SMU and e-commerce firm Synagie to launch 60 new modules for adults to learn e-commerce skills

SINGAPORE – Adult learners hoping to upgrade themselves can sign up for a clutch of new modules to learn e-commerce skills from the second half of this year.

The 60 new modules will be run by SMU Academy – the professional training arm of the Singapore Management University – and Synagie Commerce Academy, by e-commerce company Synagie. Chief executive of SkillsFuture Singapore Tan Kok Yam said the new courses, which aim to train 3,000 people by 2025, will help to plug manpower and skills requirements in the rapidly expanding e-commerce sector.

Mr Tan, who was at an event cementing the tie-up on Tuesday evening (May 17), said: “The e-commerce sector, like many other sectors, will require talent and skills in digitialisation and sustainability. “It may also need to quickly acquire manpower and talent from other sectors and be open to training Singaporeans who may not have prior experience.”

The 60 new programmes will be certified by SMU and taught by subject matter experts from SMU, Synagie and other companies. They will focus on seven topics including personal development, marketing and creative services and customer engagement solutions.

In a statement on Tuesday, Synagie said: “With the push for digitalisation in South-east Asia, businesses around the region are facing challenges in recruiting talent with relevant specialist expertise to meet their business needs. “Through holistic, scenario-based experiential learning, the programmes and modules seek to deepen the specific skillsets needed to fill the skill gaps in the digital commerce ecosystem.”

The programmes will be available by the second half of this year, Synagie added.

E-commerce sales in Singapore are expected to grow to US$10 billion (S$13.4 billion) by the end of 2026, said Meta and management consultancy Bain & Company, which released a report in August last year. Meta owns the social media platform Facebook.

Another report by Sync Southeast Asia said South-east Asia’s e-commerce gross merchandise value is expected to nearly double to US$254 billion in five years. The launch event, which was held at SMU’s Administration Building in Bras Basah, also featured a panel.

It comprised executive vice president from Lazada Group Ms Moony Li, founder and managing director of Singapore skincare brand Porcelain Ms Pauline Ng and assistant professor at SMU’s Lee Kong Chian School of Business, Dr Roh Sungjong and co-founder of ShopBack Joel Leong.

It was moderated by the chief executive officer of the Singapore Business Federation Lam Yi Young. They discussed how to embed sustainability into e-commerce businesses, the role of competition in the sector and how the sector must evolve to train new talent.