SGTech, a trade association for the tech industry, has proposed nine recommendations to the Ministry of Finance to develop digital trust capabilities, provide skill-based assessments for tech talent recruitment and training, and encourage sustainability in Budget 2023. SGTech has called for grants and subsidies to incentivize the adoption of cyber hygiene among SMEs to enhance digital trust. The trade association has also suggested the creation of a “digital trust workforce,” trusted data flows and public education.
SGTech recommended the establishment of an industry-wide professional data protection or cybersecurity officer scheme rather than regarding digital trust as an “extra-curricular” task. Additionally, the organization recommended that the government continue to promote trust technologies that safeguard data privacy, fund projects that encourage collaboration on digital trust and cross-border data flows and create an advisory group to promote the adoption of cross-border privacy rules among Asian businesses.
In addition to focusing on skills instead of paper qualifications in hiring and developing talent, SGTech also proposed a “multi-stakeholder approach” to helping experienced local professionals, managers, executives and technicians, and mid-career hires secure “higher-value tech roles”, noting that not all tech-sector jobs require “deep and highly specialized technical skills”.
The association recommended forming industry work groups to examine common standards and recognition for informal learning, championing greater recognition for skills acquired through these channels.
(Source: SGTech)
