share on
Senior Minister of State for Education David Neo pointed out that we need a more agile jobs and skills ecosystem that can keep pace with rapid technological changes in the marketplace.
The NUS-ISS Annual Luncheon 2025 took place on 14 November 2025 at ParkRoyal Collection Marina Bay, bringing together industry partners, alumni, learners and staff for an afternoon of reflection and forward-looking discussions.
Attended by Human Resources Online, the event was themed 'Celebrating impact, expanding horizons', to celebrate the role NUS-ISS has played in Singapore talent landscape over the past more than four decades. It also marked the conclusion of the 10th edition of the NUS-ISS Learning Festival.
Guest-of-Honour David Neo, Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Senior Minister of State for Education, joined Janet Ang, Chairman of NUS-ISS, Khoong Chan Meng CEO of NUS-ISS, and members of the Management Board in recognising key milestones.
Preparing Singapore for an AI-enabled future
In his address, David Neo, Senior Minister of State for Education outlined Singapore’s need to prepare its workforce for rapid technological shifts and global competition. He referenced the Government’s ongoing Economic Strategic Review, which focuses on strengthening global competitiveness, leveraging technology and innovation, nurturing entrepreneurship, enhancing human capital and managing economic restructuring.
He reiterated that human capital remains Singapore’s core advantage and will continue to be decisive as the nation looks ahead to SG100.
Building an AI-ready and global-ready workforce
Neo shared that the committee on Human Capital is studying how Singaporeans can be equipped to be both AI-ready and global-ready.
Being AI-ready, he noted, involves learning to harness AI to augment human capability. He described the example of centaur chess, where a human and AI combination outperforms either working alone. He also cautioned about the risk of model collapse as AI-generated content grows rapidly online.
Alongside this, being global-ready requires cultural intelligence and adaptability as Singapore companies expand into regional and international markets.
Supporting Singaporeans through three priority areas
David Neo highlighted three areas of focus:
1) A more agile jobs and skills ecosystem
He emphasised the need for a more agile jobs and skills system that can keep pace with rapid technological changes. This includes shifting from a “waterfall” approach to an approach that integrates work and training throughout one’s career.
2) Strengthening AI competencies across the workforce
He stressed the need to level up AI competencies to keep pace with business adoption of AI, starting from young and continuing through lifelong learning.
3) Supporting workers to be global-ready
He emphasised the importance of preparing the workforce to be global-ready, noting Singapore’s small domestic market and the need for internationalisation.
Four decades of digital skills development
Since its founding in 1981, NUS-ISS has trained more than 200,000 digital leaders and professionals and partnered with over 9,600 organisations. Its alumni network now includes more than 8,200 alumni across sectors.
The luncheon highlighted continued efforts across the public and private sectors to strengthen digital capabilities. Key developments include:
- More than 13,000 public officers upskilled since 2021 under NUS-ISS’ appointment as Operations Partner for Digital Academy by Government Technology Agency of Singapore (GovTech).
- New collaborations with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Social and Family Development to train senior public-sector leaders over the next two to three years.
- Continued progress of the Nucleus 2.0 programme with NCS, where more than 400 employees received graduate certificates this year and 17 attained a Master of Technology in Software Engineering.
- More than 700 professionals trained this year in sustainability, digital product management and DevSecOps through a partnership with the Singapore Computer Society.
To support national AI ambitions, NUS-ISS has also launched a series of AI programmes aimed at preparing professionals to drive transformation.
Beyond Singapore, NUS-ISS is expanding its global footprint through collaborations with the Philippines Civil Service Commission, the Digital Government Agency of Saudi Arabia, Saudi Aramco, the Confederation of Indian Industry and Ayala Corporation.
Khoong Chan Meng, CEO, NUS-ISS, said:
We will continue to forge ahead with fortitude, leveraging our deep engagement with industries to develop relevant programmes that continually meet the needs of both professionals and organisations.
ALSO READ: Singapore pushes for global cooperation and digital trade to boost regional resilience at APEC 2025
Photo / Provided by NUS-ISS,
share on
