CASE STUDY
Deb Dutta , General Manager of APJ , DataStax billion in 2021 to US $ 18 billion in 2022 , according to the e-Conomy SEA 2022 report . It also marks the latest in a series of academic partnerships between DataStax and Asia Pacific universities to grow the region ’ s data workforce .
“ The joint program we are building with Singapore Polytechnic represents our commitment to developing Singapore ’ s data capabilities This is in line with the country ’ s overarching vision to become a key competitor in the global economy ,” said Deb Dutta , General Manager of APJ , DataStax .
Both parties expect the program to attract up to 250 students annually within the next two years , including 180 full-time students , as well as 40 part-time and Continuing Education and Training ( CET ) learners .
We asked Dr Lim Joo Ghee and Deb Dutta for more on what the program means :
DR GHEE
As Singapore ’ s digital sector advances , what future products and solutions do you think the potential in Singapore Polytechnic ’ s partnership with DataStax can actualize ?
The partnership will result in an enhanced curriculum which will produce graduates with current industry knowledge who are better able to meet the industry demands . We hope that through this partnership , our graduates will be equipped with the necessary skill sets to help Singapore enterprises , especially SMEs , to uplift their digital competencies and streamline their operations . In particular , our graduates will be involved in creating new solutions and customizing digital solutions according to the specific needs of SMEs .
How important are partnerships such as that between Singapore Polytechnic and DataStax to the continued advancement of Singapore ’ s digital sector ?
In this current era of Digitalization and Industry 4.0 , both data creation and data utilization are forecasted to grow rapidly over the next decade . Concurrently , we are also observing a shift from data creation to storage and now to readiness . The digital economy is now firmly established as a core driver of global growth and is one of the high-growth economies in Singapore .
It is imperative for IHLs to collaborate with relevant industry partners such as DataStax to help develop and enlarge the talent pool of professionals with digital data competencies .
How did you go about developing a curriculum that could bring the best out of the partnership ?
We leveraged the training materials from DataStax to infuse relevant industry content into the curriculum of our PET ( Pre-Employment Training ) and CET ( Continuing Education and Training ) courses . This co-developed industry-relevant content aims to equip our students with the skills to develop real-life applications using an open-source NoSQL database , running in the cloud-native , multi-cloud environment . Under this collaboration , there are also other learning opportunities for our students . They may also choose to acquire industry certifications like the DataStax Administrator Certification and DataStax Developer Certification , as part of their professional development .
DEB DUTTA
What drew DataStax toward a partnership with Singapore Polytechnic ?
Having a talent pool with sufficient digital data competencies , such as in database management , database application and data application , is essential to Singapore ’ s Smart Nation initiative .
As one of six polytechnics in the country , and one that is known for its engineering programs , Singapore Polytechnic plays an important role in developing the talent needed to sustain an ecosystem conducive to enterprise competitiveness and economic growth . When paired with DataStax ’ s expertise in helping data-driven businesses excel with real-time data , it is a natural fit to come together and help develop the digital data competencies of the local workforce .
From a vendor perspective , how important is involvement with institutions upskilling the next generation of digital talent ?
While many enterprises already appreciate the importance of real-time data in their Digital Transformation initiatives , putting it into practice is a different matter . One challenge is the digital skills gap . Despite the availability of powerful tools and solutions , decision-makers will be hesitant to invest in them if they cannot attract enough talent for their data science and data engineering teams .
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