Mid Career Pathway programme – a reprieve for jobless Singaporeans

Mid-career professionals in Singapore will now have the chance to enrol in SGUnited Mid Career Pathway programme that aims to provide job attachments and full-time training to upskill recently retrenched professionals.

The mid-career pathway programme, launched by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Workforce Singapore (WSG) will provide over 13,000 job attachment opportunities across multiple industries to all Singaporeans.

Among the roles that will be available through the programme includes business development manager, software engineer, finance analyst, and e-commerce associate. All attachment programmes will commence by March 31 next year.

Participants enrolled in the programme will be considered for attachment opportunities with several organisations including  GIV, United Overseas Bank, and Watsons Singapore.

Programme participants will receive a monthly training allowance for the duration of the job-attachments that are expected to last four to nine months.  The Singaporean government will co-fund 80% of the training allowance, with the host organisation funding the remainder.

This new programme was launched as a response to an overwhelming demand for the previously announced SGUnited Traineeship Programme designed for new graduates.

The launch of the traineeship programme saw more than 6,400 host organisations indicating an interest in offering more than 35,000 positions for new graduates to date.

The number of positions on offer, according to MOM and WSG far exceeds the number of fresh and recent graduates who are likely to fill them.

As a result, WSG and the Singapore Business Federation, the programme manager for the mid-career initiative, will work with the host organisations to open up the earlier-approved positions as attachments for mid-career individuals.

While permanent jobs are not guaranteed after the attachment, mid-career job seekers are “strongly encouraged” to consider participating in the programme, added MOM and WSG.

This initiative comes as mid-career individuals are experiencing challenges in finding suitable employment.

Preliminary data shows that Singapore’s overall unemployment rate rose to 2.9% in the second quarter reflecting the devastating effects of COVID-19 on the economy.

This rate is reportedly the highest for more than a decade, as retrenchments double from the previous quarter.

A rise in retrenchment numbers was seen in the last quarter across all three broad sectors: manufacturing, services, and construction.

“Retrenchments rose significantly in wholesale trade and transport equipment, reflecting a reduced demand in retail and air travel respectively,” MOM said.

Thus, the SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways programme aspires to help candidates not only gain new skills but also widen their professional networks.

Host organisations will also have the option of hiring top performers as permanent employees when business conditions improve

“This will give host organisations the option to fill these positions with experienced mid-career individuals, who bring with them a wealth of work experience and skills,” they said.