootcamp will get to learn tools needed to be a UX Designer, such as user research, information architecture, wireframing and prototyping, and finally building a UX portfolio project.
Data science
Data science uses scientific methods, processes, algorithms and systems to extract knowledge and insights from noisy, structured, and unstructured data. The data is then “mined” to apply knowledge and actionable insights across a broad range of application domains.
Data scientists are now one of the top five in-demand hiring roles in Singapore. Companies that are hiring data scientists include big data companies like Grab, Carro, and Apple.
At the VI Data Science Bootcamp, you get to learn to code in popular coding language, Python. Machine learning is the essence of this bootcamp and students will get to get hands-on with Python programming and study how to drive data predictions.
Individuals also get to learn about data science fundamentals, Python control flow, data cleaning, and classification models.
The future is tech
As we emerge from the pandemic and learn to live with each other amid the “new normal”, concerns on job security are also on the top of peoples’ minds.
By 2028, about 20 per cent of Singapore’s full-time workforce will have their jobs displaced, according to a report. In another study by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), it revealed that more than half of Singapore residents are concerned about their job security, among other worries like employment prospects and their children’s future.
Three in 10 respondents in the IPS study said they were “very much worried” about losing or not finding a job, while 23.6 per cent said they were worried “a great deal” about the future. Learning these tech skills is one way to help individuals retain job security, and to equip oneself to teach and pass on the necessary skills to the next generation.
The digital wave is not just solely happening in Singapore. The country’s hinterland is also a land of untapped opportunity. Southeast Asia’s digital economy is fast-growing and its internet sectors are expected to reach US$360 billion by 2025. First movers who are willing to adapt and embrace the change will benefit from this tech shift that’s occurring not just within Singapore, but across the borders too.
Companies big and small are already quickening their pace in building their presence online. It is no longer a matter of how, but a matter of when this digital universe will become intricately entwined with our daily lives.
Interested to be a part of this digital revolution? Sign up for Vertical Institute’s classes here.
Featured Image Credit: SquareSpace
