デジタル人材育成学会

1（1），2022

Digital Human Resources Development in the Asia
Pacific: The Digital Talent Demand &Lesson Learned
Nico Surantha（Recieved: 5 August 2022 Accepted: 5 August 2022）

encourages the development of new digital applications.

1 Introduction

Email and search engines were among the first
Internet applications to appear between 1990 and 2000.

Digital and telecommunication technology is

Social media started to emerge in mid of 2000 with theincreasing rapidly in the last three decades. In theemergence of Facebook, Friendster, etc. Currently,telecommunication sector. The 5G technology has been

video and live streaming applications such as YouTube,actively launched in the last 3 years. The report from

Instagram, or even TikTok are dominating the mostthe Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) inwidely used application in the world. From now, some

August 2022 mentioned that 496 operators in 150

new applications are predicted to emerge such ascountries and territories are investing in 5G fixed

artiﬁcial intelligence (AI), big data, blockchain, Internet-

wireless access, 5G mobile, and home broadband

of-Things (IoT), Metaverse, Robotic Process Automation

networks [1]. Currently, the research on beyond-5G/6G(RPA), etc.

networks is ongoing. The 6G network is predicted to

The signiﬁcant advancement in digital technology andbe launched commercially in 2030 [2]. It is expected toapplications has led to a major shift in the employment

achieve very high performance, for example, a wirelessworld. A study from Global Mckinsey Institute in 2018

system must all at once deliver a high data rate, lowmentioned that automation and AI will speed up thelatency, and high reliability to guarantee that users cantransition in required workforce skills over the last 15

obtain a high-quality experience anytime andyears [4]. Their research found that technological skills,

anywhere. Individual users can expect data rates of atsuch as programming will be the most in-demand skills

least 10Gbps and up to 100Gbps [3].

in 2030. According to their research, technological skills

Signiﬁcant advancements have been made not only

such as programming will be the most in-demand skills

in telecommunications technology but also in computing

in 2030. In comparison to 2016, demand has increased bypower and storage technology. In comparison to55%. Work that requires physical and manual ability, asprocessor and storage technology 20-30 years ago,

well as basic cognitive ability, will decline by 15% in 2030

processors and storage are becoming smaller in size

compared to 2016 [4].

while achieving much faster computing speed andIn this paper, we discuss about digital and technologicalmuch larger storing capacity. The significant

talent development in the Asia Pacific. Digital andadvancement in processor, storage, battery, andtechnological skills are still in high demand throughout

telecommunication technology welcomes the emergence

the Asia Paciﬁc. The COVID-19 pandemic has magniﬁedof mobile technology and cloud computing.

the need for tech talent across APAC, forcing many

The signiﬁcant advancement in digital infrastructureorganizations to prioritize digital transformation. We

Tokyo City University

perform the study by using literature review and24

デジタル人材育成学会

1 巻 1 号 2022 年

Digital Human Resources Development in the Asia Paciﬁc: The Digital Talent Demand & Lesson Learned

observation.

technology [5]. Fig. 1 shows that there is a clear
correlation between talent competitiveness and the levelof ICT development in a country. Therefore, theystrongly suggest that both the educational system andlabor policy should be integrated to produce competitive
digital talent.
In another paper, Huawei researchers conducted tosome research to understand the digital talent demandand supply in the Asia Pacific [6]. Fig. 2 shows theFig. 1 Global Talent Competitiveness vs ICT Development Score [5]relation between digital talent demand vs supply matrix
according to Global Connectivity Index (GCI) categories[6]. Since 2015, Huawei has released an annual GCI thattracks the deployment of digital infrastructure andcapabilities in 79 countries by analyzing four coretechnologies known as "enabler categories", which areAI, IoT, cloud, and broadband. Then, they measured
them using 40 GCI indicators. Among the 40 indicators
are investments in ICT, ICT legislation, E-Governmentservices, smartphone penetration, e-commerce, andcybersecurity.
Huawei researchers' report identifies three GCI

Fig. 2 Digital Talent Demand vs Supply Matrix [6]Country Clusters, which are Starters, Adopters, andFrontrunners. The classiﬁcation is done to diﬀerentiate
between various connectivity levels. The speciﬁcation

This paper discusses speciﬁcally aboutof each class is shown in Table 1. Results indicate that

1. The digital talent demand in the Asia Pacificcountries that achieve higher GCI scores have arecently.
2. Lesson learned of digital talent development fromsome countries in Asia

greater level of Digital Readiness, as a result of thedevelopment and growth of infrastructures such as
cloud capabilities and high-speed broadband, which

3. Summary of Digital Talent Development Strategy

indirectly mitigate the pandemic's eﬀects. Fig. 2 shows

The rest of the paper is organized as follow. The

that Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia are thesecond section discusses the digital talent demandcountries with the most talent demand and supply

in Asia recently. The third section discusses theamong the frontrunners, adopters, and starter

lesson learned in digital talent development fromcountries, respectively. In section 3, we discuss moresome countries in the Asia Pacific. Finally, welessons learned from these 3 countries along withconclude and discuss the summary of the digitalother countries.

talent strategy.

