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SINGAPORE: A new training academy will be set up to systematically equip more than 150,000 public officers with digital, data, design and artificial intelligence skills, it was announced on Monday (Mar 2).<\/p>\n
Called the Institute of Digital Government (IDG), it is scheduled to launch in the third quarter of this year.<\/p>\n
Speaking in parliament, Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Jasmin Lau said the goal for the broader public service is to ensure no officer feels “powerless in a digital world”.<\/p>\n
“We will focus not just on technology, but on designing solutions that are citizen-centred and secure,” she said in the debate about her ministry’s spending plans for the coming year.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) said in a factsheet that the IDG will design and deliver curricula that are aligned with the digital priorities of the government.<\/p>\n
All public officers will need to complete mandatory foundational modules covering cybersecurity, data protection and AI literacy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese modules ensure that every officer has the essential knowledge needed to operate effectively in the digital government environment,\u201d said MDDI.<\/p>\n
Ms Lau said: “Many of our loyal and hardworking public officers have spent years building skills for their work. With the tools around them changing fast, this can feel exciting for some.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“For others, it feels unsettling, as if the expertise they have worked hard to develop might be overtaken before they can fully use it.<\/p>\n
“Our job is not just to offer comfort, but to build capability. To give them the confidence to use a new tool and think \u2013 I can work with this, I can ask the right questions and I can tell whether the output is good or not.”<\/p>\n
The institute will provide targeted courses in areas such as product thinking, data governance and AI applications. These are open to all public officers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThese programmes are designed to build deeper expertise in critical areas that support digital transformation initiatives across agencies,\u201d said the ministry.<\/p>\n
\u201cWorking together with Civil Service College, the IDG aims to cultivate the right mindset and skillsets in every officer to design citizen-centric digital solutions and safely implement new technologies while protecting personal data and maintaining cybersecurity,\u201d said MDDI.<\/p>\n
Digital training for Cabinet ministers and senior public service leaders has started, added Ms Lau.<\/p>\n
“Leaders set the conditions. When they understand the digital landscape, they can guide change confidently and ask their teams the right questions.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n