IBM to hire 300 SG professionals over 4 years in emerging digital roles

IBM and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) have inked a contract which sees IBM hiring and training 300 Singaporean professionals over the next four years in emerging tech areas. IBM’s “Future-Ready Intelligent Digital Workforce Programme” aims to meet the demand for technology consulting and deep technical skills needed to support the acceleration of digital transformation across all industries.

They will be trained under the TechSkills Accelerator (TeSA) Company-Led Training programme and the TeSA Mid-Career Advance programme, for roles such as digital consultants, big data engineers, data scientists, cloud architects, UX designers and full-stack digital developers, in support of the SGUnited jobs and skills package. 240 Singaporean professionals will be under the TeSA Company-Led Training programme, and an additional 60 Singaporean mid-career professionals will join under the TeSA Mid-Career Advance programme. These participants will range from fresh graduates to professionals in later stages of their careers.

The programme emphasises continual learning and participants will be expected to keep up-to-date with their skills development through a variety of activities – such as self-paced online learning modules or instructor-led workshops – and qualify for specific certifications depending on their roles. programme participants will undergo intense, immersive exposure to emerging technologies such as AI, advanced analytics, blockchain, cloud, cyber security and IOT, and will be given opportunities to build technical skills through hands-on training.

New hires will be assigned to work with cross-functional local, regional, and global teams in a variety of projects, to gain practical experience. There will be a focus on industry transformation, business reinvention, and delivering tangible business outcomes quickly, especially in an environment of uncertainty and charting the “new normal” post-COVID.

“As we push forward with our national digitalisation movement, the ICT sector continues to hold promise for job creation. It remains important to provide opportunities for our professionals to build the necessary skills for tech jobs that power the sector. IMDA’s and DISG’s collaboration with IBM, to help 300 Singaporeans acquire advanced tech skills, is part of our investment in a pipeline of local tech talent as we make a decisive push for digital transformation in our country, so that Singaporeans can continue to do well,” said IMDA assistant chief executive and EDB executive vice president, Kiren Kumar. “I urge more companies to join our national effort to create jobs and training opportunities for all Singaporeans.”

“The global pandemic has forced businesses to speed up their digital transformation – in many cases, completing in weeks what may have in the past taken months or even years. To accelerate that transformation even more and help companies in Singapore take full advantage of exponential technologies such as AI, blockchain, cloud and cyber security, IBM Services will continue to collaborate and co-create with our clients to go beyond “random acts of digital,” said Hui Li Lee, managing partner, GBS ASEAN, IBM Services.

“We take a holistic, outcomes-focused view which encompasses people, processes and technology. That is why, in addition to skills development, our Future-Ready Intelligent Digital Workforce programme will place emphasis on the practical application of those skills in real-world business scenarios so that, for example, data and AI can make workflows smarter and insights are applied to improve the customer experience.”

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