Sparkline talks ‘Digital Talent Upskilling’ with Dr. Jonathan Gwee from the Boston Consulting Group
written by Sarah Ann Rebello, HR and Education Director at Sparkline
Sparkline met with Dr. Jonathan Gwee, who is a Senior Consultant with Boston Consulting Group. Jonathan is a trained Medical Doctor, who joined BCG two years ago as a Consultant, so he knows a thing or two about switching career paths and reskilling for a new and exciting life journey!
Jonathan gave us some views and insights* on the Training Programme that BCG has created as part of their Digital Academy: ‘RISE’ (Rapid Immersive Skills Enhancement). The intensive training programme aims to fuel the market with much needed digital talent to help bridge the widening skills gap in Singapore. RISE is a 6-month SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme with placement assistance provided. So far, since launch, RISE has trained over 1300 learners with the first graduating batch ‘business-ready’ as of September 2021!
Sparkline proudly took part in the recent career fair for RISE earlier this year to meet some of the developing talents as part of our ongoing growth and hiring plans. As many of our customers and training alumni know, education is a core part of Sparkline’s business offering and a passion of ours to develop learning programmes for burgeoning data analytics professionals and tailored training for our clients. Which is why we were excited to have the opportunity to catch up with Jonathan as he and his team prepared to embark on the latest wave of the RISE programme.
Let’s find out more about the mission to educate and fuel talent in this Digital and Business space as we hear from Jonathan himself:
Sparkline: Can you tell us more about the RISE programme that is being run by BCG and it’s aim to help develop skills in the Digital Transformation and Data Analytics space?
Jonathan: The RISE programme was designed to help bridge a supply-demand mismatch for digital talent in Singapore’s labour market. On one side, you have experienced professionals who are seeking to pivot into growing digital roles or bring new digital skills to transform their existing functional speciality. On the other side, there are large numbers of companies that need digital workers, but against the backdrop of giants like Shopee, Grab, Google, Amazon etc., struggle to attract the digital talent they need in Singapore. RISE not only develops the Talent, but also helps employers find the digital Talent they need for their growth agendas.
Sparkline: What type of background typically are your trainees coming from and what, do you think, is inspiring them to retrain in these areas?
Jonathan: Our trainees are a really diverse bunch. They have anywhere from 3 to 30 years of experience; I’ve seen anyone from analysts 3 years out of university, to former CEOs, CFOs & GMs of MNCs & LLCs. Though they are all PMETs, we have almost the full spectrum of functions represented including finance, accounting, sales, marketing, supply chain & HR. They hail from industries that mirror Singapore’s key industries, like ICT, finance & banking, and manufacturing. The one thing they do have in common is a desire to continuously improve themselves to stay ahead in an ever-changing landscape.
Sparkline: What are you seeing in terms of the hiring landscape, as in what type of brands are engaging with the RISE programme and hiring talent from the programmes?
Jonathan: We’ve actually been heartened to see the diverse range of companies employing RISE talent. Big tech names like Grab, Shopee, AWS, Facebook & Salesforce have hired from RISE, as have blue chip companies like Cargill, SIA, JP Morgan & Boston Scientific. Digital startups like Omnilytics, Spenmo & MagellanX have hired our Talent, and SMEs like SaladStop! have leveraged our graduates to digitise their operations. We even count digital government-related agencies like GovTech & IHiS(Integrated Health Information Systems) among our hirers.
I think this comprehensive range of companies is a testament not only to the relevance of the skills that they have imbibed, but also the maturity & experience that our mid-career Talent bring to the table.
Sparkline: Finally, what would you say to those that are thinking about engaging in training programmes whether it be with RISE or Sparkline say or any other Tech Training offerings out there, is now a good time and why?
Jonathan: I’d say there’s no better time. There are plenty of excellent programs around and a strong push from both the private & public sector. Be clear about your personal career goals and how they fit with the job market. Make deliberate choices that move you towards your goals but be flexible in considering other opportunities that may come your way. Luck is definitely a significant factor in any aspect of life but it can be overcome with volume and preparedness.
If you want to tap digital Talent from BCG’s RISE program, our Virtual Career Fair is on 22 October, Friday, and we also offer employers commission-free recruiting services. Just fill up this form if you’re interested and our team will be in touch: https://www.113.vovici.net/se/13B2588B3A2730D9
Wow some great advice and interesting insights here, as Jonathan rightly says ‘there is no better time’ to retrain and find the right programme for your own upskilling. If Data & Analytics happens to be your passion and interest why not get in touch with us at Sparkline, drop us a mail via info@sparkline.com to find out more about our eLearning and ‘LIVE’ workshop training.
You can also check out our newly launched ‘Learn from Home Series’ here and access 14.5 hours of online training modules covering Digital Data Analytics & Data Science concepts, tools and fundamental training. Affordable, accessible learning designed by our Analytics team, module prices start at $49 USD.
*Jonathan gave us this interview on behalf of his own personal opinions and not representing those of Boston Consulting Group or the RISE programme officially.
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