In the tech field, AI is rapidly replacing junior-level tasks. Young tech workers have borne the brunt of slower hiring and a preference for experienced talent.
But the pursuit of short-term productivity cannot undermine the development of experienced professionals in the years ahead.
So whose job is it to bridge this gap? Tan Kiat How, patron of the TIP Alliance+, and Lim Bee Kwan and Gavin Chua, co-chairs of the TIP Alliance+, offer their insights.
Tan Kiat How is Senior Minister of State of for the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI). Lim Bee Kwan is president of the Singapore Computer Society, and Gavin Chua is chairman of SGTech.
By Tan Kiat How, Lim Bee Kwan, and Gavin Chua
For young Singaporeans preparing to enter technology careers, this should be an exciting time.
AI can write software, build applications and help small teams achieve what once required many people.
Yet excitement is increasingly accompanied by anxiety: fresh graduates see restructuring, changing entry-level roles and headlines about hundreds of job applications going unanswered.
Some wonder whether they chose the right profession.
These concerns deserve more than reassurance. They deserve a practical response.
Singapore’s technology workforce grew 3.8 per cent to more than 222,000 in 2025. Almost six in ten technology professionals now work outside the Information and Communications sector, as opportunities expand in finance, manufacturing, healthcare and other industries.
A technology career need not begin in a technology company. But a growing profession does not necessarily mean an easier entry into it.
AI can enable smaller teams to complete some tasks faster, even as employers seek new hires who can contribute earlier. Strong technical foundations remain essential, alongside AI fluency, domain understanding and practical judgement.
When the first rung changes
Stanford University’s Digital Economy Lab found weaker relative employment trends among young U.S. workers in highly AI-exposed occupations, with slower hiring appearing important.
Reporting on India’s IT sector also points to reduced graduate recruitment and a preference for experienced talent.
These are warning signs, not proof that AI caused the changes or that Singapore faces identical conditions.
They nevertheless raise a question we cannot ignore. Junior engineers traditionally learnt by writing simpler programmes, testing systems, making mistakes and receiving guidance from experienced colleagues.
AI can now assist with much of that work. If the tasks through which people learnt their craft are changing, how will tomorrow’s professionals gain experience and judgement?
Problem-solving
We should not allow the pursuit of short-term productivity to undermine the development of experienced professionals our economy will need in the years ahead.
Yet this burden cannot fall on any one party — least of all young people.
An employer may reasonably automate junior tasks and hire experienced staff. But if every employer does so, who will develop the next generation of engineers, architects and technology leaders?
Schools cannot recreate workplaces on their own. Students cannot create vacancies or change recruitment practices themselves.
What makes sense for individual organisations in the short term may not produce the best outcome for the economy as a whole.
Even government cannot close the gap simply by subsidising courses.
That is why we have been working through TIP Alliance+, bringing ITEs, polytechnics, autonomous universities, employers, industry associations and government agencies together.
The partnership connects three things that must evolve together: what students learn, how they gain experience, and how employers recognise their capabilities.
Three practical changes
First, bring industry closer to education.
Industry-led skills pathways in AI, cloud and cybersecurity are being made more accessible. Domain pathways help students understand how technology is applied in financial services, government and, in future, healthcare.
The aim is not merely to teach more technology, but to connect strong foundations to real problems.
Second, bring apprenticeship into the curriculum.
Through Bridge2Tech, we aim to provide 3,000 year-long Enhanced Internship opportunities over three years across ITEs, polytechnics and autonomous universities.
The enhancement is not simply duration. It is the close co-design between educational institutions and employers of what students learn and contribute.
These credit-bearing, curriculum-linked placements last 10 to 12 months, meet course requirements and involve meaningful industry projects.
Students can follow substantial work through, learn from experienced colleagues and receive feedback, while employers benefit from their contributions.
Early results are encouraging. In MOE’s Internship Survey, Enhanced Internship participants reported better outcomes than regular interns in supervision and mentorship, training quality, career preparedness and satisfaction.
In an IMDA survey, 94 per cent of participating employers intended to continue offering Enhanced Internships; 83 per cent said they would hire their intern if a suitable vacancy existed.
Turning principle into practice
But these are reported experiences and intentions, not proven long-term employment outcomes.
Making this possible requires commitment on all sides. A year-long placement represents one-third of a three-year diploma.
Institutions must adjust curricula and schedules; employers must provide substantive projects, mentorship and developmental feedback; government helps reduce barriers and support participation.
This is partnership in practice — not simply organisations agreeing in principle, but changing how they operate.
As the model expands, we want to raise the quality bar further: help students learn when to rely on AI and validate its outputs, give them progressive ownership of real work, and strengthen structured coaching in judgement and professional responsibility.
We should automate the task, not the learning.
Third, bring hiring closer to demonstrated capability. More than 200 employers have pledged support for skills-based hiring through TIP Alliance+. Degrees and diplomas remain valuable, but employers should also recognise practical projects, industry certifications and demonstrated skills.
The next test is whether commitments change job advertisements, assessments and hiring outcomes. We cannot change how students learn without also changing how employers hire.
Work in progress
TIP Alliance+ and Bridge2Tech are concrete steps, not complete solutions.
Success is not measured only by courses completed, internship places offered or employer pledges. It is whether young people develop meaningful capabilities, enter good jobs and progress in their careers.
So we must keep listening, evaluating, and improving.
Employers also have reason to invest. Young people can bring fresh perspectives and AI skills that create value now, while mentorship and apprenticeship develop the experienced talent every organisation will need later. Developing that talent is a shared investment whose benefits reach across companies and generations.
Imagine a virtuous exchange: AI-native students bring fresh perspectives and hands-on familiarity with generative tools, complementing the experience and business knowledge of senior colleagues.
Together, they translate business challenges into practical solutions, while helping the wider workforce build confidence and capability in adopting these technologies.
We cannot promise that every job will remain unchanged. But we can make sure young people do not have to navigate the transition alone. We must develop tomorrow’s professionals even as we improve today’s productivity.
If AI is changing the first rungs of the career ladder, we must build new bridges — together.