In the News
NICF Readiness Kit launched
Organisations now have a special kit to help them manage infocomm talent more effectively. Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Ministry of Communications and Information, and Ministry of Education) Sim Ann announced this latest government infocomm initiative at the IT Leader Awards presentation dinner held at the Shangri-la Hotel on 22 February 2013.
“Tonight, I am happy to launch the new National Infocomm Competency Framework (NICF) Readiness Kit which supports organisations in improving recruitment, performance management and professional development practices,” she said.
“In light of the tighter labour situation and the intensified demand for well-skilled infocomm professionals, I strongly encourage all companies to take full advantage of the kit which is available on the NICF portal.”
Developed by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) and the Workforce Development Agency (WDA) in collaboration with the infocomm industry, the NICF Readiness Kit is a manpower planning tool which aims to accelerate NICF adoption by employers to cope with manpower challenges.
A number of other manpower initiatives made in the last few years have also received strong support from the ICT community.
Under the Infocomm Leadership and Development Programme (iLEAD) to nurture the next generation of infocomm experts, IDA launched Centres of Attachment (COAs) wth EMC and Microsoft. This was to equip IT professionals with in-depth skills through industry projects and attachments. Three other organisations – Revolution Analytics, Temasek Polytechnic and the National Healthcare Group -have also come aboard the programme.
“Singapore will have five COAs to collectively create more than 100 learning opportunities in such areas as Business Analytics, Cloud Architecture and Healthcare Informatics,” said Ms Sim.
The Company-led Training Programme for Fresh Professionals (CLT) has also received more corporate backing. Under the programme, participants are offered structured coursework, on-job rotations and mentorship by senior specialists to gain varied working experiences and exposure. Industry players like Dimension Data and iHIS have joined as new partners. Here, IDA plans to rev up skills training on Business Analytics, Mobile App Development, and Cloud and Network Architecture.
There was also good news for infocomm professionals. A new skills-profiling feature has been added to InfoPier.sg, the one-stop portal launched in 2011 by the Singapore Computer Society with support from IDA to build an online community for IT professionals to plug in to ICT news, network with industry peers and seed collaboration and thought leadership.
The latest feature will allow professionals to customise information to help chart their career moves. They can find out the training areas needed for their next career leap and retrieve information on available job opportunities based on their listed profile and current competency level.
The IT Leader Award winners
The Singapore Computer Society's IT Leader Awards seek to recognise the significant achievements and contributions of outstanding individuals in the infocomm industry. This year's five winners share their thoughts on an infocomm career.
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Hall of Fame
Mr Wilson Tan, Chief Executive Officer, Capital Mall Trust, on what it takes to survive and succeed in infocomm:
"I would say being able to deliver always. If you can't deliver, all the knowledge and expertise would not be of much use. I feel this is what professional integrity is all about. It is something which should make you stand out from others."
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IT Leader of the Year
Mr Yap Chee Yuen, Executive Vice-President, Corporate Sales, Genting Singapore PLC and Head, Innovation & Technology, Resorts World at Sentosa Pte Ltd, on what it takes to survive and succeed in infocomm:
"A passion for infocomm knowledge is a must. It is important to know more than what's happening in Singapore, you need to be in tune with developments elsewhere. Just as important, you must also be quick to adapt and learn on the run because most of the time, you are on your own, facing problems to be solved."
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Young Professional of the Year
Mr Saurav Bhattacharyya, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Quantum Inventions, on what he likes about working in infocomm:
"I like infocomm because I find the industry quite sexy. By this, I mean it is cutting edge, challenging and dynamic. So I enjoy my work and am very open-minded. As I get older, I expect, on the other hand, to bank more on my network of contacts."
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IT Youth Awards
Mr Teh Kaiwen, Temasek Polytechnic graduate, on what attracts him to the infocomm sector:
"In one word: passion."
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Mr Liu Junhua, Singapore Polytechnic graduate and currently an undergraduate at the Singapore University of Technology and Design, on creating a thriving infocomm sector in Singapore:
"Education is important. I see Singapore as doing all the right things. And I am confident that we will soon produce a Steve Jobs, who is my hero."