5 Skills Your Child Must Acquire to Excel in Singapore’s Competitive Workforce
Think your child needs A’s and B’s to get a good job? Think again!
The world’s economy has always had its ups and downs; however, some say this cycle seems different from others. Good grades aside, employers also zoom in on candidates with soft skills and hard transferable skills, such as working in a team with extensive data, respectively.
In the context of Singapore, the lion city currently faces a talent crunch issue, particularly in the field of technology, as local graduates do not possess the relevant digital skills to help local tech giants scale up their operations. Instead, these giants look to foreign talents to boost their competitiveness.
That’s right, and it’s not just about getting good academic grades. Instead, a child needs to recognise the importance of education beyond schoolbooks. If you want to get your child started on enrichment, we’ve listed five in-demand skills your child would need to be a marketable candidate.
1. Microsoft Office
Proficiency in Microsoft Office is a crucial demand for many jobs across a broad spectrum of Singapore’s industries from business development, technology, marketing, administration and even education.
Graduates with familiarity and knowledge about Microsoft tools like Excel and Powerpoint can work anywhere and increase productivity by working more efficiently. Plus, having a firm grasp of these tools helps them work with data and numbers more productively.
2. Cryptography
As the cities of tomorrow get smarter, so do their hackers.
With numerous cases of data breaches making headlines over the past couple of years, including the 2018 SingHealth Data breach and the most recent Facebook data breach, the demand for cryptography and cyber knowledge has never been greater.
Cryptography can be a perfect fit for those who thrive in fields such as math or computers. Cryptographers work with code to protect our data from cyberattacks by hackers trying to steal information like credit cards numbers- which has become all too common these days!
Graduates with solid cryptography skills will be able to find tons of opportunities at big tech companies and data security solutions providers. They could also consider lending their services on a freelance basis.
3. Public Speaking & Presentation
Some kids can talk for hours on end without stopping. Instead of condemning their incessant chattering, why not try to help these little ones become better communicators?
Public speaking & presentation skills are crucial for students who aspire to take on leadership roles or sales jobs that involve meeting different people daily, like financial consulting. Fluency and articulation are vital, particularly for professional networking and relationship building.
More than just being able to “talk in front of a group of people”, stellar public speakers & presenters can communicate ideas in a relatable and digestible manner. They can also engage with an audience and earn their trust.
4. Data Literacy
Like cryptography, data literacy is paramount for students who aspire to develop a tech, statistics, and marketing career. Working with big data refers to the idea of compiling, interpreting, and monitoring data and trends.
Additionally, graduates with a firm grasp of automated data systems (and how they can speed up manual tasks) have an additional advantage. Data literacy is a valuable skill for startups in Logitech and Fintech.
5. Financial-savviness
Finally, being financially savvy is another trait that many recruiters actively look out for.
Students that possess deep insights into what it takes to manage their budget effectively will be critical assets to any company from human resource, cryptocurrency, wealth management, financial planning and more.
Start them young and help your child unlock hidden potentials with PrepWorks! We provide coaching & enrichment for teens, preteens and more. Please browse our list of enrichment classes today.
