Indvstrvs

LinkedIn has unveiled new research which reveals that in APAC, there are a rising number of job applicants, but it’s been harder to hire, with majority of job applications not meeting the listed criteria. This mismatch is partly driven by changing skill and role requirements, which, while fostering innovation and growth, also create new hiring challenges for businesses.   Key findings include: More applicants, but the process is harder. While the majority of people (65%) in APAC are looking for a new job in 2025, nearly two-thirds (61%) of HR professionals say it’s actually become harder to find qualified talent in the last year, with 64% saying that less than half of job applications received meet all of the criteria listed. In-demand skills and role requirements are rapidly changing. Almost three-quarters (70%) of this year’s Jobs on the Rise roles are new to the annual lists – showing an increased demand for AI and sustainability roles like Artificial Intelligence Researcher and Sustainability Analyst and Consultant. Businesses are turning to AI to support their talent needs. Access to hiring technologies – including AI-powered tools – is the #1 thing HR professionals (54%) in APAC say would make the hiring process easier, with nearly three-quarters (78%) saying AI makes it easier to find qualified candidates. Upskilling is taking center stage amidst accelerating workplace transformation. To mitigate against emerging skills gaps, businesses are also looking to build skills from within: 78% of HR professionals say their organization is prioritizing upskilling initiatives in 2025 – in areas such as AI, sustainability, and soft skills. #linkedin #workforce #hiring #upskilling #ai

Colliers announced this week the launch of the Q4 2024 Office Market Report and Outlook for Singapore. The report discusses key trends that dominated Q4 2024 and those that are shaping the 2025 office market and overall sentiment on both the demand and supply sides.   Q4 2024 saw a season of cautious optimism for the Core CBD premium and Grade A rents. Lease renewals at higher rates and limited supply of high-quality space are likely reasons for the marginal growth in rents. Going forward, with further interest cuts anticipated, market conditions are likely to improve. The office market may experience heightened activity as lower borrowing costs encourage both buyers and sellers to return. Capital values are expected to remain stable, supported by the strong holding power of asset owners and higher liquidity. Key highlights include:  - In Q4 2024, Core CBD Premium and Grade A rents extended by 0.1% QOQ, reaching SGD 11.68 per sq ft and recording a full year 1.7% growth for 2024. The marginal growth in rents can be attributed to lease renewals at higher rates and the limited supply of high-quality space in the market. - Average capital values in this office segment remained flat at SGD3,050 per sq ft. - Tenants could leverage on higher vacancies in selected buildings to drive negotiations. - Landlords could motivate budget constrained tenants to relocate by offering more incentives such as fitted solutions or longer fit out periods.   Core CBD Premium and Grade A office rents rose 0.1% QOQ during Q4 2024, reaching SGD 11.68 per sq ft. This marks a 1.7% growth for 2024, an improvement compared to the 0.8% registered in 2023.   As the new CBD office supply has been gradually absorbed, vacancy has eased from 5.9% to 5.2% this quarter. Vacancy has spiked in certain buildings within the CBD motivated by cost efficiency and flight to quality, but a downturn is not expected due to the calibrated supply. #office #markettrends #colliers All credit to Colliers.

We are not in the habit of publishing changes in roles, even within companies we follow, but some of us have had the pleasure of working with the newly appointed Terrascope CEO Felipe Daguila in our consulting past and there are still, to this day, things he said that we apply to our own work: "Time is negotiable, quality is not." "If you want to grow in a job, train your team to do your job." "Progress over perfection. Consistency always wins" Congratulations on the well-deserved appointment from the Indvstrvs team!

Much of school work does not train the pragmatic skills needed in one's career. Many of the concepts and conversations are outdated and unusable in most day-to-day professions, stressing young people unnecessarily and failing to teach them that true knowledge comes from continuous self-discovery.

Credit card debt in Singapore reached a troubling milestone with bad debts surging nearly 20 per cent in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the previous quarter. This is a high not seen since 2021. This comes as credit card spending rose by 1.1 per cent from the previous quarter, fueling a rise in personal loans for the first time since late 2022. But numbers only tell part of the story. Mounting debts are taking a toll on personal relationships, with financial irresponsibility tied to debt increasingly cited as a key reason for divorces. At the same time, social service agencies in Singapore have seen a staggering 50 per cent increase in individuals seeking help for debt management between 2021 and 2023. Is the convenience of easy credit leading Singaporeans down a dangerous slope? Or is Singapore just joining the ranks of the other developed nations, where credit card debt and high usage is the norm? #creditcard #debt #income #inflation

