NCS and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) have unveiled the integrated work and study programme dubbed “Fusion,” part of the efforts under the TechSkills Accelerator (TeSA) for ITE and Polytechnics Alliance (TIP Alliance), through which where Polytechnic graduates will undergo further studies and attain a university degree while working at NCS to deepen their skillsets.
Under Fusion, NCS will hire and train 400 Polytechnic graduates in the first two years, covering areas such as infrastructure, applications, software development and cybersecurity.
The programme will support the Polytechnic graduates’ enrolment into a degree at the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) or Singapore Institute of Management (SIM).
NCS plans to launch another new programme in 2023, targeting 400 ITE graduates in the first two years, where they will work and study part time to attain a diploma in a technology-related field.
Both the Fusion and ITE Programmes complements NCS’ ongoing Nucleus Programme, which will see 800 University graduates recruited as digital specialists in the next two years, bringing the total tech jobs and training opportunities to 1,600.
NCS will also provide tech internship opportunities for 1,000 students from Institutes of Higher Learning over the next two years.
“With our expanding presence in Asia Pacific and our growth of digital capabilities, we are well-positioned to provide our talents with opportunities to work on impactful projects, and nurture highly-sought after skills through tailored programmes like Fusion,” said Ng Kuo Pin, CEO of NCS.
Fusion is the latest initiative within NCS’ suite of longstanding talent development programmes to grow a local core of ICT talent in Singapore.
At the start of the Fusion programme, employees will receive centralised modular training via a six-week bootcamp on foundational training in functional, behavioural and technical competencies followed by guided on-the-job trainings and coaching.
Upon graduating with a degree from the Fusion programme, employees will have the opportunity to continue their development with NCS’ existing Nucleus programme, deepening their specialisations whilst pursuing a Master of Technology degree at the National University of Singapore’s Institute of Systems Science (NUS-ISS) or other industry-recognised professional certifications.
Under Fusion, NCS sponsors the course fees, provides apprenticeship-based learning opportunities and regular job rotations, including regional exposure, so that the tech talents can grow their depth and breadth of skills and experience while on the job.
Set up by IMDA in September 2022, the TIP Alliance is spearheaded by SGTech and Singapore Computing Society, and comprises global and local companies that employ tech talent.
The Alliance’s efforts will strengthen the tech talent pipeline to support the growth of Singapore’s digital economy which employs about 200,000 tech professionals per year as of 2021, with the number of new tech jobs increasing by about 10,000 annually in the last four years.
