23/07/2022

SUTD Hosted SkillsFuture Festival@SUTD − Equipping Singapore’s Workforce For The Future Economy

Organised in partnership with SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) with support from the Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs), the SkillsFuture Festival@SUTD was graced by Ms Gan Siow Huang, Minister of State for Education and Manpower. Themed “Design for the Future Economy”, the one-day event focused on equipping our workforce with skillsets, enabled by design innovation and digitalisation, to steer Singapore into the next phase of economic recovery and growth. It featured a range of 53 learning workshops and talks in emerging and growth areas aligned to the seven Future Economy Council Economic Clusters, as well as other Continuing Education and Training (CET) programmes offered by the IHLs.

SUTD President, Professor Chong Tow Chong said: “The concept of Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) needs to be transformed, to provide lifelong learning pathways from pre-employment training (PET) to continuing education and training (CET). This will help learners to stay agile and resilient as they are equipped with skills to ensure they remain relevant in the fast-evolving workplace, thereby sustaining the economy for the future.”

SkillsFuture Festival @ SUTD featured two keynote speakers.

Mr Greg Unsworth, Risk Services and Digital Business Leader, PwC Singapore, spoke about Design for the Future Economy, and covered the role of design and digitalisation in empowering the local workforce with skills of the future.

Mr Unsworth said: “The impact of the pandemic has accelerated digitalisation in Singapore and brought about significant industry disruption and transformation. This has reshaped the way we work in more ways than one. Now is the time to look at the design of the future economy and the needs of the workforce to upskill and be ready for the next wave of change.”

Mr Jason Goh, Design Director – Site Lead Dell Experience Design Group Singapore, Dell Technologies, spoke about the role of experience-first design in helping organisations accelerate towards the digital future. With technology as a key enabler for companies to stay resilient, adaptable and agile in an increasingly digitalised world, the Experience Design Group at Dell Technologies partners with businesses to redefine next-generation product designs, reimagine user experiences, and build a digital ecosystem – one where people, organisations and economies are connected by new and emerging technologies that form the foundation of digital cities and enhanced customer experiences.