New Association to Help ICT Professionals Stay Competitive

Members can look forward to sandbox and gig opportunities as well as dialogues with thought leaders and curated upgrading programmes.

By and Photo Avelyn Ng 29 Oct 2018

Infocommunication technology (ICT) is growing rapidly and disrupting all industries. Besides businesses, ICT professionals too, need to stay agile to keep up with the fast-evolving technologies.

According to a survey by the Info-communications Media Development Authority, the ICT workforce numbered 180,000 in 2016, and this is expected to increase by another 42,300 from 2017 to 2019.

Identifying that ICT professionals would need more support amidst constant technology advancement and industry transformation, the Labour Movement spoke of an upcoming new association at the NTUC May Day Rally 2018 to provide networking and training opportunities.

It is now a reality. Named Tech Talent Assembly (TTAB), the association is committed to help ICT professionals upskill and remain employable.

“As a Labour Movement for all workers, we must help prepare workers for the future and transform them into Worker 4.0 – help them be equipped with the right skills to take up redesigned, new or in-demand jobs

“For an ICT professional to be Worker 4.0, he or she should possess adaptive skills to embrace change, technology skills to master emerging technology and technical skills to use software development tools,” said NTUC Secretary-General (SG) Ng Chee Meng during a visit to data analytics solution provider SAS on 29 October 2018.

Key Initiatives

Over the next year, TTAB will be working with industry partners to develop programmes and membership benefits such as:

Thought Leadership Series – fireside chats with industry leaders to help ICT professionals keep abreast with latest technology trends and skills-in-demand.
Sandboxing sessions – conducive platforms for companies and selected ICT professionals to work on projects or problem statements together.
Gig platforms – gig job opportunities to build up professionals’ ICT-related portfolio for full-time employment.
Pilot curated programmes – TTAB and NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute) to work together to equip in-employment workers or mid-career job seekers with skills upgrading.

Getting to Know TTAB’s Exco

“I’ve been in the IT industry for 30 years. I think the speed of change is unprecedented. Companies and workers’ jobs are being disrupted. I think there is a lot of need to see how we can marry the two together.

“Companies are actually finding it very hard to find workers. At the same time, I heard from friends on the ground that workers, especially those in mid-career, cannot find another job because their skillsets are not relevant anymore. Part of what TTAB wants to do is to provide a platform where you can help to nurture them and give them opportunities to learn,” said TTAB President Ng Tiong Gee, who had a closed-door dialogue about the industry’s challenges and opportunities with his executive committee (exco) members and SG Ng during the visit.

The TTAB’s exco is made up of 14 corporate, government, education and industry representatives. See the full list below:

President	Ng Tiong Gee
Vice President	Lim Kuo Siong
Executive Secretary	Irene Low
General Secretary	Kaylee Fung
General Treasurer	Nurhazman Bin Abdul Aziz
Member	Shumit Gupta
Member	Tan Poh Choo
Member	Danny Wong
Member	Tan Teng Cheong
Member	Benjamin Mah
Member	Tammie Tham
Member	Alvin Ong
Member	Arvin Tang
Member	Maxim Thaw Tint