Investing in employee skilling is not just a matter of building the needed capabilities for growth. It also fosters better employee experiences with the company that can support talent retention efforts.
Further empowering individuals
While employers have a key role to play, individuals also need to take charge of their skills development and employability. Enhancements to current programs that enable them to do so will be useful. For example, a national skills index can strengthen and complement the SkillsFuture program.
Citizens can visit myskillsfuture.gov.sg and mycareersfuture.gov.sg to search for courses relevant to upskilling and find and apply for appropriate open job roles respectively. The LifeSG app can be enhanced with a national skills index to allow individuals to log and take stock of their skills inventory, view their skills development and career pathways as well as identify suitable training opportunities that match their desired upskilling areas. This will allow them to better assess their skills needs and plan their learning.
Such data can be further harnessed for better planning within the national skills ecosystem — namely the government, employers, trade unions and training providers — to support the upskilling efforts of all citizens. After all, multiple stakeholders need to work hand in hand to meet Singapore’s workforce agenda and having such insights will be vital to sharpening the nation’s skills-based approach.
This article was first published in The Business Times on 8 February 2022.
Summary
Changes in the business environment driven by digitalization and other key trends will transform jobs. Employers must therefore commit to driving employees’ skills development as a business imperative to not only build capabilities for growth, but also support talent retention efforts and alleviate the labor crunch.