Singaporean IT leaders say skills shortage could hinder Smart Nation

- Ninety-three percent of Singaporean CIOs are concerned IT talent in Singapore is insufficient for the successful implementation of Smart Nation initiatives.

- Six in 10 believe Smart Nation initiatives will increase job opportunities for IT professionals, 53% say it will increase average IT salaries.

New independent research* commissioned by specialised recruiter Robert Half has found that more than nine in 10 (93%) Singaporean IT leaders are concerned Singapore does not have the IT talent readily available for the building of a Smart Nation-ready workforce. Following the government's launch of Smart Nation initiatives in 2014, businesses have been increasingly involved in the strategic deployment of technology across the nation for improved living, economic growth and national progress - which inevitably requires highly skilled IT professionals to manage.

Compared to five years ago, almost nine in 10 (87%) CIOs find it more challenging to source qualified IT professionals. A similar proportion (83%) say that it is more challenging to attract qualified IT professionals to their organisation.

Employers are struggling to find skilled job candidates in specific functional areas, namely IT security (59%), cloud technology (36%), business intelligence (28%), IT management (27%) and business analysis (25%).

The research has also found IT leaders are optimistic as the clear majority (92%) of CIOs believe that the government’s Smart Nation initiatives will positively impact the local IT employment market. Additionally, more than half (60%) expect an increase in IT job opportunities and 53% predict an increase in average salaries.

Just under half are expecting increased competition to top IT talent, and 29% feel the initiatives will increase the number of locally-trained IT talent. Only 8% of CIOs believe the Smart Nation initiatives will not impact the local IT employment market.

Matthieu Imbert-Bouchard, MD of Robert Half Singapore said: “There is no doubt the government’s Smart Nation initiative will propel Singapore into a prosperous future. However, for Smart Nation to become a reality and result in nationwide success, a stronger supply of highly-skilled local IT talent will be required. Many companies are currently experiencing challenges sourcing and attracting qualified IT professionals – these crucial skills gaps will need to be filled quickly in order for Smart Nation to be a success.”

“As the demand for top IT skills continues to increase in Singapore, a more comprehensive approach will be required to close the current and future technology skills gap. Educational institutions should be encouraged to work with the business community and government to build a more robust business and technology ecosystem that develops and nurtures more talented IT professionals within the local talent pool.”

Imbert-Bouchard also suggested that employers create awareness around the benefits and opportunities available with a career in IT and technology in Singapore, both on a company as well as industry-wide level.

*The annual study is developed by Robert Half and was conducted in June 2018 by an independent research firm, surveying 75 CIOs/CTOs in Singapore. This survey is part of an international workplace survey, a questionnaire about job trends, talent management and trends in the workplace.

Nestlé to remove all artificial colours and flavours from chocolate

Source: Nestlé.

Nestlé USA will remove artificial flavours and FDA-certified colours like Red 40 and Yellow 5 from all of its chocolate candy products by the end of 2015. The move will affect more than 250 products and 10 brands. Products will begin appearing on store shelves by mid-2015, and will be identified by a No Artificial Flavors or Colors claim featured on-pack.

“Nestlé is the world’s leading nutrition, health and wellness company and our commitment to remove artificial flavours and certified colours in our chocolate candy brands is an important milestone,” said Doreen Ida, President, Nestlé USA Confections & Snacks. 

“We know that candy consumers are interested in broader food trends around fewer artificial ingredients. As we thought about what this means for our candy brands, our first step has been to remove artificial flavours and colours without affecting taste or increasing the price. We’re excited to be the first major US candy manufacturer to make this commitment.”

Ingredients from natural sources can include annatto, which comes from the seeds found in the fruit from the achiote tree, Red 40 and Yellow 5 to replace the BUTTERFINGER centre. In CRUNCH, natural vanilla flavour will replace the artificial vanillin.

“We never compromise on taste. When making these changes to more than 75 recipes, maintaining the great taste and appearance consumers expect from the chocolate brands they know and love is our #1 priority,” said Leslie Mohr, Nutrition, Health and Wellness manager, Nestlé Confections & Snacks. “We conducted consumer testing to ensure the new recipe delivers on our high standards for taste and appearance.”
According to Mohr, this change affects Nestlé’s current portfolio of chocolate brands including NESTLE CRUNCH, BUTTERFINGER, BABY RUTH, SKINNY COW, RAISINETS, GOOBERS, SNO CAPS, 100 GRAND, OH HENRY and CHUNKY. 

Going forward, all newly launched chocolate and non-chocolate candy products (gummies, sours, etc.) introduced by Nestlé USA will be made without artificial flavours or colours. Additionally, Nestlé USA is actively pursuing the removal of caramel colouring from its chocolate products. Caramel colouring is an exempt-from-certification colour additive, which is used in nine of the more than 250 chocolate products.This follows similar moves by Nestlé in other parts of the world, the company said.