Regional expansion: RMIT and Singapore focus on future skills

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Regional expansion: RMIT and Singapore focus on future skills

A new partnership with the Singapore Government’s SkillsFuture initiative will see RMIT University take its disruptive online education model to Singapore.

Following a successful pilot last year with more than 20 teachers from schools across Singapore, iOS App Development with Swift and Developing Blockchain Strategy short courses will soon be included in the SkillsFuture list of industry-relevant training for mid-career professionals.

With a recent study predicting a global tech skills deficit of 4.3 million workers by 2030, SkillsFuture has been playing a key role in empowering Singaporeans to upskill and prepare for the future.

RMIT Vice-Chancellor and President Martin Bean CBE and Apple Vice-President of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives Lisa Jackson launch the iOS App Development with Swift course in 2017.

RMIT Online CEO Helen Souness said the collaboration was a positive step forward for both RMIT and the region.

“The partnership presents an exciting opportunity for us to bring our lifelong learning vision to a market acutely aware of the need to continually upskill its citizens to be ready for the future of work,” she said.

“In a period defined by rapid technological advancements, nations are seeing a need to invest in developing homegrown talent to drive innovation and prosperity.

“This shift validates the need for us to remodel education to follow industry’s lead.”

Apple Vice-President of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives Lisa Jackson said Apple saw education as “one of the most powerful tools we have to make the world a better place”.

"We're thrilled that students of all ages and abilities in Singapore will now be able to tap into the language of coding, gaining the skills they need to grow and succeed in the app economy and beyond," she said.

The courses will also feature Singapore-based mentors from global industry partners, including Accenture and Tigerspike.

Since launching its industry-led short course model in Australia in November 2017, RMIT Online now has more than 18 industry-developed short courses, covering topics from virtual reality and augmented reality to artificial intelligence and digital marketing.

More than 12,000 enterprises and 465,000 Singaporeans participated in SkillsFuture in 2018.

Story: Jennifer Graham