S’pore No. 12 in global skills index; room for improvement, says minister

Singapore ranked 12th out of 30 countries on a new global index measuring how prepared nations are to adopt skills-first practices.

- Gabrielle Chan

Office workers at Raffles Place on Sept 26. While businesses need to proactively identify and invest in skills of workers, individuals should be deliberate in training and career choices, said Education Minister Desmond Lee. Training providers must also accurately meet these skills needs, he added.

(ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG)

The index evaluates how well countries integrate skills-based approaches into training, recognise and reward workers' skills, and support a shift towards skillsbased hiring and development.

The Skills-First Readiness and Adoption Index by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and the Institute for Adult Learning (IAL) scored countries based on 25 skill-related indicators.

There is room for improvement, said Education Minister Desmond Lee, who announced the findings on Oct 10 at the launch of the Centre for Skills-First Practices by IAL.

Held at the Lifelong Learning Institute, the event was attended by over 300 participants from industry professionals and educators to policymakers.

In his keynote address, Mr Lee spoke about the need to "double down" on efforts to move to a skills-first approach amid rapid change in people's careers, as part of a nationwide push to embed such practices across Singapore's economy.

It is not about choosing between skills and qualifications, but ensuring a focus on skills in hiring, training and career progression, said the minister, who announced initiatives like a new national skills framework and skills dashboards to support employers and workers in this shift.