SINGAPORE: Singapore's Workforce Development Agency (WDA) is embarking on a four-pronged strategy to prepare workers for the future and to make them competitive.

This includes more continuing education and training (CET) centres for new growth areas, increasing training places to 240,000 by 2010, and setting up a new Institute of Adult Learning.

WDA is celebrating its fifth anniversary at a time when Singapore's economy is bracing itself from the aftershocks of a global downturn.

Five years ago, the agency was busy helping retrenched workers find jobs during the last recession. Now, its focus is on building an infrastructure that entrenches the culture of continuing education and training.

Singapore's leaders have, over the past few months, urged workers to be prepared for a bumpy year ahead, in view of the global economic scenario. But WDA's CEO, Mr Ong Ye Kung, is confident that the tripartite partners are now better prepared than they were five years ago to deal with the effects of a massive downturn.

The agency's chief said much progress has been made, working with employers and unions.

Mr Ong said: "First, if you don't have a job, we help you move into a new job. Second, if you are already in a job, we help you move up into a bigger and better job. Third, if your industry is in a flux, we will help you move in between companies.

"Fourth, if the entire industry is declining but there are other growth sectors in Singapore, we help you move in between and across another industry and seize new opportunities."

He added that the key challenge in a globalised world is for the Singapore worker to be agile, and that is where retraining comes in. So far, 42,000 workers have received the Workforce Skills Qualifications in the first half of this year.

"Ultimately, the CET infrastructure should be like the healthcare infrastructure. If you are sick, you know where to go. Likewise, if you feel you are vulnerable or your job is insecure or you just want to fulfil an aspiration, you know where to go. There are CET centres that can screen you, assess you and help you chart a new career.

"The ability to do a job does not necessarily mean that your academic qualifications go higher and higher. You might be a graduate now holding a master's degree but your next career progression may involve learning something at the certificate level or advanced certificate level and that is the mindset you have to change," said Mr Ong.

For the first six months of this year, nearly 15,000 workers – including those who had undergone skills conversion courses – have been placed in new jobs.


- CNA/so