SINGAPORE, 29 JULY 2020 – From 1 August 2020, local mid-career jobseekers will have an additional channel to build up valuable industry-relevant experience as a step towards permanent jobs amidst a soft labour market. 

2          They will be able to apply for more than 13,000 company attachments across a wide variety of sectors and roles, including business development manager, software engineer, finance analyst, and e-Commerce associate, via the SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme.

3          The response from companies to provide traineeships for fresh and recent graduates has been very strong. To date, more than 6,400 organisations have indicated interest in offering more than 35,000 positions through the earlier-announced SGUnited Traineeships Programme, far exceeding the number of fresh and recent graduates who are likely to fill them.

4          To improve the chances of host organisations finding suitable candidates, Workforce Singapore (WSG) and its programme manager, the Singapore Business Federation (SBF), will be working closely with them to open up these earlier-approved positions as attachments for mid-career individuals under the SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme. 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. Some host organisations like GIC, the United Overseas Bank and Watsons Singapore have already stepped forward to indicate their support for offering attachments to mid-career individuals.

5          Mid-career jobseekers are strongly encouraged to consider participating in these attachments to widen their professional networks and gain new skills while preparing for permanent jobs in future. Attachments under the programme will be between four months to nine months, with participants receiving a monthly training allowance of between $1,400 and $3,000, of which 80% will be funded by the Government.

6          Deputy Prime Minister Mr Heng Swee Keat announced the launch of the mid-career attachments during a visit to the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Centre at Kampong Chai Chee Community Club today.  Accompanied by Minister for Manpower, Mrs Josephine Teo and local Grassroots Advisor, Minister of State for National Development Mr Tan Kiat How, DPM Heng interacted with career ambassadors and jobseekers at the satellite career centre, which is one of 24 that are being set up across the island.  These satellite centres are part of WSG’s efforts to expand capacity and bring career services deeper into the heartlands so that jobseekers can more easily access career advisory and guidance on the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package, including information about the SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme.

7          Mr Tan Choon Shian, WSG’s Chief Executive said, “We thank the companies for their strong support and contributions to the SGUnited Jobs & Skills efforts. This gives us great faith that they will extend the same enthusiasm to the SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme. We empathise with the anxieties mid-career individuals face during this difficult time and have stepped up efforts to ensure quality attachments with clear development plans so that they can quickly and confidently embark on permanent jobs once the economy recovers. We hope that they will make full use of the attachments to embark on a new pathway that can help lead them to the next stage of their career.”

8          Recent graduates can continue to apply for the SGUnited Traineeship Programme via  MyCareersFuture. The portal also provides useful industry insights and career resources that will guide jobseekers in their career journey.

For more details on the attachments under the SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme, please refer to  Annex A.

For details on the extension of attachments to mid-career jobseekers, please refer to Annex B. 

For more information on SGUnited Jobs and Skills Centres, please refer to  Annex C.