5 skills Singaporeans are honing to stay competitive in the AI era

Singaporeans prefer on-the-job training and self-study for skill development.

Workers are strengthening their analytical and functional skills to stay competitive amidst the AI revolution.

Data from Jobstreet showed that four in 10 Singaporeans are enhancing their analytical skills, including critical thinking, understanding complex information, analysis, and research.

Meanwhile, 35% are focusing on refining their functional and job-specific skills, such as accounting, sales, finance, or technical abilities.

Included in the top five skills that Singaporean workers are focusing on include project management skills (27%), creativity and innovation skills (24%), and advanced digital skills (22%).

In general, five in 10 workers in Singapore are willing to reskill to stay competitive, whilst four in 10 said they would only do so if necessary or if they encounter significant challenges in their daily work.

Singaporeans reskill primarily through on-the-job training (47%) and self-study (40%), with some also watching online videos (36%), taking employer-sponsored courses (36%), using mobile apps (27%), or learning through online education platforms (27%).

When choosing learning platforms, Singaporeans lean toward videos and online tutorials (48%), workshops and seminars (40%), two- to three-minute videos or articles (31%), live classes (31%), and one-on-one coaching or mentoring (24%).

Singaporeans, however, spend less time on learning and development compared to their Southeast Asian counterparts, with 19% reporting no time spent on it in 2023—higher than the regional average of 13%.

Learning frequency among Singaporeans varied, with 16% participating every two to three months and 15% two to three times monthly.

Jobstreet, however, said that 45% of Singaporeans dedicate time to learning at least once a month.

“Despite spending less time on learning and development compared to their SEA counterparts, Singaporean talent aim to maximise the effectiveness of their learning sessions,” Jobstreet said.

The majority of respondents from Singapore and SEA prefer sessions lasting from 30 minutes to two hours.