Deloitte establishes Future of Work Centre of Excellence in Singapore to address global workplace challenges

• New Centre is one of Deloitte’s largest investments at US$20 million (approximately S$27.6 million) over three years, in collaboration with the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB)

• Deloitte and Singapore to spearhead innovative approach to address Future of Work opportunities and challenges

SINGAPORE, 7 August 2017—Today, Deloitte announced the launch of its Future of Work Centre of Excellence (CoE), a first-of-its-kind platform to create solutions that anticipate market disruptions, address the skills mismatch challenge and identify future job requirements.

Based in Singapore, the new CoE will help develop a suite of data analytics, automation tools, and workforce-planning cloud models for businesses and governments to address clients’ current and expected workforce needs.

Supported by EDB, the CoE joins Singapore’s nation-wide lifelong learning movement, SkillsFuture, and various Smart Nation initiatives in a broader effort to help Singapore respond to the changing nature of work, and establish both Singapore and Deloitte as a recognised global leader in the Future of Work.

“Cognitive technologies, robotics and accelerating connectivity are all elements of a seismic shift impacting how and where work is performed. Almost every job will be reinvented as personal expectations of work evolve and essential human skills are augmented by technology,” says Punit Renjen, CEO, Deloitte Global. “This transformation will require organisations to reconsider how they hire and reskill workers and develop new operational strategies for a more mobile and autonomous workforce. Through this new Centre of Excellence, Deloitte is committed to helping organisations navigate these challenges successfully.”

Over the next three years, Deloitte’s investment of US$20 million (approximately S$27.6 million) in the Centre not only signals an unprecedented collaboration with the government of Singapore, but also represents one of Deloitte’s largest investments in partnership with another organisation.

“Singapore has critical needs for new learning models, for educational institutions to catch up with new technologies, and for the workforce to embrace new skills and new careers,” says Philip Yuen, CEO, Deloitte Southeast Asia and Singapore. “The flagship Future of Work CoE will navigate through these challenges and develop solutions in the areas of workforce planning, talent acquisition and automation tools. Just as importantly, it will position Singapore as a global hub, and Deloitte as a global leader, in addressing the opportunities and challenges related to the future of work.”

The Singapore CoE will serve as the global flagship with Deloitte also launching CoEs in the US, UK, and Canada to advance global Future of Work solutions. In addition to catalysing job creation in Singapore and around the globe, the Centre will enable knowledge and skills transfer to Singapore’s core workforce while building local capabilities and labour solutions here.

Starting immediately and over the next three years, the Future of Work CoE will train and employ local Singapore and global talent in highly sought-after areas such as data science, UX, HR analytic, actuarial science, and natural language processing, among others.

“Companies in Singapore have a good track record in using technologies, such as analytics and IoT, to solve real-world business problems. They are also able to collaborate with consulting and technology providers to innovate and develop new services and solutions,” says Dr Swan Gin Beh, Chairman of EDB. “We welcome the setting up of Deloitte’s Future of Work Centre of Excellence in Singapore as this will foster even more partnerships and strengthen the ecosystem for technology innovation.”

With only 11 percent¹ of business leaders confident they are prepared to build the organisations of the future, Deloitte’s CoE will reinvent how both established corporations and innovative startups leverage emerging technologies to adapt to new ways of working. The Centre will take an agile approach to the future of work, constantly creating and testing solutions side-by-side with clients to rapidly respond to market shifts and solve complex business challenges.

“Skills shortages are a constant challenge across our workforce in almost every industry and geography,” explains Indranil Roy, Future of Work lead, Deloitte Southeast Asia. “To adapt to the future of work, businesses will need people with skills that include digital know-how, management capability, creativity, entrepreneurship and complex problem solving. This, in turn, will drive job creation and economic growth for countries.”

The Future of Work Centre of Excellence is the first in a series of Singapore-based, digital solutions-focused centres of excellence Deloitte is planning to establish with public and private sector players. These innovative public-private collaborations also aim to position Singapore as a global IP export and capability development hub.

As used in this press release, “Deloitte” refers only to the Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited member firms.

¹Deloitte, “Rewriting the rules for the digital age – 2017 Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends,” Deloitte University Press, 28 February, 2017

About Deloitte

Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee (“DTTL”), its network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL (also referred to as “Deloitte Global”) does not provide services to clients. Please see www.deloitte.com/about to learn more about our global network of member firms.

Deloitte provides audit, consulting, financial advisory, risk advisory, tax and related services to public and private clients spanning multiple industries. Deloitte serves four out of five Fortune Global 500® companies through a globally connected network of member firms in more than 150 countries and territories, bringing world-class capabilities, insights and high-quality service to address clients’ most complex business challenges. To learn more about how Deloitte’s approximately 245,000 professionals make an impact that matters, please connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter.

About Deloitte Southeast Asia

Deloitte Southeast Asia Ltd—a member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited comprising Deloitte practices operating in Brunei, Cambodia, Guam, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam—was established to deliver measurable value to the particular demands of increasingly intraregional and fast-growing companies and enterprises.

Composed of 290 partners and more than 7,400 professionals in 25 office locations, the subsidiaries and affiliates of Deloitte Southeast Asia Ltd., combine their technical expertise and deep industry knowledge to deliver consistent, high-quality services to companies in the region.

All services are provided through the individual country practices, their subsidiaries and affiliates, which are separate and independent legal entities.

© 2017 Deloitte Southeast Asia Ltd