A workshop for chief information officers (CIO) in public and private sector organisations brought together nearly 300 experts to discuss the theme ‘Technology For People’.
Opening the 30th session of the workshop on 16 May 2017, NTUC Secretary-General Chan Chun Sing urged CIOs to work closely with their human resource (HR) counterparts to improve company operations and train and reskill workers facing the possibility of being displaced.
CIOs take care of an organisation’s information technology (IT) strategy and the computer systems.
Prepare For Change
SG Chan explained that globalisation and technology will see many jobs being displaced while creating new jobs elsewhere.
His message to the CIOs: “Be the evangelist to help awaken all of us in our organisation as to how fast the world is changing. I worry because there are still many people in our society who don’t realise how fast the world is changing. We need to approach this with a sense of optimism as to where the jobs are going and where the new jobs are. And we need your help to work with the HR people to prepare workers for the future.”
He added that in Singapore, it is not about a shortage of jobs but a shortage of skills.
“How do we help those who are displaced to move on to those jobs which are being created. That is the biggest challenge,” cautioned SG Chan.
The workshop had two segments, with the second part in Shanghai.
NTUC’s CIO Kwong Yuk Wah who joined the Shanghai leg said: “The speed of change by technology is very fast, we must take this opportunity to create new products and services for our members and to support our partners.
“The CIOs visited a start-up in Shanghai. They have created a digital platform for merchants to sell their products and services online as well as do the delivery for the merchants. The brick-and-mortar companies now can leverage innovation and data analytics to gain market shares and interact with their customers digitally.”
The workshop was organised by Accenture and the Information Technology Management Association (ITMA), a U Associate.
Source: NTUC This Week.
