Coding skills are growing in importance among 84% of Singapore employers surveyed

According to one-third (31%) of the respondents, more than half of the job roles within their organisation require basic and advanced coding skills.

With digitalisation bringing about change to workplace processes, more than four in five Singapore employers surveyed (84%) see a greater need for employees to have basic coding skills and knowledge.

This need is seen across various roles and departments, the survey, published in NTUC LearningHub's Industry Insights 2022, revealed. To what extent do these employers see the need?

• A very large extent (more than 75% of roles)
• A large extent (50%-70% of roles)
• A moderate extent (25%-50% of roles)
• A minimal extent (less than 25% of roles)
• A negligent extent (close to 0% of roles)

According to one-third (31%) of the respondents, more than half of the job roles within their organisation require basic and advanced coding skills.

Why coding skills are becoming more important to employers

Among the many reasons basic coding skills is seen as a priority by employers today, the main reason cited by most (62%) was that it would help employees remain relevant in an increasingly digital and automated job market. 

Additionally, a similar percentage (60%) said such skills will come in handy in enhancing employees' performance — for example, enable employees to make data-driven decisions, and to increase productivity.

The other reasons cited include:

• Increasing the career prospects and growth of employees (55%)
• Increasing the number of jobs in the market (53%)
• Leading to an increase in company expenditure on code-driven products and services — for example, analytics and data-driven software.

In that vein, the survey dug deeper into the extent to which coding skills are required in tasks at work. The following was revealed:

• Data analysis (60%)
• Statistical analysis (58%)
• Financial modelling / financial analysis (55%)
• Data-driven decision-making (55%)
• Business analysis (52%)
• Data visualisation & storytelling (51%)
• Customer behavior analysis (48%)
• Digital marketing (48%)
  Market research / market trend analysis (48%)
  Product management (42%)

With that in mind, the survey next identified the top five tech-lite job roles that require basic coding skills, with the top being the role of a statistical analyst (42%).

This was followed by a data mining & modelling specialist (41%), a business analyst (36%), a system administrator (33%), and a data storytelling & visualisation specialist (32%).

At the same time, the top five tech-heavy job roles that require such skills include: 

• Technology development specialist (51%)
• Software engineer (48%)
• Data scientist / analyst (47%)
• Big data specialist (44%)
• Database engineer / administrator (43%)

The survey involved a total of 200 respondents who are business leaders or team managers who make hiring decisions. Of this, 88% respondents report that they have some knowledge of the coding needs of their organisation. The respondents consist of 60% male and 40% female: 16 to 24 (5%), 25 to 34 (26%), 35 to 44 (35%), 45 to 54 (23%), 55 and above (11%), and come from various industries including financial services (12%), infocomm technology (12%), and others (11%).