Staying relevant in Industry 4.0


Participant checking out one of the learning booths at SFF@NUS.
 

The morning symposium of the SkillsFuture Festival@NUS reiterated the need to embrace Industry 4.0 or risk being left behind in the revolution.

As part of SkillsFuture Festival 2019, the National University of Singapore (NUS) hosted a one-day of learning for employees, PMETs, alumni, students and educators. Themed, “Industry 4.0 and the Future of Skills”, the event featured panels, exhibitions, and multi-track workshops/ masterclasses offered by IHLs (Institutes of Higher Learning) and industry experts.

Addressing the audience at the morning symposium were Guest of Honour Mr Chee Hong Tat, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry & Ministry of Education; Prof Tan Eng Chye, President, NUS; Prof Ho Teck Hua, Senior Deputy President and Provost, NUS; and Mr Sopnendu Mohanty, Chief FinTech Officer, Monetary Authority of Singapore.

The event kicked off with a Welcome Address from Prof Tan Eng Chye, who described the reality and challenges of Industry 4.0. “Jobs are going to change. The nature of work is going to fundamentally change… The future economy is one where digitalisation holds the key to unlock much of the productivity and innovation potential of businesses,” he said.

Acknowledging that Industry 4.0 marks a new era, in his speech, SMS Chee announced three new initiatives to prepare the workforce for Industry 4.0:

1.     Working with anchor companies to train SMEs in those sectors
SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), Bosch Rexroth, Singaporean-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Singapore Polytechnic and JTC will establish a Bosch Rexroth Regional Training Centre in Singapore. The Centre will play a key role to meet the latest technological, training and talent needs of the Advanced Manufacturing companies in Singapore and the region.

2.     New IHL programmes in emerging skills
IHLs will continue to ramp up the delivery of training in emerging and future skills needed for Industry 4.0 through the SkillsFuture Series. IHLs have also introduced other new programmes and courses relevant to Industry 4.0.

3.     Helping Singaporeans make informed choices in education, training and careers with Jobs-Skills Insights
SkillsFuture is working with partners such as LinkedIn, BurningGlass Technologies, Indeed.com and JobTech to provide Jobs-Skills Insights for all three stakeholders to help individuals, enterprises and IHLs navigate the rapidly evolving skills and job landscape.

 

"Industry 4.0 is not about replacing existing workers with machines or new workers."

Mr Chee Hong Tat, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry & Ministry of Education

 

Throughout his speech, Minister Chee reiterated the importance of lifelong learning to stay relevant and competitive. He also highlighted and clarified a common misunderstanding of what Industry 4.0 means for workers. “Industry 4.0 is not about replacing existing workers with machines or new workers. An essential component is the training of existing workers to equip them with the skills to use the new technologies,” he said.

In his segment, Prof Ho Teck Hua noticed that many people were afraid and uncertain about Industry 4.0, arising from the fear of humans getting replaced by machines. Backed with statistics, research and personal experience, Prof Ho debunked some of these misperceptions of Industry 4.0 in his Keynote Address.

Like speakers before him, Mr Sopnendu Mohanty agreed that Industry 4.0 is here to stay. But Mr Mohanty reminded the audience that before we get to Industry 4.0, we need to establish the foundation infrastructure—trust, technology and talent—before we can reap the benefits Industry 4.0 brings.

The SkillsFuture Festival@NUS is one of the key events under the SkillsFuture Festival, organised by SSG to inspire Singaporeans to develop a passion of learning and pursue skills mastery.

For the full programme of SkillsFuture Festival, click here.
For more information on Additional Initiatives to Prepare Workforce for Industry 4.0, click here.

 

This article was first published on SkillsFuture Singapore, on 25 July 2019. Information is correct at the time of publication.