Forum: Singaporeans supported in return to work, at every stage of their careers
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We thank Mr Ives Tay for his letter “SkillsFuture can help more long-term jobless Singaporeans return to work” (May 6).
The Skills and Workforce Development Agency, formed by the impending merger of SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) and Workforce Singapore (WSG), will lead the SkillsFuture movement, and partner stakeholders to enable individuals to proactively take charge of and shape their career growth.
WSG has been committed to helping unemployed Singaporeans access good job opportunities and continue building their careers, including supporting returners to work after extended periods out of the workforce.
Personalised career matching and guidance services by WSG’s Careers Connect, NTUC’s e2i career centres and appointed career matching providers Ingeus and AKG have been designed to help individuals address employment gaps, rebuild confidence and navigate the job market, regardless of how long they have been unemployed.
We recognise that individuals at different life stages face unique challenges in returning to work and have put in place programmes such as the Career Conversion Programme, Mid-Career Pathways Programme and the herCareer initiative to ease the transition.
We will continue working with partners across agencies to provide targeted assistance. Through the recently announced Alliance for Action on Advancing Career and Employment Services, we are also partnering the private sector to develop solutions to uplift employability, including helping those out of the labour force gain confidence to return to work.
With rapid technological advancements and shortening half-life of skills, we encourage people to invest proactively in their career health, remain adaptable and be better prepared for unforeseen circumstances, such as job loss or prolonged unemployment.
By understanding their current skills and upgrading through job-relevant training, people can ready themselves to return to work. Eligible individuals, including those out of the workforce, can receive up to 90 per cent subsidies for SSG-supported programmes, with the remaining fees able to be offset using SkillsFuture Credit, including the $4,000 SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career).
The Careers & Skills Passport (CSP) also lets people track their skills and career progress, build a verified profile, and apply directly through partnering online job portals. We have observed that those who use their CSP-verified profiles are 1½ times more likely to be shortlisted by employers.
The writer rightly notes that the merger of SSG and WSG presents an opportunity to strengthen support for workers at all stages of their careers. The coming together of both agencies will allow us to better integrate training and employment support into a more seamless journey – from skills development to job placement – so that no Singaporean is left behind, whether just starting out, in mid-career, or returning to work after a long absence.
Supporting the career health of every Singaporean, at every stage of life, remains at the heart of what we do.
Pao Jia Yu
Deputy Chief Executive, Planning, SSG-WSG