2 Digital Talent Demand in Asia Paciﬁc

3 Lesson Learned
In this section, we discuss lessons learned of digital

In this section, we discuss about the digital talenttalent development from some countries in Asia

demand in Asia Paciﬁc. Jaewon, et al. mentioned in theirstudy that talent development is one of the mostfundamental bases that lead to the advancement in the3. 1 Singapore
Investments in digital initiatives and capabilities inJapanese Journal of Society of Development of Digital Human Resources Vol. 1 No. 1 202225Suranthaa regular basis have made Singapore the APAC leader

Data, cyber security, virtual reality, augmented reality,

in terms of demand for digital talent. With companies

and the Internet of Things (IoT). The minister noted

such as SEA Group and Grab establishing headquartersthat for the DTS program, the ministry is collaboratingin this country, digital technology employment haswith 154 universities and polytechnics in Indonesia [9].

increased. Nevertheless, local talent has never been

Meanwhile, The Digital Leadership Academyadequate to meet the needs of the expanding techprogram will be offered to 550 stakeholders in thescene. Moreover, as the government toughens its

digital sector, including government and private sector

employment policies for skilled foreign workers, thisrepresentatives. The ministry has partnered with eight

country will struggle to fill roughly 60,000 of techforeign universities for this program, including

vacancies within the next two to three years. [7]Tsinghua University, Harvard Kennedy School, Oxford

To fulfill this high demand, Singapore has madeUniversity, and the National University of Singapore [9].

enhancing its tech talent supply a top priority. TheOn the other hand, other initiatives such as thegovernment has invested heavily in the development ofdevelopment of a curriculum focused on startups androbust technology curricula for both public and private

huge online upskilling programs, the demand for digitalschools. One well known initiative is the SkillsFuture

talent has never been greater. Since the appointment ofprogram. This program is a national program designed

Gojek's founder as minister of education, culture,

to provide Singaporeans with opportunities to realize

research, and technology, the nation has also relied on

their full potential throughout their lives, regardless of

this ministry to lead all digital initiatives, including talent

their starting point. Through this action, Singaporeansdevelopment. This ministry initiated a program named

can adapt to the shift in required workforce skills byKampus Merdeka. The Kampus Merdeka is a form ofstrengthening their knowledge or skill or even learninglearning in higher education that is autonomous anda new skill for mid-career transition.

adaptable, allowing for the creation of an innovative, nonlimiting, and student-centered learning culture. For3. 2 Indonesia

example, in order to graduate from university, theIn recent years, the demand for digital talent has

students can fulﬁll the credit requirement not only fromskyrocketed, propelling Indonesia up the regional tech

university courses but also by internship activity,

powerhouses ranking, surpassing Vietnam in thestudent exchange, or by conducting a research project.

process (an adopter country). The local digital economy

For this program, the minister provided someis expanding and will demand more than 17 million

institutional grants for universities that proposed theirtech professionals by the year 2030 [8]. This is primarilyinitiatives.

due to the growth of local tech startups like Gojek andFrom the private sector, Tokopedia who just merged

Tokopedia, as well as the government's strategy toin 2021 with Gojek to form GoTo group also offers atransform Indonesia into a digitally dominant nation.

learning center for Indonesian technology professionals

Digital talent is one of the most prominent pillars ofthrough the Tokopedia Academy [10], which includes

Indonesia's digital roadmap. The Indonesian Ministry of

the START Summit technology conference among its

Communication and Informatics recently announcedofferings. Tokopedia has launched the AI Center ofdigital talent scholarships (DTS) and digital leadership

Excellence with the University of Indonesia (UI) and isacademy (DLA) in an eﬀort to accelerate the growth ofcollaborating with Atma Jaya University on anhighly skilled digital talent. DTS is a practical program

e-commerce course [10].

designed for millennials. In addition to increasing

The good collaboration between government andparticipants' competence through a quality curriculum,

industry forces Indonesia's tech ecosystem continues tothe program aims to equip participants with thedevelop, it is anticipated that the brain drain will diminish

necessary skills for future employment. Thesesigniﬁcantly.

competencies encompass artiﬁcial intelligence (AI), Big26

デジタル人材育成学会

1 巻 1 号 2022 年

Digital Human Resources Development in the Asia Paciﬁc: The Digital Talent Demand & Lesson Learned

equip graduates with industry-required skills

3. 3 Malaysia
Malaysia has demonstrated signiﬁcant potential as a

4. Launch the "Social Entrepreneurs Circle" program

Southeast Asia technology leader. Malaysia's expanding

to provide social entrepreneurs with digital skills

startup scene has also contributed to the increase in

and a networking venue.

demand. As SMEs make up the vast majority of

5. Introduce professional upskilling programs related

Malaysian businesses, the shift towards digitalizing

to the digital economy in areas including data

workloads will increase the demand for local tech talent.

analytics, cyber security, content creation, artiﬁcial

Malaysia's government have one initiative tointelligence, system integration, and other pertinenttransform their nation into a digitally driven andprofessional skills.

regional leader in digital economy which is called as

6. Introduce the "GigUp" program to equip gig

MyDigital [11]. One of the strategic pillars of theworkers with adaptable skills that will increase

MyDigital blueprint is the development of a pool of

their employability and reduce their job insecurity.

competent digital talent. From student learningenhancement programs to reskilling, upskilling, anddigital employment portals, the Malaysian Digital
Economy Corporation (MDEC) has concrete plans inplace to address Malaysia's digital talent shortage.

