Workers here can soon have their own online accounts to track the training courses they attended and look for new jobs.

The Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) has asked infocomm technology companies to submit ideas for a pilot project to set up these accounts for 2,000 junior college students and 15,000 professionals, executives and managers by January next year. IT companies have to submit their proposals next month.

The WDA plans to run the trial for at least nine months from February next year.

Its chief executive Wong Hong Kuan said that the project will give personalised attention to workers and match the needs of both workers and employers. "This will ultimately help to strengthen the Singapore core and enhance the long-term employability of the local workforce."

The idea of these individual online accounts - which the WDA named "Individual Learning Portfolios" - was first announced by the Manpower Ministry during the Parliament debate of its budget in March this year. The ministry said then that such accounts will be rolled out in stages over three years.

The WDA did not say what its budget was, but its tender documents limited the trial only to firms that can handle projects of up to $3 million.