Jobseekers using Careers & Skills Passport portal more likely to be shortlisted: SkillsFuture

SINGAPORE: More than 2.3 million job applications have been submitted using the Careers and Skills Passport (CSP) as of November last year, according to SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG).

The CSP is a platform that brings together a jobseeker’s skills, employment history, qualifications and certification records, allowing them to share verified credentials with potential employers.

Job applications made on participating online job portals JobStreet and FastJobs using the CSP were 1.5 times more likely to be shortlisted by employers, said SSG.

SSG recently partnered with two more online job portals - EASE and FindSGJobs - to encourage wider adoption of the platform.

MORE EMPLOYERS ON BOARD

More than 705,000 individuals have accessed their CSP as of Nov 30, 2025.

Among employers, uptake has also increased.

About 5,200 employers used profiles generated by the CSP as of November last year, marking an increase of more than 70 per cent from June.

Among them is ISS Facility Services, where recruiters are already using the CSP to gain a clearer understanding of candidates’ capabilities even before interviews begin.

“The portals allow us to be able to assess what is the qualification availability of the individual, so we can actually provide a better job match to the candidate,” said Ms Gina Toh, CEO of ISS Facility Services.

“Of course, this then leads to a better sort of job match for both employer and employee and creates more stability when the employee joins the company.”

Ms Toh said it has helped staff to cut down on administrative paperwork, as they can now simply access the CSP portal to find information on a potential hire.

However, she pointed out that not all its employees – especially older ones – are digitally savvy enough to access the portal.

The company also must use the CSP alongside its own HR portal.

“(It) means we have to run two parallel tracks of digital authors; to toggle between the two systems when we need to retrieve information to check the background of the individual employees,” Ms Toh added.

“This does create … slight inefficiency for the company. Ideally, it can be integrated, but we respect the fact that (we have to run) two parallel tracks.”

PERSONALISED INSIGHTS

SSG has also rolled out enhancements to the CSP, including a feature that offers users more personalised career insights and course recommendations based on their profiles and aspirations.

For those who need help navigating the portal, support is available through advisors, workshops and one-to-one sessions.

However, a market observer noted that beyond identifying job opportunities, jobseekers still need support in communicating their value to employers.

“One part is actually on employers stating the kind of skill sets that they are seeking for … but another point I also realise is for jobseekers or employees ourselves, we need to know how to articulate the skill sets that we have acquired that can also apply to the real business,” said Ms Vivian Tay, director of consumer goods and marketing at global executive recruitment firm Ethos BeathChapman.

She added that while hiring cycles have lengthened, recruitment outcomes appear to be improving.

“What we are seeing in 2024 versus 2025 - the time to fill a role has increased from 81 days to 91 days. But we do see that our CV-to-interview conversion improved by 35 per cent, and the jobs-to-placements ratio is also up by 28 per cent year to year,” Ms Tay noted.

“The hiring cycle might be slower, but the outcomes are definitely stronger. So we do see that employers are taking a little bit more time to ensure … a higher success rate.”

As the job market continues to evolve, Ms Tay said tools such as the CSP will need to go hand in hand with the continuous acquisition of new skills.