STEM skills in higher demand: Randstad Workmonitor Q2

Globally, about 78 percent of the people surveyed felt that they were equipped to deal with the digitalization in their job, according to the Randstad Workmonitor Q2 2019.

About 68 percent said that their employer must invest more in helping the employees develop their digital skills.

About 83 percent of those surveyed in Singapore echoed the sentiment that employers should take an active effort in helping the workforce develop their digital skills. About 63 percent of expect their jobs to be automated in the next five to 10 years, in Malaysia.

This scenario raises the question of how are employers approaching their talent acquisition strategies. What are they doing differently? How are they gearing up for the challenges of the future of work that are looking quite close to the surface?

On a global scale, about 61 percent said that their employer is struggling to find the right talent.

While 67 percent of the employees surveyed in Singapore said that their employer is facing challenges in finding the right people, about 60 percent in Japan also expressed similar concerns. At the same time, about 61 percent in Singapore expect that finding the right talent for the right role would continue to be a challenge going forward.

The report noted that the demand for people skilled in STEM fields would continue to increase. About 55 percent in Singapore feel that their employer would need more number of engineers and those skilled in STEM. To that and, about 71 percent of those surveyed on a global level urge that students should focus on a career in STEM fields. In the same vein, about 66 percent of the employees surveyed said they would choose to go into a STEM field if they were 18-years-old and had the opportunity to start their education all over again.

Interestingly, job satisfaction is the highest in India while in Japan, it is the lowest.

The Randstad Workmonitor is an online study that surveys employees between 18-65 years old who work at least 24 hours a week and are not self-employed.