Singapore doubles down on AI fluency to future-proof its tech workforce
Singapore's Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) has announced that it will train 40,000 technology professionals over the next three years under a major national effort to build an artificial intelligence-ready workforce.
The initiative, part of the National AI Impact Programme, expands the existing TechSkills Accelerator to include final-year Information and Digital Technologies students alongside working professionals.
It builds on an earlier government commitment to train 100,000 non-tech workers to be AI-capable by 2029.
New AI fluency programme
At the centre of the effort is a new AI fluency programme called AIxTech, developed jointly by IMDA and AI Singapore.
The curriculum was shaped by input from more than 30 technology firms, AI centres of excellence, government agencies, and institutes of higher learning.
The two-phase programme offers 18 hours of self-paced online training with hands-on coding instruction, followed by post-course support that includes S$600 in credits for continued access to AI coding tools.
The programme draws from a portfolio of platforms including Claude, Codex, GitHub Copilot, Gemini, Kiro, and others, with IMDA saying that the lineup will be periodically refreshed as the field evolves.
Course fees are set at S$180 for Singapore citizens and permanent residents. Final-year IDT students who hold citizenship or residency may attend at no cost.
Companies across both tech and non-tech sectors have already expressed interest in enrolling employees, according to IMDA, with firms such as NCS, ST Engineering, OCBC, and Standard Chartered among those cited.
AI reshapes tech roles
AIxTech is part of a broader government push to build an AI-fluent tech workforce as artificial intelligence continues to reshape roles and skills across industries.
A new workgroup co-led by IMDA and Workforce Singapore will also study how AI is changing tech jobs and inform future training initiatives. It will draw on the networks of the Singapore Computer Society, SGTech, and the Tech Talent Assembly, an affiliate of NTUC.
IMDA said the workgroup's findings would help ensure its recommendations remain relevant to tech professionals as their roles evolve, and would shape future initiatives to support Singapore's digital economy ambitions.
Meanwhile, the authority said its Singapore Digital Leadership Accelerator community has grown to more than 1,600 members since its 2022 launch, with 21 new SG Digital Leaders (SGDL) inducted.
Among them is Shanice Choo from Clifford Chance, described as "driving AI-powered innovation in the legal sector," and Lum Chune Yang from SpeQtral, who is "building quantum and satellite infrastructure to safeguard critical networks against emerging cybersecurity threats."
"Together, they exemplify the breadth of impact SGDLs are making across industries and frontier tech domains," IMDA said.
