Speech - Remarks by Olivier LeGrand at Memorandum Of Understanding Signing Ceremony Between Institute Of Technical Education & Linkedin Singapore Pte Ltd On Monday, 15 June 2020 At 1530 Hours

Thank you very much Ms Low and thank you very much to the entire ITE team for the partnership.

So good afternoon everyone and thank you very much for being here today. It’s an important day for all of us. 

We are really pleased to be entering this agreement with the Institute of Technical Education, with the goal of basically preparing our young to enter a workforce that is rapidly changing. 

Through our partnership, we will equip ITE students with the tools and resources they need, specifically:

1. We want to help them build stronger networks online for more access to opportunities; and

2. And we want to help them develop their skills, which will support their intended career pathways.

This collaboration is very much in line with LinkedIn’s larger vision to create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce, and that’s really dear to us. 

The importance of networking in the current climate

The current climate shows us the importance of building strong networks. And we know for a fact that people with stronger networks have more access to the opportunities they want.

However, we also know that many young people in Singapore struggle to build strong networks. 

Our recent LinkedIn Opportunity Index actually found that while over eight in ten Singaporeans believe having the right connections is an important factor to getting ahead in life, only 2% are actually actively seeking networking and mentorship opportunities.

Our data also showed that Gen Z and Millennials grapple with this the most.

Through our collaboration with ITE, we hope to help young people start building strong networks while they are still in school, so they will have access to more opportunities in the coming years when they enter the workforce.

1. Our LinkedIn Coaches programme, which was mentioned earlier, will teach students how to build their online brand and professional networks through career conversations and LinkedIn platform training. 

2. Early in May, we conducted one such career conversation session with ITE student leaders. And students were also connected to working professionals who offered career guidance. It was very encouraging to me to see students being inspired by their mentors, motivated to start building their own personal brand and their online networks.

The importance of continuous learning in the current climate

The second thing we’ve learned since the onset of COVID-19 is that there will be a strong emphasis on digital skills in the future economy. 

Most of our workforce is now working remotely, and we see professionals around the world trying to pick up new digital skills required to do so.

We know that for example, since January 2020, searches for “remote working” on LinkedIn Learning have tripled.

Investing in building these transferable skills that you’d likely need in any job will be important. And these are the skills employers are looking for most.

As we move forward, we must recognise that workplace norms have shifted and we need to be prepared for long-term change. 

1. In fact, a global LinkedIn survey showed 44% of senior leaders are evaluating more permanent remote work policies. And 45% considering a more permanent shift to virtual events and conferences. 

2. In addition, one of the biggest pieces of advice we are hearing from career coaches for young professionals getting ready to enter the workforce right now, is to be flexible.

Our collaboration with ITE will help prepare students for this shift towards a future workplace that is heavily digitised and flexible.

For example, ITE students will now have access to various learning paths on LinkedIn Learning and on digital and future skills.

And they will be able to add these certifications onto their LinkedIn profiles, to boost their employability.

Conclusion 

I would like to say that this agreement would not be possible without ITE’s commendable vision for its students. And we are really proud to be your partner in this endeavor. 

Thank you very much again for partnering with us.