Just a few years back from 2020, the whole world entered into an unprecedented generation defining period, battling the COVID-19 global pandemic crisis that changed the world that we worked and lived in. Although the world now in 2023 has exited and moved away from the global pandemic crisis, we are facing another set of new challenges ahead and in the near future. Looming ahead are economic uncertainties arising, now too far ahead, the world is facing a climate crisis, climate change and action is needed. How is the world going to change, adapt and face the challenges ahead? Is the world listening? Are we taking action now? Which generation will be most impacted in the long-term?
Future-Proof: A Dell Technologies Report
The generation that will be most impacted in the long-term is Generation Z (Gen Z). The world needs to listen, learn and know Gen Z’s attitudes and expectations, that should be central to shaping their future.
The COVID-19 global pandemic has hit all of us, from the seniors to young adults and children. All the lessons that we learned during the recent global pandemic crisis, the decisions and investments that governments globally and public sectors make today, will have a significant and long-lasting impact on the economies and societies that future generations such as Gen Z and beyond will inherit.
The world today is facing challenges across many different sectors, from economic uncertainties, high cost of living, energy supply and cost, geopolitical tensions, healthcare, climate crisis and climate change.
Future-Proof: A Dell Technologies Report, this research explored Gen Z adults (aged between 18 to 26 years old) views on smart digital investments today can support the development of a digitally resilient future.
This report is designed to help and guide governments, policy makers, and communities. In this Dell Technologies report, they explored on how technology could help:
- Build resilient economies of the future
- Play a role in sustainability, health, and the future of work
- Master our digital futures
Singapore Results from Future-Proof: A Dell Technologies Report
From the globally commissioned study- Future-Proof: A Dell Technologies Report, what do the Singapore results look like?
Gen Z in Singapore Findings
Majority (67%) of Gen Z surveyed in Singapore (Global: 47%) are willing to accept short-term economic limitations, such as lower GDP growth, for policymakers to invest in a longer-term strategy that promotes more sustainable growth. Most (80%) of survey respondents in Singapore (Global: 64%) also believe technology will play an important role in the fight against climate crisis.
With many of Gen Z in Singapore willing to bear short-term economic limitations, they ranked
- enabling a circular economy (41%)
- sustainable energy (36%)
- smart cities (34%)
as the top three investment areas for governments to prioritise.
Nearly a quarter of Singapore respondents (23%) also expressed support for greater sustainability education for citizens.
56% of the Gen Z in Singapore is confident that public sector recovery investments would deliver a flourishing economy within 10 years. Singapore is one of the top countries with a large number of respondents having high or total confidence in public sector investments. The survey also revealed that 31% (Global: 38%) are undecided and less than a fifth (13%) (Global: 32%) have low or no confidence.
Respondents in Singapore said that this digital future must have a strong cybersecurity backbone. 67% (Global: 56%) feel there is a need for robust legislation and higher investment in cybersecurity to protect national infrastructures and ensure private businesses meet tough standards. To make this happen, and to improve trust in governments, 38% of Singapore respondents want private and public sectors to work together and hold each other accountable.
Andy Sim, Vice President and Managing Director, Singapore, Dell Technologies, said: “Gen Z will arguably be the most impacted by public and private investment decisions taken today and will facilitate and maintain a long-term, sustainable recovery. There is an opportunity to earn the support of Gen Z for longer-term strategies that put sustainability at the core of economic growth strategies.”
Closing the digital skills gap and digital divide
Gen Z recognises the value of developing the necessary digital skills for their future careers. 83% of those surveyed (Global: 76%) consider learning new digital skills as essential to increasing future career options or plan to acquire them.
Survey respondents also feel that their education could have better prepared them with digital skills. Nearly half of the respondents in Singapore (45%) said school only taught them very basic computing skills, and very few (6%) did not receive any education in technology or digital skills. About a third (29%) claim school (under 16) didn’t prepare them with the technology skills needed for their planned career.
How can the digital skills gap and digital divide be bridged? Less than half (41%) of respondents in Singapore suggested making technology courses at all levels of education more interesting and more widely available. A third (30%) believe mandatory technology courses up to 16 years will encourage young people into technology-driven careers.
Sim added: “It’s clear that Gen Z sees technology as pivotal for their future prosperity. It is now up to us – leading technology providers, governments, and the public sector – to work together and set them up for success by improving the quality and access to digital learning. 45% of Gen Z in Singapore feel educators and businesses should work together to bridge the digital skills gap and with the speed at which technology continues to evolve this will require constant collaboration.”
In response to their views on where governments should prioritise investments to help close the digital divide experience across different locations, demographics and socio-economic groups, Gen Z sees access to devices and connectivity for disadvantaged groups (39%) and support for upskilling to access digital services for older demographics (23%) as the most important focus areas.
From the Future-Proof: A Dell Technologies Report, the Gen Z in Singapore findings also revealed the following:
- To support economic growth, improving healthcare services (15%), investing in sustainable/green infrastructures (11%) and investing in cybersecurity resilience (8%) were the top three priorities amongst Gen Z.
- Less than half (40%) of Gen Z have low or neutral confidence in their personal data being stored compliantly by healthcare providers.
- Over half (60%) of Gen Z consider flexible and remote working as an important consideration when choosing an employer.
Research Methodology
For this Future-Proof: A Dell Technologies Report, the fieldwork was conducted by market research company, Savanta ComRes, from July to August 2022 across 15 locations.
Fieldwork research base was conducted on 15,105 Generation Z adults (aged between 18 to 26 years old), with nationality representative quotas set for gender and region in each market. Locations include:
- Australia (1,018 respondents)
- Brazil (1,021 respondents)
- Canada (1,011 respondents)
- France (1,014 respondents)
- Germany (1,020 respondents)
- Italy (1,063 respondents)
- Japan (1,021 respondents)
- Korea (1,020 respondents)
- Mexico (1,005 respondents)
- Netherlands (1,013 respondents)
- New Zealand (811 respondents)
- Singapore (1,022 respondents)
- Spain (1,019 respondents)
- United Kingdom (1,041 respondents)
- United States (1,006 respondents)
For more information on Future-Proof: A Dell Technologies Report
If you are in the government/civil service, a policy maker, businesses, technology sectors, society as whole, or a fellow Generation Z, and you would like to know more information and findings on Future-Proof: A Dell Technologies Report, please visit Dell website and read their research report – https://www.dell.com/en-sg/dt/perspectives/gen-z.htm
* Information courtesy of Dell Technologies and BCW *