147 Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) Singapore Digital (SG:D) scholarship recipients received their awards at the virtual SG:D Scholarship Award Ceremony today, which was graced by Minister for Communications and Information, Mrs Josephine Teo.
The Information and Communications (I&C) sector continues to be a bright spot in Singapore, growing 2.1% in 2020 while Singapore’s overall economy shrank by 5.4% in the same year. Singapore urgently needs tech and media talent, not just within these sectors but across the economy. IMDA has been running various programmes to raise the local talent pipeline for tech and media. The SG:D Scholarship is one such initiative that seeks to build a strong Singaporean core for the industry and groom Singapore’s next generation of tech and media leaders in the private sector.
The 147 SG:D scholarship recipients for 2020 and 2021 are pursuing their studies in areas such as Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence and Filmmaking. Scholarship awards for undergraduate studies in Cybersecurity are jointly awarded by IMDA and the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA).
The SG:D Undergraduate scholarship recipients will be provided with professional development opportunities during their term of studies and after they begin their careers. This would include regional exposure to ASEAN markets and mentorship opportunities from the private sector to prepare the recipients to be future tech and media leaders.
Minister Teo said, “The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated digitalisation, and correspondingly, a critical need for tech and media talents. Now more so than ever, we need architects and builders to dream of and create Singapore’s digital future; and effective communicators to bring others along the digital journey. Initiatives like the IMDA’s SG:D Scholarship help Singapore to build a strong local pipeline of talent ready to seize opportunities for themselves and improve the lives of fellow Singaporeans.”
Mr Lew Chuen Hong, Chief Executive of IMDA, said, “Digitalisation has created many opportunities for Singapore and increased the demand for tech and media talent. The SG:D Scholarship helps channel promising young Singaporeans to fill such good jobs in industry, providing them with regional exposure and industry experience, and positioning them to be our next generation of industry leaders.”
IMDA will also continue to support Singaporeans to reskill and upskill through its talent programmes under the TechSkills Accelerator (TeSA) initiative.
Resources:
Annex A: Profiles of selected 2020 and 2021 SG:D Scholars (227.63KB)
ISSUED BY THE INFO-COMMUNICATIONS MEDIA DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
About Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA)
The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) leads Singapore’s digital transformation with infocomm media. To do this, IMDA will develop a dynamic digital economy and a cohesive digital society, driven by an exceptional infocomm media (ICM) ecosystem – by developing talent, strengthening business capabilities, and enhancing Singapore’s ICM infrastructure. IMDA also regulates the telecommunications and media sectors to safeguard consumer interests while fostering a pro-business environment, and enhances Singapore’s data protection regime through the Personal Data Protection Commission. For more news and information, visit www.imda.gov.sg or follow IMDA on Facebook IMDAsg and Twitter @IMDAsg.
For media clarifications, please contact:
Lydia LEE (Ms)
Manager, Communications and Marketing
Email: [email protected]
Kenneth TAN (Mr)
Senior Manager, Communications and Marketing
Email: [email protected]
