The Straits Times reported that the five sectors with the most number of people placed into opportunities so far are: information and communications (ICT), food services, professional services, healthcare, and finance and insurance.
In this article, we focus on the potentials of the information and communications sector. In particular, this sector is poised for exponential growth as the pandemic has shown the potential need for their services, and companies are on the lookout for talent to match.
- 1,000 jobs in 5G technology to be created
- 200,000 professionals and 13,000 PMET jobs in the ICT industry
- $3.5billion in ICT spend last year
- 60,000 more ICT professionals needed over the next three years, with over 400 vacancies in GovTech alone
Covid-19 has been the impetus for many companies to automate work processes, embrace cloud storage, and all the many digital upgrades that promise a leaner, faster economy post-Covid. New job openings are in areas that include AI, data science, cloud computing and the green economy, but also various sales jobs, management and administrative roles.
According to the Future of Jobs 2020 report by the World Economic Forum, the three top roles for which employers need workers in Singapore are data analysts and scientists, AI and machine learning experts, and digital transformation specialists.
ICT refers to how audiovisual, telephone and computer networks have converged, resulting in the unified communications environment we enjoy today. The current environment has accelerated development in this sector, which was strong to begin with.
Firms in the ICT space are focusing on building business strategies, new capabilities and competitive advantage by tapping on advancements in network connectivity, cloud computing and information security.
Jobs include:
- Degree or Diploma in Computer Science
- 4-5 years experience
- $5,000 – $7,000/month
- Digital Business Analysts are involved in eliciting business needs and analysing business problems in order to define and deploy digital solutions that address and improve stakeholder, business or public experience. They play an integral role in establishing guidelines for how a company conducts itself digitally. They may be called upon to identify business needs, propose digital solutions, and implement processes.
- Diploma or Degree in Information Technology or Cyber Security
- 2-3 years of experience
- $3,000-$4,500/month
- As a Cybersecurity Analyst, your work is all about keeping things secure. Cybersecurity Analysts analyse risk assessment, perform threat modeling, and assess vulnerabilities to make recommendations that keep systems robust against malicious attacks. They may also be expected to monitor and triage security logs as well as other security monitoring activities.
- Degree or Masters in Data Science
- 5-10 years experience
- $6,000-$9,000/month
- A senior ICT position, a Data Scientist drives data analytics activities ranging from conceptualisation, visualisation to operationalisation. They integrate and prepare large datasets, and model complex business problems to inform business direction. By bringing together computer science, modeling, statistics, analytics, and mathematics, data scientists help organisations make important decisions from a data-driven standpoint.
- Degree in Computer Science or Engineering
- 1-3 years experience
- $4,500-$6,000/month
- AI Engineers build, test, and deploy AI models, as well as maintain the underlying AI infrastructure. Integral to their role is the ability to solve problems arising from integrating or moving over from traditional software models to machine learning implementations. AI Engineers may be involved in automating infrastructure, converting, testing and deploying models, and developing processes and products based on machine learning.
Most jobs in this sector required a degree or diploma in Computer Science or a related field to get started. For specialised positions such as those in cybersecurity, a specific degree in that field was a requirement. Similarly, senior positions such as Data Scientist required a Masters in a related field at minimum.
That said, most postings were willing to accept candidates with little to no experience so long as they held the correct qualifications.
For those interested in specialising in 5G, IMDA will also be appointing a consortium, comprising the National University of Singapore and Singapore Polytechnic, as the 5G and Telecoms Programme Manager, which will coordinate programmes to develop skills across the country’s 5G ecosystem. It has set up 5G workforce transformation committees with each of the four mobile network operators through the TechSkills Accelerator programme.
Our vibrant ICT landscape includes global leaders like Google and Facebook alongside regional brands such as Grab, Lazada and Razer. Same as these organisations, you can start small and grow huge in this industry.
There is currently a particular focus on 5G, as Singapore moves to embrace this new network. Programmes are being developed and traineeships will be available for those planning to make their career in this technology.
IMDA will also be appointing a consortium, comprising the National University of Singapore and Singapore Polytechnic, as the 5G and Telecoms Programme Manager, which will coordinate programmes to develop skills across the country’s 5G ecosystem.
Minister for Communications and Information S. Iswaran said: “We will continue to work closely with the industry to equip our workforce with the right skills so that our workers can secure good jobs as demand grows in emerging tech areas like 5G.
“A strong and skilled workforce, together with our 5G infrastructure and trials, is essential to expand Singapore’s capacity for innovation.”
Apply for a career in ICT now!