The University of Management in Singapore (SMU) is partnering up with eight companies to co-deliver courses that will support people who are keen on making a career change. The SGUnited Skills initiative is aimed at practitioners, administrators, and executives (SMEs) and aims, in particular, to meet the needs of SMEs.
To allow them to turn to new careers and positions, it will equip them with business management, digital, and internationalization skills. The eight companies will provide trainee projects, mentorship, and potential job opportunities. Company and environmental sustainability, creativity, and digital transformation are some of the subjects to be discussed during preparation. Trainees will take SMU courses for six months, and then, for another three months, have hands-on training at the businesses.
A memorandum of understanding was signed yesterday at a conference between the university, the eight companies, and SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), focusing on how businesses and the workforce can be reshaped in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. The session, coordinated by SSG and sponsored by The Business Times and The Straits Times, was held in a hybrid format with a number of participants at Paya Lebar’s Lifelong Learning Center, while others attended by teleconference.
The SGUnited Skills program is a full-time one that ranges from six to 12 months, tailored to people looking to upgrade their skills while hunting for jobs. Course fees are highly subsidized, with trainees also earning $1,200 per month for the duration of the program. You can here search for Acra companies‘ details.
SSG said approximately 1,300 people have signed up for courses under the SGUnited Skills program, with more than 5,000 places still open in over 100 courses.
Minister of Education Ong Ye Kung said at the forum: “In this current situation, we want to target groups that are more vulnerable, who need our support, who need to re-tool six to 12 months at this point of their career.”Mid-career, the most vulnerable groups are mature PMETs. The next months are not going to be smooth sailing. Workers and businesses will have to change, adapt, develop new skills, and search for new opportunities.
Ms. Novelle Lim, Thong Siek Food Industry ‘s deputy chief executive, one of the eight companies in the SMU program, said her company is looking into digital marketing and data analysis.”The software covers a great deal, focusing on emerging technology-artificial intelligence, e-commerce, digital marketing, and data analytics. I think it’s really powerful,’ she said.
Top International Holding, a mining and trading company, hopes the initiative will pave the way for more mid-career employees to join its fairly young team. Its CEO Victor Tan said: “The average age of my company’s employees is about 30 to 35. So, I hope the seasoned (workers) who are joining us will share their expertise with the enthusiastic young team that we have.
The forum is part of the SkillsFuture Month, which started yesterday and will run until Aug 16. A series of mainly virtual activities will be organized to appeal to Singaporeans at various stages of their career and life. Learning opportunities will be available to job seekers, especially mid-career ones who have been impacted by the economic impact of Covid-19.
SkillsFuture Month 2020 is coordinated by SSG and various partners and supports the efforts of the National Employment Council. More than 80 partners from the government, education, and industry are taking part in the SkillsFuture Month which is expected to hit more than 15,000 learners. A series of activities have been planned to meet the needs of different segments of the workforce, including live webinars, online courses and seminars, and virtual exhibits.
SSG Chief Executive Ong Tze-Ch’in said: “I hope the SkillsFuture Month series of events, both virtual and physical, would … It will allow more Singaporeans to explore new opportunities, explore available resources, and continue their individual journeys through lifelong learning, even in these challenging times.
