IDA Drives Innovation and Partners with General Assembly to Launch Career Accelerator in Singapore

With the growth of the ICT sector in Singapore, there is demand of more than 6,000 development roles (including in software and web) in the next 2 years - more than 40% of the expected demand in tech manpower.

In its bid to support the ever-increasing demand of ICT professionals, General Assembly (GA) has collaborated with IDA to provide individuals with a passion in technology a fast track to opportunities in the ICT industry.

As part of this collaboration with IDA, General Assembly will unveil two courses in Singapore, including User Experience Design and Web Development Immersives. These 10 and 12-week full-time courses provide actionable, practical and tactical skills for the new tech workplace while cultivating the fundamentals needed to create a portfolio.

This programmes, emphasises education to employment, allowing for interaction with leading experts in the field and preparing individuals for roles as developers, user experience designers and product managers.

“As we move towards a Smart Nation, it is essential that more and more people are confident in creating with technology,” said Steve Leonard, Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore, Executive Deputy Chairman. “Programmes such as General Assembly will enable individuals to quickly gain or expand their skills in developing software as well as ensuring that corporations and startups acquire the IT talent needed in today’s economic landscape.”

“The expansion of our Singapore campus’ offerings is just one more step towards furthering our mission—empowering people to pursue the work they love,” said Jake Schwartz, co-founder and CEO, General Assembly. “With the support of IDA Singapore, which shares our goal of making education more accessible, our programmes will provide even more students with the opportunity to start and advance their careers.”

GA’s programmes create and develop ICT talent in Singapore by equipping individuals with the 21st century skills needed to find full-time meaningful employment. All of GA’s courses are taught by top practitioners with real world experience in the field. GA also places an emphasis on helping its students secure jobs after graduation, leveraging its extensive hiring partner network throughout Singapore. The immersive courses will be taught at the General Assembly campus at the Working Capitol, a vibrant co-working community which has both start-ups, and three billion-dollar companies.

IDA’s collaboration with GA welcomes individuals from new communities such as:
•Mid-career switchers without ICT background and interested in a career in tech
•Current IT professionals interested in up-skilling in preparation for new tech positions
•Fresh graduates with a passion to join or build a tech start-up.

In Singapore, many industry frontrunners from banking, telecommunications, ICT associations, and start-ups sectors are showcasing their support for practical IT training programmes such as these immersive courses in General Assembly.

“It is important that we are empowered with the right skills that allow us to actively participate in the exciting opportunities of our new world, of a smart nation. The ability to code, understand how technology works, and how to make it work for you, will ensure that each of us reach our full potential. We look forward to having General Assembly add to the vibrancy of our Singapore ecosystem,” said Jessica Tan, Microsoft Singapore Managing Director.

Said Theresa Phua, Singapore Head of Human Resources, DBS Bank: “In the last few years, the digital revolution has caused disruption in the financial industry. Adopting a digital mindset and having the relevant skill sets are crucial in today’s workplace. As such, DBS has already been working with various partners and conducting hackathons as part of the bank’s talent development journey. More recently, DBS has also added on roles like UX designers and data scientists as the bank moves towards a more digital future. We are glad to support this partnership between IDA and General Assembly as we are committed to grooming our local tech talents contributing to the strong local core in the markets we operate in.”

“For Pie or any other tech startup, amazing tech talent trumps everything. General Assembly plays a pivotal role in strengthening Singapore's position as one of Asia's most prominent tech ecosystems by growing the pool of tech talent as well as evangelising entrepreneurial culture,” echoed Peter-Paul Walraven, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer, Pie.

Ms Janet Young, Head of Group Channels and Digitalisation, UOB, said, “Digital innovation is constantly influencing and shaping our customers’ lives. As such, how we employ technology must always enable us to meet our customers’ expectations and to suit their needs. UOB has enrolled two of our employees for these courses and we plan to have more of them attend as we believe in developing our talent to ensure that they are continuously learning to acquire the right skillsets and be future ready.”

“Singtel is constantly looking for fresh talents who are future tech ready to support Singapore’s Smart Nation developments. A good example is our recent partnership with IDA to leverage on their Company-led Training programme, which attracts and train young Singaporean professionals from polytechnics and universities in developing Smart City solutions. We are also planning to launch programmes for mid-career professionals who wish to upskill and specialise in emerging technologies, hence would welcome initiatives aimed at nurturing talents with practical skillsets and competencies to make valuable contributions to the ICT industry,” Bill Chang, SingTel Group Enterprise Chief Executive Officer.

To further the development of local tech talent and meet the demand for IT professionals, IDA and General Assembly further support this programme by providing subsidised rates for Singaporeans keen in a career in tech or upskilling their craft in software development. Singaporeans will be able to enjoy the courses at 30% of the full rate.