By Avelyn Ng
According to the Annual Survey on Infocomm Media Manpower published by Infocomm Media Development Authority last month, the total demand for infocomm technology (ICT) professionals increased by 2.8 per cent to reach 198,200 job positions in 2016. It is projected to grow by another 42,300 in the next three years.
To tackle the overwhelming demand, SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) appointed NTUC LearningHub (LHUB) as the Professional Conversion Programme (PCP) partner earlier this year for 10 entry-level ICT job roles in four broad categories – software development, database, network and infrastructure, and cybersecurity.
LHUB will be training PCP candidates across these roles using courses from its range of 37 National Infocomm Competency Framework (NICF) offerings.
Outreach to the Employers
LHUB launched the PCP for the 10 job roles in July 2017. To date, eight employers have signed up, out of which five have collectively hired nine candidates.
LHUB aims to place 60 candidates by the end of this year, and double it in 2018. Working towards this goal, LHUB held a sharing session for companies on 14 August 2017 to deepen their understanding on the programme. About 23 representatives from the management of 18 companies attended.
“Honestly, the salary expectations of locals are high, even against the market rate, but I can’t keep hiring foreigners. So, one of the ways is to incentivise [career-switchers] by tapping on the scheme – I can pay them slightly higher to get them into the role to see whether it is something they want to do.
“The previous experience they had may not be relevant anymore so they have to start from ground zero. We are not looking for skills in these candidates, it’s about the mindset. They have to be willing to learn, adapt and accept changes, especially in a start-up like ours,” said Founder and CEO of CLOP Technologies, who is looking for a network consultant.
Employers hiring candidates under the PCP scheme benefit from up to 90 per cent classroom training subsidy and 90 per cent salary subsidy for a period of up to six months from Workforce Singapore and SSG.
LHUB has about 300 pre-screened candidates who meet the programme criteria. The pool will continue to grow as it works closely with other units under the Labour Movement.
Alternatively, employers can source for suitable candidates on their own or through a headhunting agency, and then work with LHUB to hire the candidate under the PCP scheme.
Good to Know
LHUB will be conducting a sharing session and career fair for candidates on 21 August 2017. Hiring companies can register for a complimentary booth space. There will be more of such events coming up too.
Interested parties can email to pme@ntuclearninghub.com. Click here for more information on ICT PCP.
Source: NTUC This Week
