Efforts to enhance PMEs' employability

Efforts to enhance PMEs' employability

We thank Mr Colin Loh Yoon Fui for his feedback ("Tailor job schemes to help PMETs"; June 2).

The Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) has available a range of programmes and services to help professionals, managers and executives (PMEs) be adaptable and employable, and to take charge of their career development.

These include professional conversion programmes (PCPs) designed for job seekers to reskill themselves and to obtain the necessary knowledge and competencies to take on new jobs.

Many of these PCPs are offered in place-and-train mode, where PMEs are first hired by employers before commencing training to gain the necessary skills for the job.

Currently, WDA has worked with the industry and partners to introduce PCPs in a range of occupations and industries, in a total of 12 sectors, to cater to a wide spectrum of the workforce. These include animation, childcare, nursing, game design, infocomm technology and intellectual property.

WDA continues to expand this further, and more details can be found on https://www.wda.gov.sg/content/wdawebsite/programmes_and_initiatives/L701E-ProfConversionProgramme.html

PMEs, including those who wish to switch careers, can also tap WDA's P-Max programme, which matches them with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

We also encourage PMEs to make use of available self-help resources to access job opportunities and career-related information.

One such resource is Jobs Bank (www.jobsbank.gov.sg), which facilitates job matching between employers and local job seekers. Another is www.careerresource.sg, a one-stop portal offering employment services, upgrading courses and programmes, career tips, and labour market information relevant to PMEs.

Those who require more customised or dedicated career or training advisory services may seek assistance from career coaches at WDA's career centres, CaliberLink or NTUC's Employment and Employability Institute (e2i).

PMEs can also look forward to a number of upcoming SkillsFuture initiatives, such as the SkillsFuture Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy and SkillsFuture Credit, which can help them stay adaptable throughout their careers.

WDA will be providing more details of these initiatives soon.

WDA will continue to explore new or enhanced ways to help PMEs improve their employability and take charge of their career development.

Patricia Woo (Ms)

Director

Corporate and Marketing Communications

Singapore Workforce Development Agency

 


This article was first published on June 11, 2015.
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