In order for ICT to succeed in any country, there must be a strong IT workforce.
One factor that contributes significantly to having a powerful pool of IT workers is general education. Approximately 93% of the population in Singapore is literate. [31] Also, most people in Singapore speak English fluently as it is the language of the government and the medium of instruction in educational institutions. According to a recent article in the New York Times, schools in Singapore emphasize math and science which is why their students score the highest marks in these subjects. In addition to math and science, the Singaporean educational system has developed creative and innovative teaching methods to encourage students to think outside of the box.[32]
There are several institutions in Singapore that offer higher education in IT. ISS, The Institute of Systems Science, is a specialty training institute of the National University of
Singapore . ISS offers professional information technology continuing education to managers and IT practitioners. ISS is a learning centre for strategic IT management, software technology, and knowledge engineering. ISS offers postgraduate degree programs, professional development short courses and certification training programs such as the Certified Information Technology Project Manager (CITPM) course. ISS is a leading research center in on-line education.[33]
The primary role of the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) is to ensure that its graduates have the technical knowledge and skills that are relevant to their particular industry. ITE is the national authority for the setting of skills standards and the certification of skills in Singapore. [34] 19,207 students enrolled in ITE in 2004 – out of which engineering had 11,885 students and technical skills had 791 students.[35]
Polytechnics were set up with the mission to train middle-level professionals to support the technological and economic development of Singapore . Reflecting the wide range of abilities, aptitudes and interests of their students, the polytechnics train students with relevant and specific technical skills for the workplace to give Singapore a competitive edge.[36] 56,048 students enrolled in Polytechnics in 2004. [37]
Although Singapore has several IT programs to train its citizens in technology, there is a need for the country to recruit talent from abroad. Beginning in 1991, the Singapore Economic Development Board began to send missions abroad to recruit new graduates for technical jobs in Singapore . The missions permitted local companies to screen candidates in India , the US , and Australia for professional jobs in computer science and engineering. In 1994 an estimated 500 jobs were offered to foreign professionals (40% of these jobs were in computer science and engineering)--40% of these foreign professionals were Indians and Sri Lankans. In 1995, the Singaporean government decided to exempt foreign workers and their employers from contributing 20% of their gross pay to the Central Provident Fund (CPF), which attracted additional skilled and professional workers to Singapore. [38]
Although Singapore has strong educational IT training programs, it still depends on foreign talent to fill local ICT jobs.
[32] Still Eating Our Lunch, New York Times, Thomas Friedman, 9/16/05
[33] ISS
[34] Ministry of Education: Singapore
[35] Singapore Fact Sheet 2005, Key Educational Indicators
[36] Ministry of Education: Singapore
[37] Singapore Fact Sheet 2005, Key Educational Indicators
[38] Migration News