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Singapore introduces occupational codes to aid application for new job roles in tech, sustainability

Singapore just introduced new occupational codes for jobs in Information Technology and sustainability (Green economy) to reflect the growing demand of these positions for talent globally.

The roles are cyber incident investigation specialist, threat analysis specialist, ICT product manager, artificial intelligence (AI) applied researcher, AI/machine learning engineer, and development operations engineer and is open to foreign talent.

This is according to a report by the Singapore Department of Statistics (Singstat).

These roles are increasingly relevant as Singapore pursues its digital economy goals, forging strategic partnerships and initiatives to harness technologies like AI and promote business digitalization.

The addition of these roles is also to respond to the rising number of cyber threats targeting both businesses and individuals.

Demand for ‘Green Jobs’

To meet the anticipated rise in demand for sustainability-related jobs, Singstat identified four occupations which have been introduced for the green economy.

These occupations are: environmental analyst, energy portfolio manager, sustainability project development/management professional, and environmental commodities trader.

Singstat’s research also identified a growing need for carbon management services and associated job roles.

The inclusion of new codes addresses specific job functions and emerging industries’ requirements. For instance, agriculturist and aquaculturist roles now have distinct codes, having previously been grouped under a residual code for less common occupational categories.

Additionally, new codes have been established for non-financial risk analysts, reflecting their evolving responsibilities compared to generic policy-planning professionals, and executive secretaries, acknowledging their increased skill requirements in supporting top executives with specialized organizational and administrative tasks.

These changes are among those in Singapore Standard Occupational Classification (SSOC) 2024, which follows the last edition published in 2020.

SSOC classifies occupations based on the type of work performed.

The latest review was undertaken by Singstat, alongside a working group of representatives from various agencies.

Background

Earlier, Nairametrics reported that Singapore was experiencing a workforce gap of 260,000 professionals in the fields of Technology, Banking, and Engineering, driven by its thriving tech industry leading to the creation of technology hubs .

This is why the country aims to address the impact of the pandemic-induced departure of foreign workers, by hiring 260,000 new professionals, compensating for the loss of 194,000 foreign workers.

The country’s work visa regulations have also played a significant role in attracting and retaining skilled tech professionals, offering streamlined application processes and flexible eligibility criteria.