Estimates Committee flags slow progress on 15,000 AI workforce goal

Career conversion programs helped only 190 mid-career professionals transition roles.

The government is still far from achieving its goal of boosting Singapore’s AI workforce to 15,000, the Estimates Committee reported.

Under the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2.0 (NAIS 2.0), the government aims to 10,000 new practitioners within five years, focusing on recent graduates from Information and Digital Technologies (IDT) programmes and mid-career switchers.

The Estimates Committee, however, revealed that the government's career conversion programmes have only helped 190 mid-career professionals transition to new roles, falling short of the 5,000 target.

The committee emphasised the need for enhanced support and resources to accelerate retraining efforts to ensure Singapore can meet the growing demand for skilled AI professionals in a competitive global landscape.

It stressed the need to align training with industry demands to improve job outcomes for AI practitioners, ensuring retraining equips professionals with relevant skills for job placement.