With the rapid digitalisation of workplace processes today, 84% of employers in Singapore say there is an increasing need for employees across various job roles and departments to have basic coding skills and knowledge, according to research from the National Trades Union Congress LearningHub.

Meanwhile 31% of employers said that more than 50% of job roles within their organisation require basic and advanced coding skills.

NTUC’s research is based on a survey with 200 business leaders across various industries in Singapore, and interviews with industry practitioners and experts from NTUC LearningHub and its training content partners.

The research found that many employers are optimistic about the growth of technology-related job roles in Singapore. Half of the employers surveyed, or 53%, say that the number of job roles requiring basic coding skills or tech-lite jobs is growing while 41% say that the number of jobs requiring advanced coding skills or tech-heavy jobs is on the rise.

NTUC LearningHub's Director of Infocomm Technology, Anthony Chew said, "In today's highly digitalised world, the ability to code is a critical skill even for non-tech employees as it will enable them to create value for their organisations. As companies increasingly adopt the use of low-code platforms, it is now possible for business users to develop applications, carry out data analysis, create machine learning models, and automate tasks. This results in employers looking for individuals with coding skills to utilise this technology.”

“Additionally, by learning how to code, employees are able to communicate more effectively with technical teams and gain a greater understanding of technology, which increases efficiency for companies when it comes to implementing digitalisation initiatives,” Chew continued.

Wen-Ming Wong, Vice President and Managing Director of South-East Asia, UiPath, added, "With the power to help organisations operate more strategically and maximise their teams' potential, low code automation stands at the forefront of software development. Low code platforms are ushering in the future of work, one that's democratic, efficient, and automated.”

“Adoption of low code tools increases business output and extends the practice of software development to less technically inclined individuals. Not only does it take the responsibility of developing lower-level applications from IT teams, but it also empowers employees who already desire the opportunity to work more with automation. The automated enterprise is an empowered one, and low code is the key to unlocking it,” Wong said.