Facebook launches digital upskilling initiative, targets up to 2700 participants and 1000 SMEs

Facebook Singapore today announces the launch of its largest training initiative, Upskill with Facebook Singapore, comprising four digital marketing certification programs targeted at students, job seekers, working professionals, academics and businesses. This umbrella initiative is part of Facebook’s commitment to support Singapore’s Smart Nation ambition, by providing comprehensive resources for Singaporeans to upskill themselves digitally.

The four programs under the Upskill with Facebook Singapore initiative are Facebook Social Media Marketing Professional Certificate, Rise, Facebook Blueprint Higher Education, and Boost, curated by Facebook in partnership with SGTech, and supported by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), Enterprise Singapore (ESG) and Digital Industry Singapore(DISG). The initiative will be further supported by exclusive content such as webinars and workshops created and led by Facebook employees across the Singapore office.

To mark the launch of the initiative, Facebook will be hosting a private panel discussion on the topic of Upskilling and Digitalization, with guest of honor Mr S Iswaran, Minister for Communications and Information, Damian Kim, Managing Director of Facebook Singapore and Nurul Hussain, Founder of The Codette Project, with opening remarks from Dan Neary, Vice President of Facebook in Asia Pacific.

“At Facebook, we continue to invest in supporting Singapore’s talent and to play an active role around the digital upskilling of businesses and individuals, especially during a time when many continue to manage the ongoing impact of COVID-19. We have seen the pandemic accelerate the rate at which people and businesses are going digital: five years of digital transformation in one year. The resources we have created for our largest training initiative will help local businesses along their digital journey and provide meaningful opportunities for individuals to equip themselves with the necessary skills to remain competitive in the digital-first world we live in shared Damian Kim, Managing Director of Facebook Singapore.

“Initiatives such as ‘Upskill with Facebook Singapore’ demonstrate the close partnership between the government, industry and community in providing training and development opportunities for fresh graduates, mid-career professionals and SMEs. Such initiatives are particularly important at a time when digital and tech roles are in strong demand across all sectors of the economy, which are seeking digital solutions. As an engine of growth and transformation for the wider economy, the ICT sector will generate many exciting opportunities for our companies and workers. As the sector expands, industry partners like Facebook are well placed to identify training opportunities that best meet the sector’s emerging needs, and help workers acquire in-demand tech skills and be part of a thriving digital future. I welcome more collaborations like this with our industry partners,” said Mr S Iswaran, Minister for Communications and Information.

“Upskill with Facebook Singapore is a tremendous shot in the arm for the wider ecosystem, helping Singaporeans build skills that will enable them to stay competitive as well as equipping our SMEs with digital tools to transform their businesses for the better. By working together with leading players like Facebook, we can continue to adapt to the challenges arising from COVID-19 and create growth and job opportunities for Singapore and Singaporeans,” said Ang Chin Tah, Vice President and Head, Digital Industry Singapore.

“As Facebook’s trade association partner in Singapore, SGTech is well-positioned to help SMEs embark on a digital transformation journey as the economy reaches post-pandemic recovery. Through efforts led by SGTech’s member companies, we have seen record numbers of SMEs adopt technology last year. However, many still need help, and some are only getting started. Facebook’s initiative is timely, and SGTech will come alongside to guide how SMEs adopt online solutions to strengthen their businesses,” added Mr Wong Wai Meng, Chairman, SGTech.

Facebook Social Media Marketing Professional Certificate
The Facebook Social Media Marketing Professional Certificate is a 20-week program targeted at fresh graduates, entry-level working professionals, job seekers, career-changers and public sector employees. Under the Upskill with Facebook Singapore initiative, the program will include live webinars conducted by Facebook employees, panel sessions with industry experts, as well as workshops on best practices to boost resumes and interview techniques. Applicants who complete the program will be a certified Social Media Marketing Professional or Digital Marketing Associate. Facebook is selecting up to 1,200 participants to award scholarships for this program.

Facebook is also partnering The Codette Project and Mums@Work to extend the scholarships to members of the initiatives.

Rise
Rise is a Facebook program focused on supporting professionals who are looking to join the advertising, media or creative agency industry in Singapore. In this three-month program, participants will have access to free online content and development sessions to help them learn, grow and thrive as agency professionals. This program is part of Facebook’s broader collaborative efforts with industry organizations like AAF, 4As and Blueprint to support the industry and continue to build a strong pipeline of talent.

Facebook Blueprint Higher Education Program
Facebook Blueprint Higher Education is an immersive training program designed for educators, teachers and students from higher education. It acts as a supplementary component to existing curriculum, and will take up to 1,000 students through basic digital marketing concepts and real-life practices to empower them to be a Facebook Certified Digital Marketing Associate. With the launch of a revamped Blueprint Educators Portal, educators can now integrate resources with their existing syllabi and build their own teaching experiences.

Boost
Designed for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Boost is developed in partnership with SGTech and with support from ESG, and aims to help up to 1,000 SMEs adopt online solutions to deepen and strengthen their businesses for eventual recovery post the pandemic. It will include free educational workshops, live panel sessions, one-on-one clinics and training by top ecosystem partners like Canva, OFFEO, SHOPLINE, and EasyStore.

Visit https://upskillwithfacebooksg.splashthat.com to find out more about the 4 programs.