New training academy to equip more than 150,000 public officers with digital, data and AI skills
All public officers will have to complete mandatory foundational modules covering cybersecurity, data protection and AI literacy.
A new training academy will be set up to systematically equip more than 150,000 public officers with digital, data and artificial intelligence skills. (Photo: Istock)
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SINGAPORE: A new training academy will be set up to systematically equip more than 150,000 public officers with digital, data, design and artificial intelligence skills, it was announced on Monday (Mar 2).
Called the Institute of Digital Government (IDG), it is scheduled to launch in the third quarter of this year.
Speaking in parliament, Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Jasmin Lau said the goal for the broader public service is to ensure no officer feels "powerless in a digital world".
"We will focus not just on technology, but on designing solutions that are citizen-centred and secure," she said in the debate about her ministry's spending plans for the coming year.
The Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) said in a factsheet that the IDG will design and deliver curricula that are aligned with the digital priorities of the government.
All public officers will need to complete mandatory foundational modules covering cybersecurity, data protection and AI literacy.
“These modules ensure that every officer has the essential knowledge needed to operate effectively in the digital government environment,” said MDDI.
The government must understand its citizens continuously, build in a modular way and develop capabilities for complexity. It will upgrade the skills of public officers and rebuild many of its outdated systems over time. Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Jasmin Lau, who said this in parliament on Monday (Mar 2), pointed out if done well, citizens will feel the difference; their experience with government will feel simpler, clearer and more human. The Ministry of Digital Development and Information will establish the Institute of Digital Government, together with the Civil Service College. It will equip public officers with digital, data, design and AI skills. It will focus not just on technology, but on designing solutions that are citizen-centric and secure. Ms Lau said the government needs to address the outdated systems that no longer support its needs. These systems are inflexible, expensive and difficult to integrate, she said. Rebuilding the systems will take time, but the government is committed to this effort because it is foundational to digital transformation, she added.
Ms Lau said: "Many of our loyal and hardworking public officers have spent years building skills for their work. With the tools around them changing fast, this can feel exciting for some.
"For others, it feels unsettling, as if the expertise they have worked hard to develop might be overtaken before they can fully use it.
"Our job is not just to offer comfort, but to build capability. To give them the confidence to use a new tool and think – I can work with this, I can ask the right questions and I can tell whether the output is good or not."
The institute will provide targeted courses in areas such as product thinking, data governance and AI applications. These are open to all public officers.
“These programmes are designed to build deeper expertise in critical areas that support digital transformation initiatives across agencies,” said the ministry.
“Working together with Civil Service College, the IDG aims to cultivate the right mindset and skillsets in every officer to design citizen-centric digital solutions and safely implement new technologies while protecting personal data and maintaining cybersecurity,” said MDDI.
Digital training for Cabinet ministers and senior public service leaders has started, added Ms Lau.
"Leaders set the conditions. When they understand the digital landscape, they can guide change confidently and ask their teams the right questions."
BECOMING “AI BILINGUAL”
The ministry on Monday also announced the launch of the National AI Impact Programme (NAIIP), which aims to strengthen Singapore's AI capabilities across enterprises and workers.
Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo said in parliament on Monday that the government wants to take full advantage of AI’s ability to be democratised.
"But if AI follows the same path as previous technology waves, only a small group of companies at the frontier will get ahead and pull away from the pack," she added.
"The long tail of smaller, and often less-resourced businesses, takes much longer; yet collectively, they employ most of our workforce.
"When they fall behind, more than GDP is at risk. At stake are our entrepreneurs’ hopes and dreams, workers’ livelihoods, and their communities’ progress."
Singapore wants to take full advantage of AI's ability to be democratised - for its benefits to spread widely, said Digital Development and Information Minister Josephine Teo. This is why the government is creating the National AI Impact Programme to turn AI's possibilities into reality, she said in parliament on Monday (Mar 2). It wants to encourage those who have not started to take the first step and help those already using AI to move beyond basic applications over the next three years. The programme aims to support 10,000 local enterprises to integrate AI into their business processes. This will create a sizeable pool of early adopters, with multipliers in the community sharing their experiences and knowledge. For a start, the government will support 100,000 workers to become AI bilingual. They will be pathfinders for meaningful AI upskilling for others to emulate. The initial focus will be on professions that are highly exposed to AI and serve multiple industries. By accelerating AI adoption, strengthening technology governance and building discernment amongst the people, the government is positioning Singaporeans to seize the opportunities and make progress together, said Mrs Teo.
The ministry has created the programme to turn AI's possibilities into reality for the "many, not the few", said Mrs Teo.
Over the next three years, the NAIIP aims to support 10,000 local enterprises to integrate AI into their business processes.
It will also support 100,000 workers to become “AI bilingual”, by deepening their AI fluency and applying AI to their domain.
The programme will be supported by initiatives by the Ministry of Manpower and the Ministry of Education.
Support mechanisms under the NAIIP include a new Digital Leaders Accelerator Bootcamp. It will provide both business and technical know-how through hands-on AI project development.
The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) will expand the TechSkills Accelerator (TeSA) Programme to help non-tech workers develop practical AI capabilities.
Launched in 2016, the initiative helps to drive the growth of tech talent in Singapore and helps non-tech workers pivot into tech roles.
The programme will start with the accountancy and legal professions, which are occupations that span multiple industries and have high exposure to AI applications in their domains.
