Some 500 Singaporean fresh graduates and professionals, managers and executives (PMEs) with no more than three years of working experience can expect to earn progressive wages and better career prospects in the food services and retail sectors, upon completion of a newly launched programme.
The Core Executive Programme for Food Services and Retail Sectors comes about as the National Trades Union Congress’ (NTUC) Hospitality and Consumer Business Cluster and SPRING Singapore join hands to strengthen the Singaporean Core in local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in both food services and retail sectors.
The Cluster and SPRING will identify, match and place suitable PMEs into a pilot pool of participating SMEs that are prepared to employ diploma-holders on full-time employment terms with at least a monthly salary of S$2,000 and degree-holders with at least S$2,500.
The SMEs are to commit the PMEs to the 12-month training and development programme as well as promote them to supervisory and managerial roles upon completion of the programme.
The Cluster and SPRING aim to place and train 500 PMEs over three years, in the first phase of this partnership.
The Core Executive Programme for Food Services and Retail Sectors was announced today by NTUC Deputy Secretary-General Heng Chee How during a visit to Jay Gee Melwani Group’s retail outlets at Bugis+, together with NTUC Secretary-General Lim Swee Say and Chief Executive Officer of SPRING Singapore Png Cheong Boon.
A quick look at what this means:
The Food Services and Retail sectors – A good start to strengthening the Singaporean Core as more Singaporean PMEs flow in to fill future supervisory or managerial roles in these sectors in the pilot phase.
The Employer – strengthen the capabilities and customer service skills of his/her employee through structured and funded training; enhance his/her business’ competitiveness and sustainability.
The Employee – good starting salaries of at least S$2,000 to S$2,500 per month, which may progressively increase with good performance; structured training and development, which can lead to higher wages and job positions for him/her; and accelerated career pathways with the fast track Core Executive Programme.
