Tan See Leng on SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme

Company attachments under the SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme (SGUP) were introduced in July 2020. From its launch until January 2022, more than 7,200 mid-career local job seekers have been placed into attachments. Trainees typically receive a monthly training allowance of between S$1,600 and S$3,800. The Government funds up to 90 per cent of the allowance. The average and median training allowances of SGUP participants are both at around S$2,600. As of November 2021, more than 3,400 trainees have completed or exited the attachments. About 2,600 or about 77 per cent of them were employed. Manpower Minister Tan See Leng, who gave this update in reply to an MP's questions in Parliament on Monday (Apr 4), described this as an "encouraging sign". As of January 2022, more than 20,800 locals have applied for SGUP positions. As the labour market started showing signs of recovery, towards the end of 2020, it is therefore not surprising that the majority of SGUP openings were not filled. This is a "positive sign", said Dr Tan. He stressed that the SGUP remains a useful programme for employers and job seekers who may face greater challenges in making a career switch.