Taking the next step to grow homegrown tech talent

With a highly educated and adaptable working class, political and economic stability, great government incentives, and a strong commitment to innovation, Singapore has won the race in establishing itself as an APAC hub for many companies.

And while it is able to attract the best talent from across the globe, constraints on hiring foreign manpower have also led to many companies looking to fill the talent gap in areas such as technology.

In fact, despite all of its advancements and ability in attracting the best talent, an article in The Business Times outlined there is still a significant skills gap when it comes to new emerging areas such as AI and technology. Additionally, the Singapore government’s Budget 2025 unveiled that up to SG$150 million will be set aside for a new Enterprise Compute Initiative to support firms and businesses in tapping AI solutions.

Currently, around 25% of tech hiring managers cite a shortage of skilled candidates as their primary obstacle, and the talent crunch is most keenly felt in Singapore’s most productive sectors such as ICT and professional services, partly due to Singapore's more selective approach to foreign labour, explained Marcus Loh, director and head of marketing and public affairs of Temus.

When it comes to digital transformation in both the private and public sectors in Singapore, there is a mix of challenges and opportunities.

With the rapid pace of technological change, it can be hard for companies to keep up with the necessary hiring, training and development of tech workers. Addressing these barriers requires a strategic approach, emphasising the long-term value of talent development and aligning it with a company's broader goals.

For example, despite a majority of senior business executives agreeing that data reduces uncertainty and improves decision-making, 69% aren’t leveraging data effectively for pricing decisions, especially in economic conditions such as inflation. This is because a hefty one-third of business leaders feel overwhelmed by the influx of data, which is expected to more than double by 2026.

But at the same time, Singapore businesses continue to embrace AI-powered customer engagement strategies, gathering data using every customer's click, share, follow, like, and purchase to understand their preferences and needs. These strategies have come with a number of benefits, including higher customer satisfaction scores (48% of companies), improved market segmentation and targeting (43%), and increased cross-selling and upselling opportunities (41%).

To keep up with the changing needs of organisations in the digital world, Temus, an entity established in April 2021 by Temasek, launched its Step IT Up programme, a business practice that responds by bridging the talent gap.

Step IT Up Singapore is a partnership between Temus and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), supported by Digital Industry Singapore, under the TechSkills Accelerator initiative.

The programme is designed to empower Singaporean locals without prior IT backgrounds a guaranteed place in the digital workforce, and aligns with Temus’ greater ambition of being the digitalisation champion for Singapore, and beyond. This year will be Temus’ fourth cohort of the hugely successful programme, which saw over 800 applications last year. Applicants came from a wide variety of backgrounds including fresh graduates and career switchers.

“At Temus, we’re committed to expanding the digital talent pool to meet the needs of our economy, our clients, and our own growth ambitions. We know that true digital transformation starts and ends with people. It’s not just about strategy, design, or technology—it’s about investing in talent to unlock the full potential of these efforts. We firmly believe that Singapore has the capacity to build a stronger homegrown tech workforce, but it requires real commitment backed by decisive action and resources,” Loh emphasised. “I hope Step IT Up will serve as a viable, private sector-led pathfinder in this regard.”

Through Step IT Up, Temus partners with clients of all sizes, across both private and public sectors, to bridge their digital talent gaps by drawing exclusively on local talent with no prior IT experience. Unlike traditional upskilling programs that train first and place later, the company’s unique approach guarantees a job upon graduation, using a ‘hire, place, and train’ model. By offering a firm commitment to a full-time tech role upfront, Temus gives aspiring local talents the confidence to make the leap, empowering more Singaporeans to successfully pivot into the technology sector and thrive in their new careers.

This year, the Step IT Up programme aims to hire, place and train over 20 candidates in low-code development, which enables companies to develop digital applications that improves efficiency and automates processes. Temus is pioneering low-code development in Singapore and the region in line with growing demand from companies. Some of Temus’ clients include the Singapore mainboard-listed Telco, a leading global pharmaceutical company, and Singapore’s largest private education institution, to name a few.

To successfully transform trainees, Step IT Up brings together mentors, coaches, industry professionals, as well as key partners that share Temus’ aspirations to build digital talents for Singapore. With the synergy of these players, graduates enjoy effective on-the-job training while maintaining a job security that they can either remain employees of Temus or join its key partners for their digital projects, when mutually-beneficial opportunities arise.

“We tailor our training program by first deeply understanding the needs of the organisation—whether it’s Temus or our clients—and then designing the technical curriculum, social dispositions, and cultural alignment accordingly. Growing human capital and helping people thrive in teams and workplaces is complex and highly contextual. That’s why Step IT Up collaborations are not just about training; they are strategic partnerships. We work hand-in-hand with our business stakeholders to meet specific hiring demands and ensure our approach is aligned for mutual success,” Loh shared.

Today, Temus has built a diverse and skilled talent pool across the public and private sectors, such as defence, healthcare, BFSI, and the green economy. The firm’s capabilities now span expertise in cloud, applications, platforms, AI, data, design, and more. He adds, “Despite doubling in size every year since we were established, Temus is proud to be anchored by a strong Singapore core, reflecting our commitment to nurturing and expanding local digital talent in support of Singapore’s Smart Nation ambitions. I hope that more enterprises will join us.”

Aligning to national aspirations

Over the past year, there has been a surge of government-supported initiatives targeting digital talent in Singapore. The TechSkills Accelerator (TeSA), under IMDA, for example, is aimed at building a skilled Information and Communications Technology (ICT) workforce for Singapore’s digital economy. TeSA collaborates with industry partners SkillsFuture Singapore, Workforce Singapore, and the National Trades Union Congress.

Under TeSA is the company-led training programme, which includes Temus' Step IT Up career conversion scheme. The programme fast-tracks the professional development of tertiary graduates and mid-career professionals, including mature PMETs, through on-the-job training that equips them with competencies needed for in-demand jobs, particularly those supporting the digital economy sector’s transformation.

Loh said Temus aims to be a digital champion for both the private and public sectors in Singapore, and believes in unlocking economic and societal value through the strategic design of human-machine interactions.

By partnering with public and private sector leaders, it aims to provide tailored solutions that address their specific needs, ensuring they can leverage digital technologies to their fullest potential.

“Temus’ approach has always involved a deep understanding of human behaviour and processes, allowing us to create strategies that not only drive efficiency and productivity, but also enhance the customer and employee experiences,” Loh said.

“We prioritise value-centricity and long-term partnerships, ensuring that our solutions are sustainable and deliver long-term success.”

On a personal level, Loh brings over 20 years of industry experience in brand and business building for many enterprises in the technology. His journey into the field was unconventional, shaped by the guidance of exceptional people and learning from both wins and failures throughout his career. He credits these experiences with helping him find his true calling early in his career. “In many ways, the journeys our Step IT Up trainees embark on mirror my own life experience. That’s why I am hopeful we can scale and expand Step IT Up, even into tech-lite roles, to give more Singaporeans a chance to contribute to building our digital future. While pay grades and career paths will naturally differ based on role complexity, I believe we have a real opportunity to give more Singaporeans a place in our economy’s dynamic and productive digital workforce. The vision of a ‘Smarter Citizenry for our Smart Nation’ is truly within reach. Let’s step it up,” he shared.

The call for applications to Temus’ 4th Step IT Up intake is now open. Individuals can apply at Temus’ Step IT Up microsite.

This article was written in collaboration with Temus.