Singaporeans struggle to upskill amidst pandemic: survey

Workers aged 18 – 24 reportedly struggle the most.

More than half of Singaporean workers (53%) cited difficulty in acquiring new skills in their current jobs to adapt to the pandemic, HR solutions company Randstad’s 2020 2H Workmonitor survey revealed.

Conducted in October 2020 in 34 markets worldwide, the study found that respondents aged between 18 and 24 “struggle the most.”

Moreover, the study showed that one in five workers do not renew skills and competencies regularly.

“Job requirements and skills demands have drastically shifted since the start of the pandemic,” said Jaya Dass, managing director at Randstad, Malaysia and Singapore. “The skills gap is also much more pronounced now than before, as we are starting to see more new jobs or replacement roles that require digital skills, such as being able to use specific software to analyse data and monitor trends.”

Concurrently, 55% of respondents said employers will struggle in finding the correct talent in a post-COVID world, primarily due to widening skills gap amongst candidates.

“The skills gap widens when employers don’t invest in upskilling or re-skilling their employees to meet new business goals in the post-pandemic world,” added Dass. “As they invest in new technologies and digital solutions, companies will also need to review their workforce’s skills in parallel to identify the skills gaps.”