HELPING MID-CAREER WORKERS
Singaporeans aged 40 and above will receive an additional S$4,000 (US$2,980) in SkillsFuture credits in May, which will further offset out-of-pocket fees for selected training courses. Younger Singaporeans will receive the same amount when they turn 40.
Educational institutions told CNA that they are seeing more adult learners.
Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) said it has seen about 20 per cent more mid-career workers taking on such diploma programmes over the past year.
Among the courses that are in higher demand are smart facilities management, student care and digital content.
“Typically, it will be adult learners who are already dabbling, (or are at an) entry level in those fields. So they want to deepen their knowledge and, of course, to sort of move further in the second career,” said Ms Christy Chung, director of NP’s Continuing Education and Training Academy.
“The motivation to do well and to find a job or related job subsequent to that is very high. So it’s about finding willing employers to do the matching. We have learning and career ambassadors in the campus itself to specifically serve this group of adult learners.”
To better align their courses with industry needs, schools are also turning to companies to curate, design and even conduct classes.
Mr Bernard Nee, deputy president for industry and community at the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), cited how telecom company Singtel, for instance, was pushing for sustainable data centres and it “wanted a series of programmes to upskill the workforce to support this new initiative”.
SIT worked with the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) and various polytechnics, such as Temasek Polytechnic, Singapore Polytechnic and Nanyang Polytechnic, to offer a series of short courses for this sector, “in different functional roles, as well as to create a extra upgrading pathway for the workforce from ITE Nitec to a diploma and eventually a degree”, he added.