The economy of any country is just as good as its workforce. This is why investing on human capital is a surefire win for any country and company, regardless of its size and variety.
Singapore's emergence as a global market in Asia is cemented further by its implementation of a new Continuing Education and Training Masterplan for 2020 (CET 2020). This helps enable Singaporeans expand their skills and fulfill their potential through the help of part time courses in Singapore.
SkillsFuture is the manifestation of this effort. The program provides Singaporeans 25 years old and above with at least S$500 in SkillsFuture Credit to spend on learning new courses to expand their skill-sets.
But how can you make the most out of it? It is generally a good decision to improve skills and invest in courses that will hone talents that a lot of employers look for. Here are 17 growth sectors (cascaded through five main categories) within the polytechnics and ITE schools that are in-line with SkillsFuture offerings.
Biomedical Sciences
Singapore has become the forefront of biomedical research in Asia through A*STAR. The institute also has public-private partnerships that created the foundation of some ground-breaking research, development and manufacturing efforts.
In fact, the country's biomedical industry boasts S$25-billion in output in 2014 alone - and is expected to grow exponentially through the years. Singapore is also home to at least 30 biomedical science firms.
Given the rise of biomedical sciences as an industry, professionals in the business will surely become a need by 2020. Republic Polytechnic offers courses on biomedical sciences to get jumpstarted on this career.
Aerospace Engineering
The fleet of Asia Pacific planes will get a three-fold increase by 2031 - this amounts to about 13,500 planes with barely enough manpower to support them. Singapore is very much aware of this need.
The country has dominated the aerospace market by owning around 25-percent of the region's output in maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services. In 2012 alone, the industry has about 20,000 people in its slate, all of them skilled at their jobs.
Singapore is also home to about 270 delegates from 76 countries, and over 1,000 leading aerospace companies worldwide. Interested students can kickstart their education in the industry through courses offered in Temasek Polytechnic.
Offshore and Marine Engineering
Singapore positions itself as one of the top global players for oil and gas drilling units, as well as in offshore support vessels. This is despite the fall of oil prices, and its major effects to the offshore and marine industries. The country knows better than to leave the industry behind. The global demand for energy will surely jumpstart the fire in the industry once again, and Singapore knows that she should be prepared for it. Singapore's undeniable qualification, skill and speed of delivery will see the rise of the industry - and you can be a part of it.
Most of offshore and marine engineering companies are striving to make their operations lean and seamless, and this will be a big part of 2020's learning scheme. You can pursue the industry through courses offered by Ngee Ann Polytechnic.
Food Technology
Singapore is becoming an emerging hub for the fields of food science and nutrition. Professor Jeyakumar Henry of the Clinical Nutrition Research (CNRC) said Singapore's multiracial population allows multinational food companies to have a single research hub.
Given the rise of the food population and the sophistication of the food and beverage market, food manufacturing will need cutting-edge technology for tasks such as packaging, market testing, and shelf life evaluation. Luckily, Singapore has the Food Innovation and Resource Center to thank. Students interested in a career in perhaps the world's most important industry can avail a course from Singapore Polytechnic.
Digital Media
The emergence of the internet of things and social media as tools has never made life easier for broadcasters, editors, writers and artists - this is especially the case with the growing demand for instant content.
In ASEAN alone, 194-million new cyber entrants are expected to be introduced to the internet by 2020. Being the most network-ready country in Asia, it is up to Singapore to be at the forefront of this sudden change. The country is an ideal regional hub for digital media industries. Broadcasting industries such as BBC World, Lucas Films, Walt Disney and CNBC Asia is making Singapore part of their home, and you could be a part of them.
Studies show that creative and analytical professionals aren o easy finds for digital media companies. Being part of this workforce will surely grant you a good future in the media arts. Fortunately, a lot of new media courses are being offered in Singapore today. You can learn more through Nanyang Polytechnic.