3. 4 Other Countries
Other countries in Asia Paciﬁc also developed some
initiatives to build their digital talent [6], such as :1. South Korea Invests more than US$ 3 billion toSome of the digital talent development programs are:support AI education. It is intended to support

1. My Device program to ensure all students canprivate enterprises in the industry such asaccess digital learning in Malaysia
2. Adopt digital technology in partnership with thesemiconductors to upgrade their skills and befuture-ready.

private sector to provide a platform for managing

2. The Australian Government Department ofonline teaching and learning in elementary schools.

Education, Skills, and Employment provides funding

3. Increase public and private collaboration throughfor The Digital Skills Organisation's Delivering Skills

the Malaysia Board of Technologies (MBOT) tofor Today and Tomorrow program.

Fig. 3 Summary of Digital Talent Development Strategy

Japanese Journal of Society of Development of Digital Human Resources Vol. 1 No. 1 2022

27

Surantha

3. New Zealand holds GovTech Talent Graduate

Trends. [Online]. Available: https://gsacom.com/Program.
4. India's non-profit NASSCOM has formed apage/43/?technology. [Accessed: 08-Aug-2022].
[2] K. David and H. Berndt, 6G Vision and Require-partnership with the government and IT industry

ments,

to offer free/subsidized programs, namely

pp. 72‑80, 2018.

"National Skills Prime," which cover ten emerging[3] G. Liutechnologies and include certiﬁcations.

, vol. 13, no. July,, Vision, requirements and networkarchitecture of 6G mobile network beyond 2030,

5. Youth in Pakistan has been receiving free training, vol. 17, no. 9, pp. 92‑104, 2020.

in freelancing and other marketable skills through[4] McKinsey Global Institute, Skill Shift: Automation

the National Level Training Program (DigiSkills.

and the Future of the Workforce (Discussionpk) launched by the Ministry of Information

Paper, May 2018),

Technology and Telecommunications via thepp. 3‑84, 2018.

, no. May,

Ignite National Technology Fund. Search Engine[5] J. Kim, M. Abe, and F. Valente, Impacts of theOptimization, Digital Marketing, Graphic Design,

Digital Economy on Manufacturing in Emerging

Digital Literacy, e-Commerce Management,Asia,AutoCAD, QuickBooks, and WordPress are[6] Huawei,, pp. 1‑30, 2019.

among the 10 courses included in the program.
. 2021.

4 Conclusion[7]

Work & Hiring Trends in Singapore 2021 ¦ MichaelPage. [Online]. Available: https://www.michaelpage.

The signiﬁcant advancement in digital technology andcom.sg/advice/market-insights/market-updates/

applications has led to a major shift in the employment

work-and-talent-trends-2021-singapore-and-asia-paciﬁc.

world. The COVID-19 pandemic has magniﬁed the need[Accessed: 05-Sep-2022].

for tech talent across APAC, forcing many organizations[8]Indonesia Needs 17 Million Digital Talents by 2030,

to prioritize digital transformation. In this paper, weThis Is What It Must Do. [Online]. Available: https://study the initiatives of some Asia Pacific Countries toindonesia.postsen.com/news/166714/Indonesia-Needs-

fulﬁll digital talent demand in their countries. Our study

17-Million-Digital-Talents-by-2030-This-Is-What-It-Must-

shows that collaboration between government, industry,Do.html. [Accessed: 05-Sep-2022].

academia, and community is required for successful[9]

Digital Talent Scholarship registrations open acrossdigital talent development. Government acts as an

Indonesia - ANTARA News. [Online]. Available:organizer who provides the program's blueprint,

https://en.antaranews.com/news/230045/digital-

infrastructure, and funding. Industry and community

talent-scholarship-registrations-open-across-can provide internship opportunities and professional

indonesia. [Accessed: 05-Sep-2022].

education and training programs. At the same time,[10] Govt, private sector team up to train 9 million

academia's role is to develop a curriculum that

digital professionals by 2030 - Science & Tech -emphasizes improving digital literacy and skills. Some

The Jakarta Post. [Online]. Available: https://agendas exist for digital talent development, targeted at

www.thejakartapost.com/life/2021/08/05/govt-

school/university students, professionals, and the seniorprivate-sector-team-up-to-train-9-million-digital-management level. The summary of the digital talent

professionals-by-2030.html. [Accessed: 05-Sep-2022].

development strategy is shown by Fig. 3.

[11] UPEN,

Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint,, p. 104, 2021.

Reference Works[1]28GSAcom ¦ 5G, Spectrum, IoT ¦ Free Reports &デジタル人材育成学会

1 巻 1 号 2022 年