Over 50% of all the markets covered by EIU have plugged into a low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite network run by either US-based Starlink or Europe’s OneWeb-Eutelsat, which has raised government concerns regarding potential national security risks. EIU shares further insights:   - LEO satellites are positioned closer to the earth’s orbit compared to traditional geostationary (GEO) satellites. This means low latency and high speed–an ideal solution for last-mile connectivity in countries with challenging topography or at a time of an extreme climate event when terrestrial telecoms networks are destroyed. - According to a count as of October 2024, so far about 33 of the 60 markets EIU covers have plugged into a LEO satellite constellation, and Starlink (US) and OneWeb-Eutelsat (France and the UK) are extending their constellation size to create a wide network. - But this rapid pace of expansion in the space economy by the private sector has caught the attention of military agencies and governments. The notion of having satellites built by another country hovering over one’s airspace has exacerbated national security concerns in what is already a tense geopolitical environment. - This has led to governments revising their space mission plans to focus on either building a satellite launcher or a constellation for purposes ranging from accessing the internet in the event of a natural disaster or conflict to protecting borders. - Several sovereign space initiatives have launched in 2024 and more will happen in 2025. Governments will not be able to fly solo and will continue to rely on dominant players or risk falling behind.  - Japan has partnered with the US to build LEO constellations for missile tracking and created a US$6.2bn Space Strategic Fund to build its own space launch vehicles. - South Korea will invest US$234m for its LEO feasibility study that begins in 2025 and is expected to progress until 2030. - Taiwan government allocated US$10bn to its national space program, of which a local LEO network is one part with launch expected in 2026. Government will not allow Starlink access because of SpaceX's refusal to comply with a policy that mandates major ownership by a local firm for a joint venture. - In August 2024, China launched first batch of 15,000 satellite LEO constellation, with more expected in 2025. Thousand Sails is China's response to Starlink alongside several other state-backed firms that are venturing into the LEO sector. - For next year, the direction of the global LEO satellite market can be gauged by looking at developments for Starlink, OneWeb-Eutelsat and progress made on the national space plans. #spacerace #starlink #satellites #eutelsat All credit to EIU.

The PERSOLKELLY Singapore Salary Guide 2024/2025 report reveals a positive trajectory in salary increments across various industries, reflecting the competitiveness of the job market. In 2024, there has been a growing focus on specialized skill sets, particularly digital skills like data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning, which are in high demand. As AI becomes integral to various sectors, proficiency in AI and machine learning has become essential for many industries. The finance sector, in particular, is experiencing increased demand for expertise in fintech and regulatory compliance. The adoption of remote work and flexible arrangements continues to shape the employment landscape. Despite global shifts towards remote work, Singapore maintains a preference for onsite positions, with only 12.8% of entry-level jobs offering remote or hybrid opportunities. However, by the end of 2024, employees in Singapore will be entitled to request flexible work arrangements under the new Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests. Key trends across prominent sectors include: Accounting: Rising dissatisfaction has led to significant turnover, with half of professionals considering leaving the field. In response, firms are raising salaries and emphasizing accountants' roles as strategic advisors, requiring adaptation to automation and advanced financial practices. Customer Service: AI and data analytics are revolutionizing customer interactions, enabling personalization and self-service tools. Companies are prioritizing staff well-being and training in empathy and problem-solving to enhance service quality, particularly in high-growth sectors like healthcare and automotive. Procurement & Logistics: Generative AI is reshaping supply chain management, improving efficiency and enabling strategic planning. Companies are focusing on flexible contracting and hiring diverse talent to navigate market volatility. Sales & Marketing: Demand for sales and marketing roles is surging post-pandemic. Singapore’s attractiveness as a hub for digital, data science, and AI talent continues to grow, with significant inbound migration from neighboring countries. Banking & Finance: Sustainable finance and generative AI are transforming the sector, with over 50,000 professionals upskilling to meet new demands. Innovations in fintech are enhancing personalized financial services. Healthcare & Life Sciences: AI and telemedicine are driving personalized care, diagnostics, and telecare initiatives, addressing rising healthcare needs amidst an ageing population. Engineering & IT: AI is critical for innovation across sectors, boosting efficiency and cybersecurity capabilities. Singapore’s IT sector remains the fastest-growing, with demand for professionals in AI, IoT, and data analytics. #salary #workforce #trends #singapore Summary of report - credit to PERSOLKELLY. Image credit to Michael Page.

