According to statistics provided by the Singapore 5G & Telecoms Academy (5G Academy), more than 3,000 Singaporeans and Singapore Permanent Residents have been trained in 5G and related technologies over the last year, as part of plans by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) to roll out 5G coverage nationwide by 2025. The 5G Academy was created to determine the needs of industries and availability of talent, as well as develop a pool of 5G-ready professionals.
The National University of Singapore (NUS) and Singapore Polytechnic (SP) were appointed by IMDA to set up and manage the 5G Academy, which today lists on its website more than 700 short courses and academic programmes to develop 5G-ready talents. Offered by various institutions across Singapore, the courses and programmes are mapped to a framework that organisations and individuals can use as a reference in their upskilling journey.
Singapore has always held that talent is its most important competitive advantage. Being 5G-ready represents an important next step for Singapore as it strives towards being a leading SMART nation, driven by the desire to create advanced digital solutions that can transform our businesses, economy and society.
– Prof Susanna Leong, Vice Provost, Masters’ Programmes and Lifelong Education, NUS
5G, the fifth-generation mobile network, is a new global wireless standard. It will offer higher speeds, lower latency and greater capacity over older 3G and 4G technologies, and is set to enable vastly improved connectivity and user experiences. The University’s role in the 5G Academy is to act as an enabler, working with all relevant parties to strengthen the links between education and training, as well as the talent needs of employers and enterprises to bring about transformational changes as a result of the deployment of 5G technology in our industries.
Manpower development in the area of 5G and related technologies is essential because 5G technologies are so different from the current setup. Besides technically skilled 5G specialists, even individuals who hold supporting roles in the industry such as product specialists and project managers, as well as users, would require some form of new knowledge and skills to harness and utilise 5G products and services.
With the IMDA’s aim of extending 5G coverage across 50 per cent of Singapore by the end of 2022, the 5G Academy will be ramping up its efforts to further encourage upskilling and reskilling, in collaboration with its partners.
It plans to embark on a host of new initiatives, including partnerships with 5G testbeds; increased engagement with 5G stakeholders such as training providers, employers and small-and-medium-sized enterprises; programmes to help enterprises kickstart and ramp up 5G talent development; and the launch of a 5G Readiness Index to help enterprises better gauge awareness of and willingness to adopt 5G. It will also seek to provide market insights and intelligence to stakeholders to advance the development of skills frameworks and training courses and programmes.
As reported by OpenGov Asia, NUS has officially launched two new digital platforms, the Internship-As-A-Service (IAAS) and conNectUS, to prepare students for the working world. IAAS simultaneously meets the needs of industry partners for specialised talent and expands the scope of hands-on internship and gig opportunities for NUS students. conNectUS allows students to build greater connectivity with the University’s alumni and tap on their wealth of industry knowledge and experience as they chart their career journeys.
Against a backdrop of NUS’ strengthening commitment to preparing graduates for the workplace of the future, the platforms support the holistic development of graduates, particularly in the areas of interdisciplinary education, internship opportunities, intellectual flexibility, and diversity of skill sets, as well as instil the value of lifelong learning in graduates and alumni.
