IIT alumni to provide AI training to migrant workers in Singapore

SINGAPORE: The IIT Alumni Association in Singapore has started a programme to deliver structured digital literacy and artificial intelligence training to nearly 1,000 migrant workers, including Indians, in the city-state over the next two years. Supported by the Indian High Commission (HCI), the Indian Institutes of Technology Alumni Association - Singapore (IITAAS) on Sunday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Migrant Workers' Centre (MWC).

The MWC is a 16-year-old bipartite effort between the National Trades Union Congress and the Singapore National Employers Federation to improve the welfare of migrant workers in Singapore.

"HCI has been very actively involved in promoting this partnership. We started with financial literacy workshops conducted by IITAAS at a few dormitories, and we are happy today that it has culminated in an enduring partnership," said Indian High Commissioner Dr Shilpak Ambule on Sunday.

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Training sessions twice a month

In March 2026, IITAAS conducted a full-day AI literacy workshop for over 100 migrant workers–who, on their weekly day off, chose to spend it learning about artificial intelligence.

The March event was inaugurated by Ambule, underscoring the significance of the initiative for the Indian community abroad, according to IITAAS.

Following the MOU, training sessions will be held twice a month at the MWC Recreation Club at Soon Lee in the Jurong industrial zone, with the first programme commencing in August 2026.

The curriculum will span foundational digital literacy, practical workplace applications, and emerging technologies, including AI, designed to be accessible, relevant, and immediately useful to the workers' daily lives.

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IITAAS partnership

The partnership MOU, signed by MWC Director Michael Lim and IITAAS President Dhruv Jain, was witnessed by NTUC Deputy Secretary-General Desmond Tan.

"Technology must empower, not exclude. Our alumni network brings deep expertise in engineering and digital transformation, and we believe strongly in contributing back to both Singapore and India through meaningful, inclusive initiatives," said Jain on the occasion.

"Through this collaboration, we aim to provide accessible and practical training that supports their safety, communication and overall well-being," Lim said. The IITAAS initiative holds particular resonance for Indians in Singapore. A substantial portion of Singapore's migrant workforce hails from India, the Philippines, China, Bangladesh and other Asian countries, working in construction, marine, and manufacturing sectors.