Education is at the root of a healthy, progressive nation. The Singapore government is famous for its top notch public education system that has pioneered new education models and inspired other initiatives worldwide. Singapore is demonstrating its vision again today by launching a pilot training program in Data Sciences and Analytics using Coursera.
The pilot is based on Johns Hopkins University’s Data Science Specialization. Data science has seen tremendous growth in recent years, and there is expected to be a major shortage of professionals in the field worldwide. McKinsey forecasts that there will be a shortage of 140,000 to 190,000 data analytics professionals in the US by 2018. Singapore sees huge potential for utilizing open online education as a means to empower citizens with career skills in this high-demand industry.
Here’s how Singapore’s Data Sciences and Analytics Training will work:
- The program will begin in August 2014 with an enrollment of 200. All Singaporeans interested in gaining skills in data science are welcome to apply.
- Successful learners will earn a Verified Certificate for completing each of the 10 modules included in the Johns Hopkins Data Science Specialization.
- A final Capstone project will require students to apply knowledge learned across each of the modules to solve a real-world problem.
- The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), a statutory board of the Singapore Government that leads IT sector development, will host voluntary weekly meet-up sessions with facilitators to support students in pursuing completion.
- Learners who complete the Specialization can expect to receive Government co-funding support on course certification fees and other incentive rewards.
After reviewing the success of this pilot program in data science, Singapore plans to explore more ways to utilize Coursera content for training programs in other fields.
Our co-founder Andrew Ng speaks to Coursera’s collaboration with Singapore:
"At Coursera, we are committed to working with governments and organizations to expand access to educational resources that map to key career skills and knowledge. Singapore has established a unique framework to prepare its citizens for work in a high-demand industry, with Johns Hopkins University’s Data Science coursework on Coursera as a key component. We look forward to supporting them in their efforts, while setting an example for other countries as they help citizens rise to the challenges of today’s global economy.“
Well said, Andrew! Singapore shares our belief that open online education provides a new opportunity to transform learning and higher education, with the ability to scale worldwide.
We’ll be closely following the progress of Singapore’s Data Science Training Pilot with the goal of enabling other governments and organizations to take advantage of the valuable educational content our partners are offering to help close skills gaps and build a stronger global workforce.
See other Coursera Government Partnerships:
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