Some employers might also receive extra funding
Two career placement programmes in Singapore have proven effective in cushioning the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the job market. The SGUnited Traineeship and SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways have fast-tracked the career development and job readiness of 9,500 Singaporeans.
Despite the “severely weakened hiring demand” of 2020, the pathways were launched to guide recent graduates and mid-career individuals as they developed “industry-relevant skills and boost their employability”. Because of the upskilling and on-the-job training, participants can once more explore prospects in the wider job market and receive a stipend, the Ministry of Manpower said.
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Host employers may also soon qualify for funding. “Companies hosting traineeships and attachments that start before 31 March 2022 can qualify for financial support. From 1 April 2021, training allowances were raised for ITE and diploma graduates, as well as mid-career jobseekers aged 40 and above,” the MOM said.
In the meantime, Workforce Singapore will give participants – who have yet to secure a full-time job – some one-on-one time. “WSG will be engaging participants who have not secured full-time employment to further support their job search,” the MOM added.
The next step for host organisations and their temp staff? Re-hiring the temps but, this time, for full-time roles. It’s fast becoming a trend after a year of on and off lockdowns.
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“The vast majority (85%) have either converted or intend to convert suitable trainees to regular employees. Tata Consultancy Services, for instance, plans to offer full-time employment to 87 trainees across four roles, namely Cloud Engineer, Tech Developer, Infra Engineer, and UI/UX Developer,” the ministry said.
“With the extension of both programmes, we expect continued strong interest from host organisations. In the coming months, another 15,000 traineeship and company attachment opportunities will likely be available,” officials said.
“However, as unemployment eases and pockets of tightness appear in the labour market, WSG has started to observe a moderated pace of applications. Nearly half of those who received at least one traineeship or attachment offer had turned it down, with fresh graduates more likely than mid-career applicants to do so. The key reason cited was another traineeship or full-time employment opportunity,” they said.
