Nine in ten workers need more digital skills to adapt post-pandemic: AWS

However, only 24% of employers have a training plan in place.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) released the results of the Building Digital Skills for the Changing Workforce report, which showed the importance of digital upskilling for a post-pandemic workforce.

According to the report, 91% of Singaporean workers said they need more digital skills—the ability and knowledge to apply digital technologies for tasks in the workplace—to cope with changes in their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, only 24% of employers in Singapore have a training plan in place, which could affect their competitiveness in such areas as productivity, innovation, and employee retention.

Out of the 1,037 digitally-skilled workers and 314 employers in Singapore, the ability to use cloud-based tools, such as cloud developer tools, as well as online collaboration, accounting, and customer relationship management software, will be the second most in-demand skill required by employers by 2025, after cybersecurity skills. It also highlights the need for more advanced cloud computing skills, with the ability to migrate on-premises facilities to the cloud and cloud design architecture skills predicted to be amongst the top 10 in-demand digital skills by 2025 in Singapore.

AlphaBeta Director for APAC Genevieve Lim said, "Whilst the need for digital skills has been growing for years, our research shows that job changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic have accelerated the need for more training for both tech and non-tech workers on digital capabilities in Singapore. Organisations have accelerated their digitisation process to cope with the pandemic and ensure long-term competitiveness. Transitioning into a digital-first economy will help countries recover from COVID-19 and secure a stronger economic future. There is an urgent need for governments to work together with employers, training providers, and workers to meet these diverse and ever-growing digital learning needs."

AWS is focused on breaking down barriers to help solve the challenge and is investing hundreds of millions of dollars globally as part of a global commitment to provide free cloud computing skills training to 29 million people. AWS offers over 500 free digital training courses, available to anyone who desires to learn and an internet connection. AWS also works directly with customer and partner organisations to help them upskill their employees. Comprehensive skills enablement programs were designed to build cloud skills to help develop teams, so they can more effectively innovate in the cloud.