SINGAPORE, 27 April 2023: Temasek Polytechnic (TP), a leading institution of higher learning in Singapore, has entered into a tripartite memorandum of understanding with global professional services company Accenture and Singapore-based learning technology company Kydon Group to design and develop programs that equip adult learners with relevant skills for the digital economy. The collaboration which will help lay the groundwork for the nation’s strategy to upskill its workforce for the future, will also be extended to other countries in South-East Asia.
In a first across all Institutes of Higher Learning (IHL) in Singapore, the programs will focus on the needs of adult learners who are yet to meet the Minimum Entry Requirements (MERs) for selected Temasek Polytechnic Specialist Diploma courses offered under its Continuing Education and Training (“CET”) curriculum. Interested learners will now have the option to take short courses developed by Accenture Academy, which will automatically qualify them for Temasek’s modules without the need for aptitude tests or interviews. The curated AA content will be made available on ZilLearn, Kydon’s e-learning platform. The programs to be developed will be made accessible, affordable and achievable to cater to the Singaporean workforce in their goal to achieve meaningful and relevant learning outcomes.
The collaboration was announced at an event held at the Accenture Innovation Hub at Raffles City Tower this morning and was graced by Mr Tan Kiat How, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Communications and Information.
SMS Tan said, “Partnerships between our IHLs and industry are crucial in equipping adult learners with up-to-date, industry-relevant tech skillsets to seize exciting job opportunities in Singapore’s digital economy, regardless of their starting point or educational background. The collaboration between Accenture, Temasek Polytechnic and Kydon Group is a meaningful step to create more career pathways for Singaporeans.”
Businesses today are required to rethink upskilling, embrace flexibility and deliver purpose-driven work to respond to the changing dynamics of their workforce, job demands and to stay competitive. The partnership of Temasek Polytechnic, acting through its School of Informatics & IT, with Accenture and Kydon will identify the industry’s demand and skills required for the future of work as it evolves and, develop tailored training programmes that will effectively address the needs of workforces and workplaces as they prepare for changes, big and small,” said David Yeo, Chairman and CEO, Kydon Group and ZilLearn.
“To unlock greater value and growth in the digital economy, every nation and every business need to be net creators of talent. Our collaboration with Temasek Polytechnic and Kydon Group supports Singapore skilling agenda and expands Accenture’s commitment to talent creation and building a future ready workforce for the country’s growing digital economy. Accenture Academy, an immersive learning platform serves as a fundamental building block, providing learners with anywhere, anytime access to tailored micro-learning content that is tightly aligned to Singapore’s Continuing Education and Training (CET) Masterplan,” said Wee Wei Ng, Market Unit Lead, South-East Asia, Accenture.
The three companies also announced their plan for subsequent phases to widen the partner ecosystem by inviting other academic bodies and industry associations to support the skills building initiative by creating awareness for the importance of continuous skills development to build a resilient workforce and drive economic growth.
Accenture and Temasek Polytechnic will also explore collaborations with other companies to offer internship and employment opportunities to those graduating from these programs.
Mr Peter Lam, Principal and CEO of Temasek Polytechnic said, “We are delighted to be part of this tripartite collaboration, which is aligned to our vision of supporting CET and reskilling workers for the future. Our partnership with Accenture and Kydon enables us to establish a pathway for individuals to reskill and upskill more easily. Individuals who have completed relevant courses from the Accenture Academy will now be able to complete Stackable Modular Certificates at TP. Through this collaboration, we are able to provide more adult learners with access to a wider range of courses and opportunities, thus enhancing their employability and enabling them to succeed in their careers.”
