Mr Tan: The challenge is to develop a pool of infocomm professionals who are recognised internationally. |
Business prerogatives
In the past, infocomm manpower development was focused on technicalities such as building up the skills and capabilities of the professionals. IT professionals were in turn only interested in fulfilling the IT requirements given to them, and not much understanding of the business requirements behind those instructions was needed. What we face today is the need for these IT professionals to understand the business environment they work in. For example, IT professionals working in the banking industry need to know what makes the financial industry tick, and how to use IT knowledge to bring business benefits to their employers.
Global competition
Another big challenge is global competition. Every country is faced with global competition, Singapore is no exception. Our infocomm professionals must be able to compete globally. The challenge is to develop a pool of infocomm professionals who are recognised internationally. One way to achieve this is through professional certification, as reputable certification is the hallmark of high standards and good quality professional practices.
Singapore also does not have enough talent as yet to harness the opportunities of the global gaming and computer animation business. This is a critical growth area, which can open up vast opportunities.
Outsourcing, off-shoring and you
The growing trend of outsourcing and off-shoring has an impact on local infocomm professionals as well. Our infocomm professionals are facing challenges in many skills areas associated with outsourcing. Job requirements extend beyond technical know-how, and our technical folks must also be aware of business objectives and needs.
ICT managers also tend to have limited technology vision. We are often so specialised in what we do that we forget we need a broader view of the technology available out there. For instance, if I were in the security field, I must also know the latest about RFID and smart card technology too.
Most importantly, to be a good infocomm professional, he/she must think relevance. What do customers and clients want?
SCS responds
Industry certification is the first step towards recognising critical ICT competencies. Certification serves as a benchmark of the required qualifications. The next step is to brand our certification programmes so that they are recognised locally and internationally.
We are also addressing the shortage of gaming talent. SCS has just set up the Interactive Digital Media Chapter (IDM) and is working in tandem with the Media Development Authority (MDA) to grow the IDM space. The Chapter will be at the forefront of promoting and developing the gaming and digital media community of companies, investors, developers, researchers and students.
SCS is also helping to shape and move our infocomm professionals towards global outsourcing. We have launched our Certification in Outsourcing Management for IT (www.scs.org.sg/comit/) in October 2006 with the Institute of Systems Science (www.iss.nus.edu.sg) as our agent to provide IT outsourcing training so that our project managers remain competent in managing outsourced projects.
Why infocomm as a career?
You’ll never be out of a job! Infocomm will stay with us for a long time, every industry would require the use of infocomm technology, be it in transportation, manufacturing, retail or F&B. IT is an enabler to allow organisations to reach out effectively to clients. I can’t think of a more exciting and relevant time to be in the IT industry!
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