Industry, Jobs and Skills Transformation (OTC189)

The disruptions brought about by technological advancements transform the future of work, and impact on the skills needed from the workforce and the modality of work. Through social scientific perspectives (drawing from political science, political economy, labour relations, comparative politics and the study of public policies), this course surveys the shape and needs of Industry 4.0 and the features of digitalized and automated workplaces within the contexts of policymaking (e.g. employment policies and regulations), socio-political leadership, retraining schemes, political economy of industry transformation, industrial actions, the concept of employability, government-private sector (management)-workers/unions relationship (tripartism), etc. Emphasis will be placed on skills training policies (e.g. lifelong learning, SkillsFuture, etc.), Singapore’s transformation in coping with changes (with some global comparisons), emergence of freelancing, changing ideas of the millennial generation and the importance of human capital. Students will also discuss the opportunities offered by government regulations for coping with the changes.

• Economic and Industry Transformation
• Changing Nature of Jobs and Work Design
• Global Megatrends Shaping the Future of Work
• Introduction to Technology and Work
• Skills Frameworks and Competency Development
• Lifelong Learning and Career Mobility

• Cite global megatrends shaping the future of work
• Explain key concepts related to retraining needs.
• Use relevant skills frameworks to assess personal competencies.
• Identify the nexus and interconnections between government, private sector/management and workers/unions (the ‘tripartite’).
• List strategies for lifelong learning and career mobility in response to evolving workplace demands.