The China Post
Date: July 9, 2016
By: Marissa Lee ,The Straits Times/Asia News Network
Automation could replace many jobs in the region in the coming years but such technological advances will also make it even harder for local firms to find high-skilled staff to operate the new equipment, according to a new report.
One way to meet this need is to encourage students to focus on so-called STEM subjects — science, technology, engineering and mathematics, according to the report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) yesterday.
“Despite significant indications of innovation and technological progress, enterprises in Singapore reported that costs and skills are the biggest barriers to upgrading technology, with lack of skills reported more frequently in Singapore than on average in ASEAN,” the report said.
Singapore accounts for half of ASEAN’s “high-skill, technology-intensive” manufacturing exports, followed by Thailand (19.6 percent) and Malaysia (15.7 percent). [FULL STORY]