In a recent parliamentary session, Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) shared that there will not be a set threshold for blocking websites linked to potential misinformation campaigns. This is after the country blocked 10 inauthentic websites earlier in October, which were believed to be linked to foreign actors and possibly intended for hostile information campaigns against Singapore. The technical sophistication of this new breed of disinformation—blending AI and deceptive website design—requires equally advanced detection methods, such as Natural Language Processing (NLP) algorithms and machine learning models trained to recognize patterns of unauthentic content. This challenge is precisely what Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs is addressing by proactively blocking sites linked to foreign actors who seek to manipulate local discourse. Singapore’s approach to blocking disinformation sites is a proactive measure that aims to curb the spread of false narratives at the earliest possible stage. By targeting these sites before they gain significant traction, the government seeks to minimize immediate exposure to harmful content, particularly when such sites utilize familiar local branding to deceive users. However, it is still concerning given the rapid speed at which new fake websites can be created using generative AI and other emerging technologies. It is important to consider a broader, comprehensive strategy. This may include raising public awareness, fostering collaboration with tech platforms, and implementing AI-powered tools to continuously detect and adapt to evolving disinformation tactics. Looking at international examples, countries like France, Germany, and Australia have adopted similar measures to tackle disinformation. France’s "fake news" law, for instance, enables the blocking of sites spreading false content, particularly during elections. Germany’s Network Enforcement Act (NetzDG) mandates that social media platforms quickly remove illegal content, including disinformation, while Australia’s Task Force to Counter Foreign Interference works with tech companies to identify and shut down misleading websites, especially during sensitive national events. These efforts highlight the value of robust legal frameworks, public-private partnerships, and swift government intervention in preventing the spread of disinformation. For everyday users, these measures can greatly improve online safety by reducing exposure to misleading or harmful content. AI-driven detection tools and website blocking mechanisms are designed to protect users from falling victim to false narratives, which can influence public opinion and foster confusion. However, there is a risk that some legitimate sites may be incorrectly flagged, raising concerns about overreach and censorship. #censorship #misinformation Credit to Abhishek Kumar Singh, Check Point.

Business leaders have warned that without bold government policy, the next wave of large-scale investments in the net zero transition are at risk. An overwhelming 91% of executives see the transition as an investment opportunity, based on responses from 250 executives of leading businesses worldwide, with a combined market capitalization of more than $2 trillion. However, only 1% of businesses believe the transition is on track. The warning comes in a new report launched earlier this month by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) in partnership with Bain & Company, the Breakthrough Agenda and the Marrakech Partnership. The report emphasizes that achieving plans to halve emissions by 2030 and meet the 1.5°C climate target hinges on private sector investment. The report shows that businesses have been investing substantially in the net zero transition. Three-quarters (74%) of businesses surveyed have increased their investments in the net zero transition over the past three years, motivated by growing commercial opportunities in their industry, with one in three (35%) committing more than half of their capital investment. However, two thirds (66%) of business leaders identify the lack of a strong investment case and slow scale-up of infrastructure as the most urgent barriers to accelerate large-scale investment. Businesses cite that macroeconomic challenges are delaying project development, with 50% inflation in plant capital expenditure costs and rising renewable energy prices, slow permitting processes, uncertain revenue models, limited low-carbon fuel supply, long grid interconnection queues and slow roll-out of charging networks; all putting the next set of investments needed to achieve net zero goals at risk. #wbcsd #bain #netzero #sustainability Continue reading here: https://lnkd.in/gPnf5qmV

The UK, through its flagship ASEAN-UK Supporting the Advancement of Girls’ Education (SAGE) Program has launched a groundbreaking initiative to address gender disparities in education across Southeast Asia. The program, developed in partnership with the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), introduces a new framework aimed at understanding and tackling inequalities in educational outcomes for girls, women, and other marginalized groups in the ASEAN region. The program's initial outputs include a series of thematic pillar studies and a regional data gap map, which provide critical insights into the barriers facing marginalized groups in accessing education. These findings help inform evidence- based interventions to combat disparities in education in the ASEAN region, particularly in countries where gender disparities remain pronounced. While gender gaps in education outcomes have closed in many areas, challenges still persist that constrain girls and women from capitalizing on their education opportunities and realizing their potential. The framework suggests that by recognizing education participation as lifelong, there are greater chances for girls and women to be empowered not just in the education context, but also in the wider economic and societal contexts. The first of its kind in the region, the framework can be used to support regional monitoring, and to identify gaps and underlying factors that explain critical differences in key educational, social and economic outcomes nationally and regionally. The studies highlight key challenges in the region: • 9 in 10 children in Lao PDR, the Philippines, Cambodia, and Myanmar, cannot read and understand a simple text by age 10. • Just 1 in 2 children complete lower-secondary school in Cambodia, Myanmar, Lao PDR and Timor-Leste. This drops to 1 in 4 for upper-secondary in Cambodia, Myanmar, and Lao PDR. • Up to 80% of future jobs in ASEAN will require at least basic digital skills by 2030. • The percentage of teachers who have not received pre- or in-service ICT training ranges from 3% in Viet Nam to 65% in Cambodia and Lao PDR. #asean #uk #womenempowerment