New framework to develop career coaches, who help others find work, as professionals

SINGAPORE - There will be a new framework to help career practitioners develop their skills and the credentials needed to have them recognised as professionals in their industry.

To their jobseeking clients, the certification will promise quality coaching from a professional who "upholds high standards, ethics and ethos", said Mrs Josephine Teo, Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Home Affairs, in launching the Workforce Singapore (WSG) Career Development Framework on Monday (Aug 27).

At WSG last year, career practitioners, who are also referred to as career coaches, helped about 25,000 jobseekers under the Adapt and Grow programme.

"Professionalising and standardising practices in the career community will be key. We must build on the empathy and passion of our career professionals, invest in developing their capabilities and attract more talents to join the community," Mrs Teo said at the inaugural Career Practitioners Conference held at Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre.

Around 300 career professionals, including practitioners who do it as their primary job, and career advisers, who do it as their secondary job function, attended the conference.

Career practitioners are those who help jobseekers find a career. They can provide services such as education and career guidance.

They also help in managing career transition, by helping to create curriculum vitaes (CVs) and resumes, professional branding and marketing, and assist with job search, interview preparation as well as engaging employers for job vacancies.

For these career practitioners, the new framework will introduce training courses that lead to certification, and will also provide guidelines on the kind of skills someone in the industry needs.

Mrs Teo said: "As our economy restructures and our workforce adapts, the role of career professionals becomes more important. We must recognise their critical place in helping people successfully transit from one occupation to another... The better we can (do this), the more likely our people can benefit from transformation."

She added that as recently as a decade ago, a career practitioner was a new profession in Singapore.

Now, there are about 150 such career coaches from WSG and Employment and Employability Institute (e2i). There are also more than 90 coaches who take on the role of education and career guidance counsellors in secondary schools, junior colleges and post-secondary education institutions.

There is also a pool of career advisers among human resource practitioners, allied educators, social service officers and industry mentors who provide career advice to workers at their workplaces.

Under the framework, there are four levels of certification that range from basic education and career advising, to helping professionals to apply career development theories and tools. Higher levels can help professionals to supervise and guide other career practitioners and even plan career services for others.

The first window for application for the framework will open on Oct 1 this year. The cost of applying for each level is $139.10.

Each credential is valid for three years and professionals have to meet certain criteria for renewing it, such as completing the required number of practice hours.

On Monday, Mrs Teo also presented certificates of participation to the first 30 participants of the Career Advisory Programme, a three-day introductory course. This programme will form a part of the most basic level of credentials in the new framework.

Mr Tan Choon Shian, chief executive of WSG, said: "(This framework) signifies the importance and recognition placed on career practitioners. It reflects the crucial role they play in helping individuals navigate career crossroads and make good choices about their career goals.

"The professionalisation of the industry will provide practitioners with the edge in assisting jobseekers to make quality career decisions."

WSG career coach Jason Low, 57, who has been in the industry for over six years and served more than 1,250 clients, will be signing up for courses under the new framework.

"The framework sets the direction for us and helps us to know the way ahead, while also keeping up with changes in the world. It sets clear standards and helps us to know what foundational knowledge and skills we need in this industry.

"It also lends credibility to our work," he said.

Mr Low added that having such a framework may help attract more people to the field as well as retain those who are already in the business.

His role is crucial in helping people get new jobs, said Ms Mazlina Hashim, 54, an executive assistant in a security company who went to Mr Low in February this year.

She had been jobless since December 2017. With Mr Low's help, she secured her current position in May.

"Without him, it wouldn't have happened," she said. "He gave me hope because I had lost confidence after being retrenched.

"I also felt I was too old to get another job but he helped me build my CV and explore different options."