Nature of Jobs rise in Singapore- Seismic shift

COVID-19 brought significant disruption to the global economy, and with it, came permanent changes to the jobs landscape.  As a global hub for trade, travel and commerce, Singapore faced significant upheaval. The country delivered a widely-praised COVID-19 response and overall, saw accelerated investment and adoption of HealthTech and EdTech.

As we move into 2021, workers and organisations want to know: What trends have we seen emerge from 2020, what jobs are on the rise, and what skills are needed to succeed in these roles?

As I draw on to the inference of the recently published Linkedin job’s report, one common and overarching trend that has been noticed amongst almost all the roles is that almost all may be conducted remotely. As a result, workers who are equipped with digital skills — even at a basic level — will have an edge in finding employment opportunities within these fields. Linked points to following four trends to have emerged from 2020. 

1. Patient Care Industry- The nature of the crisis(Health crisis) means that this does not come as a surprise. However Singapore was already facing the pressure of ageing society.  This, coupled with the rise in medical tourism, saw significant investment in Singapore’s healthcare sector, from medical equipment and clinical research to more sophisticated care. As a whole, those working in the care industry will require a range of skills to succeed, from clinical and medical knowledge, to interpersonal and communication skills. Some emerging roles & associate skills required are
   1. Healthcare/ Medical Frontline – Medicine, Healthcare, Nursing, Basic Life Support (BLS), Patient Safety
   2. Social Work – Medical Social Work, Case Management, Social Services, Social Work, Individual Counselling 
   3. Mental Health Specialist – Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Psychotherapy, Clinical Psychology, Psychological Assessment, Mental Health

2. Digital Transformation – Enough has been written Ad nauseam about covid accelerating digital transformation in enterprise simply for survival. Many Singaporeans turned to online platforms for their daily needs, like groceries and food. A research found that 1 in 3 (~36%) of all Southeast Asia consumers who are new to digital services picked them up due to COVID-19 and 94% of these new consumers intend to continue with the service post pandemic. This has fueled a demand for talent skilled in logistics, warehousing and supply chain management, as companies strived to provide seamless service from point of sale to delivery. Some emerging roles & associate skills required are

1. Logistics & Supply Chain – Warehouse Operations, Supply Chain Management, Logistics Management, Inventory Management, Supply Chain Management
2. Social Media/ Digital Marketing –  Digital Marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Google Analytics, Keyword Research, Social Media Marketing
3. Specialized Engineering – Go (Programming Language), Software Development, Game Development, Infrastructure, JavaScript
4. Digital Content Freelancers – Content Strategy, Adobe Premiere Pro, Video Editing, Videography, Video Editing
5. Data Science – Machine Learning, Python (Programming Language), Data Science, Natural Language Processing (NLP)
6. Cyber Security – Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), Information Security, Cybersecurity, Network Security, Machine Learning

3. Relevance of Traditional Jobs– In spite of the effects of COVID-19, traditional roles within organisations — including finance, business development and customer service — have maintained their level of demand, and in some instances, even expanded in number of roles or functions. 
   1. Finance – Investor Relations, Investments, Banking, Income Tax, Treasury
   2. Customer Service – Client Services, Customer Experience, Customer Support, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Salesforce.com
   3. Business Development and Sales – Business Development, Market Research, Sales, Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

4. E-learning – Education was one of the most disrupted sectors as most of the world went into lockdown. International students were no longer able to remain overseas, and most had to continue their semesters online. Local schools and institutions physically closed, and had to transition their methods of teaching and content onto digital platforms. This drove a demand for educators. 2020 was also the year we saw many workers retrenched, and looking to repurpose their existing skills set in new employment. As a result, we saw a demand for coaches who were skilled in communication, career and life advice.
   1. Education –  Tutoring, Teaching, Curriculum Development, Instructional Design, Educational Leadership
   2. Professional and Personal Coaches – Facilitation, Personal Development, Executive Coaching, Leadership Development, Life Coaching

Summary

While ongoing disruption and uncertainty is likely to continue in the new year, the report shows there are still various opportunities for talent with a range of experience and skills. A lifelong learning mindset is crucial for professionals looking to develop themselves and adapt to the workforce of the future. Workers who are equipped with digital skills — even at a basic level — will have an edge in finding employment opportunities. From digital marketing, project management to software development and data analysis, there are a range of Learning courses that professionals can take up to venture into these skill sets. 

Vikas Srivastava, who is based out of Singapore, is a Regional Director with ManpowerGroup, one of the world’s largest workforce solutions company.