250 job seekers to benefit from professional courses

SINGAPORE – Amid the Government’s efforts to develop a pipeline of manpower for the information and communications sector, the Workforce Development Agency (WDA) is rolling out eight new Professional Conversion Programmes (PCP) for professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) who wish to upgrade their skills, or make a career switch and join the sector. 

This is a sharp increase from two ICT programmes previously, which were introduced in 2009. The programmes are part of the Government’s Adapt and Grow drive, which was announced in March to help those without work adapt to changing labour market demands and get the skills needed to find new work.

Of the eight new programmes, five are now available for cybersecurity professionals, software developers, network administrators, business intelligence architects and IT system administrators/technical support engineers. 

The other three courses, for data scientists, junior programmers/web developers and lead programmers/senior web developers, will be available from the second half of this year.

The programmes were announced by Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say on Wednesday (May 4) at the inaugural Adapt and Grow ICT Career Fair. In all, some 250 PMET job seekers and those who want to make a mid-career switch from the ICT industry are expected to benefit this year. PMETs undergoing the programme must already be working for or be newly hired by a participating company. Those interested can approach any of the three training providers — COMAT, Lithan Academy and NTUC LearningHub — and link up with a participating company through them, or employers with a new hire can decide to send them for training under a PCP. Thirteen companies, such as ST Electronics and Carousell, have come on board as employers. 

The WDA will subsidise training costs borne by employers by up to 70 per cent, or up to 90 per cent for small and medium enterprises. The WDA will also subsidise 70 per cent of a trainee PMET’s salary, capped at S$2,000 a month. For a long-term unemployed or mature trainee PMET, 90 per cent of their wages will be subsidised, capped at S$4,000 a month.