The professional body is also strengthening governance and government tech domain capabilities
[SINGAPORE] A new cross-industry artificial intelligence skills pathway will align learning pathways, industry-recognised certifications and practical workplace experience to help professionals gain the skills needed for an AI-driven economy.
This was announced by Singapore Computer Society president Lim Bee Kwan at the Tech³ Forum on Thursday (Aug 20) morning, where she also unveiled AI assurance and government tech domain programmes and an update to guidelines for agentic AI ethics and governance.
Also at the event was Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo, who also announced initiatives by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) – AI fluency programmes for legal professionals, as well as nearly 2,000 place-and-train opportunities for tech workers.
These moves aim to strengthen Singapore’s AI workforce, advance responsible AI governance and accelerate trusted AI adoption across industries.
The Skills Pathway for AI is led by SCS, supported by various government, technology and professional bodies, as well as 15 founding employers.
It is structured into two complementary pathways – AI bilingual and AI practitioner – which include training and opportunities to be considered for jobs with participating employers, SCS said.
The AI Bilingual Pathway is designed for non-tech practitioners, domain professionals and business users, to help them develop the baseline understanding, practical application skills and governance awareness needed to adopt AI responsibly.
The AI Technical Specialist Pathway, meanwhile, prepares aspiring professionals in the field for in-demand specialist roles. This is done through employer-recognised certifications, practical portfolio development and technical assessment guidance.
It covers five in-demand entry roles: AI platform engineer, AI application engineer, AI solutions architect, AI product manager, and AI ethics and compliance officer.
SEE ALSO
The newest skills pathway builds upon previous frameworks for cybersecurity and cloud technologies.
SCS’ Lim also announced a partnership with NTUC LearningHub on two initiatives on Thursday.
Under the AI Verify Workshop, participants will gain hands-on experience with the governance testing framework and practical methodologies to assess traditional as well as generative AI systems.
Meanwhile, the SCS Accelerator Series: Government Tech Domain aims to help professionals providing services in the government sector better understand regulations, security standards, development practices and common platforms.
Finally, Lim announced the launch of the latest version of the society’s AI Ethics & Governance Body of Knowledge, which introduces new guidance for the emerging era of agentic AI.
The latest edition focuses on three areas: governing AI autonomy and decision-making; strengthening accountability and adaptability of AI actions; and embedding meaningful human oversight throughout in AI-enabled workflows.
Moving in tandem
In her speech, Teo said: “We are fortunate that professional bodies like SCS are actively supporting your members to stay relevant through initiatives such as Skills Pathway for AI. You can equally count on the government’s efforts to never stop building up our people.”
Concerns around AI have sharpened, and they are valid, the minister added.
In response, it is important for Singapore to sharpen its competitive edge to stay relevant, for businesses to operate differently to stay relevant, and for people to “double down on what humans do best” to stay relevant, she said.
She announced two new AI-related moves by IMDA.
First, to help workers build new skills and experience, IMDA worked with over 20 partners – including Accenture, Microsoft, NCS and NTUC LearningHub – to curate almost 2,000 job and training opportunities, under an expansion of the TechSkills Accelerator initiative.
“These opportunities help fresh graduates and mid-career professionals move into roles in AI and data, cybersecurity, and software engineering, where our manpower needs are still growing,” Teo said.
Second, two AI fluency programmes: one with the Singapore Academy of Law, which will help practicing lawyers use AI for legal research, information review and drafting; and one with the Singapore Corporate Counsel Association, which is designed for in-house legal and allied legal professionals, focusing on in-house legal workflows.
These will provide structured training and hands-on learning, as well as community-driven platforms, practitioner-led sharing sessions and peer learning opportunities.
“The programmes I outlined reinforce our belief that across the entire workforce, domain knowledge, judgment and creativity will continue to matter. But our people will be even more relevant if they can use AI effectively to add value to their employers and their clients,” said Teo.
