“[The jobs and work] that we will do in the year 2025 will look very different from what we are doing now and we have to prepare for that,” said Minister for Home Affairs and Law, K Shanmugam.
In a speech at the Home Team Promotion Ceremony on Monday (16 May), the Minister outlined how the government will face these changes by prioritising training and development for officers in the Home Team*.
The Ministry and the Home Team agencies have been working together closely to develop the Home Team Transformation 2025 plans, Shanmugam said.
Part of this will involve enhancing officers’ capabilities, he said. The Home Team Academy (HTA) will work with local and international higher education institutes to develop programs for officers including training pathways so officers can obtain higher academic and professional qualifications.
The HTA is presently considering working with the National University of Singapore Law School to create custom-made modules for officers.
The Minister said that there would be a greater focus on developing leadership skills with the HTA planning a new centre for leadership. This will include a new leadership course called The Phoenix Programme designed to develop ‘superscale’ or senior officers.
“The aim of this program is to try and develop our Home Team leaders into commanders, into the top leadership positions,” he said.
There are also plans to review the content of the Home Team’s current leadership programs for all officers to cover more strategic public policy issues including cybersecurity, terrorism and multiculturalism in Singapore. The final goal is to broaden officers’ perspectives on these and many more areas.
“Some of the issues are clear and present now. Some will come upon us in 10 years or 15 years, but we can't wait [that long]. The solutions, the gearing up to face the challenges, will have to take place now,” Shanmugam said.
This requires Singapore to look ahead and review policy thinking, operating concepts, structures and systems. Moves can then be made to “close the gap between where we are now and where we need to be,” the Minister added.
*The Home Team is a safety and security partnership comprising of 11 agencies including the Ministry of Home Affairs Headquarters, Singapore Police Force, Internal Security Department, and Singapore Civil Defence Force.
Related stories:
Government unveils new apprenticeship scheme
Airbus opens US$100m training centre in Singapore
Union movement eyes white collar workers
