“Knowledge gives freedom to all” a saying that is deeply etched in my mind. Knowledge is perhaps the one thing ( pending that all our mental faculties are in tact) that cannot be taken away and has the capacity to grow and grow.
A popular estimate highlighted that 65% of children primary school today will ultimately end up working in completely new job types that don’t yet exist. Today, some pre-schoolers are already attending coding class and able to write basic programming as published in The Straits Times on 25 February 2019. Unthinkable in the past but a reality of today.
We are at the threshold of Industrial 4.0 and the development of artificial intelligence, robotics, nanotechnology, 3D printing and biotechnology are disrupting more and more industries. As entire industries undergo transformation, some jobs are threatened by redundancy. Workers need to embrace change and embark on a continuous learning journey to weather the disruptions ahead.
The Singapore Continuing Education & Training (CET) Masterplan, launched in 2008, has been refreshed in 2014 to better ensure a career resilient and competitive workforce. Whilst employees are encouraged to garner new knowledge and gain new skills competencies, employers focus on building capabilities & skills.
The Human Resource function no longer plays an administrative role but one that is involved in strategies focusing on people and talent management, building capabilities and growing capacity to meet the changes in the market place. Today, Human Resource plays a critical role in driving a culture of innovation, providing a robust Learning & Development Roadmap in line with the country’s respective industrial skills framework .
I truly appreciate the value of the three HR Managers whom I had the privilege to work with at Procter & Gamble. They were of different nationalities and possessed different styles but we all share the same passion for our people, their individual learning & development opportunities and well being. Through Learning & Development we engage, energize, enable and empower our people!
