SINGAPORE - People looking to make the mid-career switch to become nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists or diagnostic radiographers, can now look forward to receiving more financial support as they make the transition.
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Mid-career professionals who are making a career switch to the healthcare sector can look forward to enhancements to the Healthcare Professional Conversion Programmes (PCP) from Academic Year 2015 onwards.
The monthly training allowances for PCP trainees will be raised by $200, the Ministry of Health said in a media statement today.
The Health Ministry and the Workforce Development Agency have been partnering the Institute of Technical Education and Nanyang Polytechnic to offer training pathways for mid-career professionals from other sectors to join healthcare and meet Singapore's growing healthcare needs.
The five Healthcare PCPs enable mid-career professionals to obtain the professional qualifications to practise as Enrolled Nurses (EN), Registered Nurses (RN), Physiotherapists (PT), Occupational Therapists (OT) or Diagnostic Radiographers (DR).
Under the PCPs, their course fees will be fully sponsored and they will also receive monthly allowances throughout their period of training. In return, PCP trainees are required to serve a bond at a sponsoring employer. The table below shows the monthly allowances for trainees with different years of prior work experience.
Trainees will also receive a new Career Transition Bonus upon the completion of candidates' training, as a way to celebrate a milestone achievement in their career transitions.
This one-time bonus will be $2,000 for Registered Nurse and Allied Health graduates and $1,500 for Enrolled Nurse graduates.
These enhancements are aimed at making the career switch a more attractive option, MOH said.
Application for the Healthcare PCP for Enrolled Nurses is open till September 30, 2014, while applications for the other Healthcare PCPs are open till October 31.
Mid-career professionals who are keen to join the healthcare sector can find out more at two healthcare career previews on September 6 and 13 at the Lifelong Learning Institute. Graduates from the PCPs will be sharing their experience and sponsoring employers will also set up booths to interact with applicants.
Members of the public can visit www.wda.gov.sg to find out more about the different PCPs and register for the career previews.