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SINGAPORE: Technology: It is one of the few sectors that continues to hire despite the economic consequences of COVID-19; it is what has allowed many employees to work from home amid the pandemic; It could also displace many jobs in the coming years.
According to the World Economic Forum in its latest Future of Jobs report published in October, half of the companies surveyed plan to accelerate the automation of jobs in their companies.
Forty-three percent indicated they are ready to reduce their workforce in the coming years due to technology integration, while 34 percent said they plan to expand their workforce for the same reason.
“By 2025, the time that humans and machines spend on current tasks at work will be equal,” the WEF report said.
READ: COVID-19 pandemic accelerates job shift from humans to robots, WEF survey finds
Technology-based jobs populate the top 20 on a list of emerging jobs, from data analysts to robotic engineers. Those who are increasingly redundant include accountants, human resources specialists, and relationship managers.
The report is based on a survey of top management leaders from nearly 300 companies around the world, including 29 with operations in Singapore. The data was collected between January and September of this year.
Findings from the World Economic Forum’s Future of Job 2020 report on the top 20 emerging and declining jobs.
So in a future where technology dominates work processes, what are the job prospects like for people who can’t tell the difference between Python and Java?
It is not necessary for most people to master coding or learn to build software, tech industry players and recruiting experts told CNA, although they noted that being able to use the latest technology tools related to the job function of an employee.
Even in a tech company, non-tech functions like public relations and product design executives will still be needed in the future, and employees must have strong communication skills or a keen eye, said Alex Teo. , the experience of people and government relations. lead on the online cash back platform ShopBack. It has 150 employees in Singapore and around 500 in nine territories.
Even then, in the future, most of your employees might require some basic level of coding or data analysis, he said. For example, your finance and marketing teams need to know the programming language in order to extract transaction information or create email newsletters.
“So the knowledge of those coding languages… I think in the future. That may be the expectation for (most people), ”Teo said.
READ: Singapore’s Unemployment Rate Rises to 3.6%; more than 20,000 layoffs to date
Similarly, digital wealth manager Stashaway co-founder Michele Ferrario said that many roles in the company don’t need technical expertise, such as those in marketing, compliance, and customer engagement.
The digital tools these departments use, such as customer relationship management systems, have also become easier to use and more intuitive over the years, he added.
However, there are strategy or business development positions that require data analysis and “being able to code will make it faster,” he said.
Stashaway currently has around 130 employees in five territories, with more than half of them in Singapore. The workforce is likely to grow to more than 200 or more than 300 in the next few years, Ferrario said.
Rather than focus on becoming computer savvy, workers should devote their energy to discovering how technology will affect their roles and learning how to use the latest digital tools, industry players said.
READ: Companies Seek Talent as Singapore’s Tech Sector Continues to Grow
“Technology jobs don’t always mean coding or software development. There are a variety of jobs in technology such as product management, digital marketing, data analytics, user experience design (and more), ”said Ms Aziza Sheerin, Asia Senior Regional Director of the General Assembly, an organization educational that teaches classes in technology.
“The important thing is that people understand how to leverage technology in their roles now,” he said.
General Assembly Asia Senior Regional Director Aziza Sheerin. (Photo: General Assembly)
“I think technology is an enabler, but it doesn’t really mean you have to be a staunch technical person … the key message is the ability to adapt and change,” said Eric Heung, manager of supply chain and procurement at firm. Robert Walters. He cited the example of marketing executives who were used to printing ad strategies who now have to understand the idea of social media campaigns.
“If they are not interested in technology, they should think about how technology is going to change their role, what they are doing or their industry,” he said.
Ms Feon Ang, Vice President of Talent and Learning Solutions at LinkedIn Asia Pacific, said the best way to prepare for the future is to acquire both technical skills and ‘soft skills’, interpersonal skills related to traits such as creativity and persuasion. .
“Most of today’s jobs require today’s professionals to possess basic digital skills and we know that there will also be demand for professionals with deeper technical skills as companies adapt to the changing environment,” he said, referring to how COVID- 19 has led to a work environment. highly dependent on technology.
READ: Singapore may be ‘a more digital and stronger advanced manufacturing base’ for the world – DPM Heng
READ: A Challenging Job Search Landscape As Recruitment Agencies See Fewer Vacancies and More Applications
Data collected by LinkedIn from its users found that between June and August, software engineers were the most in-demand in Singapore, based on the proportion of hires with this job title. And among the top three skills was the ability to use JavaScript or Java coding languages.
To support these roles, Ang said, it will take professionals who are able to collaborate and manage teams in a digital space, which is where “soft skills” come in.
LEARN NEW SKILLS
Even before the pandemic hit, some in Singapore jumped on the scrambling bandwagon.
Koh Han Seng enrolled in SG Code Campus in March to learn how to use Python and is now in the next level of classes that dive into data analysis.
In addition to using his programming experience to invest in the stock market, the 52-year-old said he took the courses because he plans to work as a business consultant. He believes the potential new role will require you to sift through and classify the data.
Siti Herda Nuryani Nasir, a former Singapore Airlines customer service officer, enrolled in the General Assembly software engineering course in March last year as a way to change careers.
Like Mr. Koh, Ms. Nuryani said it was a steep learning curve, jumping into something so technical and completely new to her.
What helped them keep going, they said, was the motivation to learn.
“I’ve always been interested in programming, (so) I enjoyed all the time I spent practicing and learning more about it,” said Ms. Nuryani, who is now a junior software engineer at startup Online Pajak. “I think being able to enjoy what you are going to do most of your time is also very important.”
Siti Herda Nuryani Nasir, formerly Head of Customer Service for Singapore Airlines, is now a Junior Software Engineer at startup Online Pajak. (Photo: Siti Herda Nuryani Nasir)
School representatives said that it is possible for anyone to become a programmer or software developer.
Although having a background in science, engineering, or math gives students an edge in the classroom, Ms. Sheerin from the General Assembly noted that she has seen students with non-technical backgrounds graduate and find a job after that.
One of them was a member of the cabin crew who studied software engineering and is now a developer at a bank; another went from architect to user experience designer.
SG Code Campus founder Ian Choo agreed that while leaning more toward math or science is helpful in some areas of technology, such as machine learning or data science, the results of his training camps Three-month training in other aspects such as web or mobile programming is proof that anyone can make the change.
A class held by SG Code Campus in February of this year. (Photo: SG Code Campus)
“You can definitely build both competition and interest,” Ms. Sheerin said. What his five years in the General Assembly has shown is that students must be motivated enough to carry out their training long enough to win competition, he added.
There is no “easy approach” to developing an interest in technology, but having a broader view of hobbies helps, he said, noting that some people who were very interested in video games decided they wanted to create games themselves, while others who were actively involved in community service wanted to discover how to apply technology to their work.
“I see interest as (something that can be developed) because it is something that is under the control of the instructor,” said Mr. Choo. “I think it really comes down to: are you convinced it’s useful? And then if you’re convinced it’s useful, is it worth your time? And in the process of learning it, do you find it fun? “
