To provide industry-ready content for the SkillsFuture for Digital Workplace programme, Avast, LinkedIn, and Shopee partnered with NTUC LearningHub and SkillsFuture Singapore.

NTUC LearningHub and Skills Future Singapore (SSG) will partner with global technology leaders Avast, LinkedIn and Shopee, to provide additional training content for the SkillsFuture for Digital Workplace programme delivered by NTUC LHUB.

SkillsFuture for Digital Workplace is a SkillsFuture initiative which equiped Singaporeans with foundational digital skills and a mindset for digital transformation, to prepare them for technological changes in their workplace and daily lives.

Since its launch in 2017, NTUC LHUB, an appointed training partner, has trained over 20,000 individuals to date. NTUC LHUB has also partnered with major employers such as SMRT and ST Engineering, to send their staff for SkillsFuture for Digital Workplace training.  

The new partnerships will further bolster the curriculum content, helping Singaporeans to stay safe digitally and leverage powerful online platforms and communities to boost their employability. NTUC LHUB also introduced its Company Training Committee (CTC) Starter Kit in late July, of which the SkillsFuture for Digital Workplace programme is a core component.

Empowering learners to mitigate cyber risks and seize opportunities

The new partnerships will enhance cybersecurity and employability content within the programme, and promote online entrepreneurship.

Last 27-28 August 2019, pilot classes were conducted for 13 learners to learn about the importance of digital transformation. They also had hands-on training on the Avast app, learned how to improve their LinkedIn profiles and leverage their professional network, as well as how to use the Shopee marketplace to start an e-commerce presence.

“I was originally worried that I was not keeping up with the changes in the working world. I’m glad I went for the course and learnt so much. The knowledge from the course helped me to see how I can grow my employment opportunities with online networks or start my own online shop, while being careful to stay safe while doing so. This will also help me learn more about other apps and use them in my daily life,” said Liau Chiu Ling, 46-year-old learner.

“For today’s employees, media literacy should not only embrace adequate know-how of technology use, but also awareness of privacy and cybersecurity risks, knowing how to protect their precious personal data, and that of their employer”, said Mr. Filip Chytry, security advisor and technical director, Avast.

“Cyberthreats are becoming increasingly sophisticated, targeting the masses on the one hand, and on the other hand, we see targeted attacks such as spear-phishing campaigns, targeting staff members to intrude businesses. It’s essential for today’s workers to be prepared for such threats, and we are glad to work with NTUC LHUB on this programme to help more people stay safe digitally.”

Mr. Olivier Legrand, managing director, Asia Pacific, LinkedIn, also added “Looking for the right job can be daunting if you don’t know where to begin. Through our partnership with NTUC LHUB, we hope to connect job seekers facing barriers with networks and resources in Singapore.”

“By leveraging LinkedIn as a professional network and initiating career conversations, job seekers could be one step closer to their next opportunity — either by connecting to jobs available on our platform, or enabling them to build meaningful networks.”

“E-commerce unlocks new opportunities for buyers and sellers that were traditionally non-existent. The recent Google-Temasek report states that the internet economy will rapidly grow to become a US$240 billion industry by 2025, with e-commerce as a key driver. This will undoubtedly create significant opportunities for online entrepreneurs,” concluded Mr. Zhou Junjie, chief commercial officer and country head, Shopee Singapore.

“Shopee is glad to partner NTUC LHUB on the SFDW programme, to help equip Singaporeans with foundational digital skills in this area. I’m excited to see how learners will use their newly acquired knowledge to impact the larger E-commerce landscape in Singapore and the region.”

“It is essential for Singaporeans to familiarise themselves with various digital tools for the workplace and in their daily lives as we face rapid technological advancements,” said Mr. Ng Cher Pong, chief executive, SkillsFuture Singapore.

“SSG continues to work closely with the Labour Movement, NTUC LHUB, and industry partners through initiatives such as SkillsFuture for Digital Workplace to help enterprises and workers tap on new opportunities arising from the digital transformation of our economy,”

Going forward

NTUC LHUB will continue to take steps to ensure that workers have up-to-date skills to remain employed and employable, and develop the confidence that they can navigate the digital economy.

Mr Kwek Kok Kwong, CEO of NTUC LHUB as a conclusion, said, “In a world of rapid change, workers need to learn regularly — even daily — in order to keep up. This means that knowledge creation must be equally rapid. We have therefore been tapping on an eco-system of like-minded global knowledge partners to help us.” “In this chapter, we are partnering Avast, LinkedIn, Shopee and SSG to help prepare workers for the digital economy. We will continue to grow our web of knowledge partners to democratize new technologies and knowledge for our workers so that they can become Worker 4.0 in support of Industry 4.0.”