By Shukry Rashid
Next U, the executive education subsidiary of NTUC LearningHub, has partnered with the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) to offer a place-and-train Professional Conversion Programme (PCP) for the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector.
The programme will target two specific job roles – Network Administrators and Software Developers/Applications Programmers.
This was announced by NTUC LearningHub during a ‘Breakfast Talk with IT Sector’ on 20 January 2016 where NTUC Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) Patrick Tay was guest of honour. The talk was attended by employers from the ICT sector.
ASG Tay said that even though the projected economy within the next few years is gloomy, employment in ICT sector remains resilient as many of the future jobs will directly or indirectly involve, or be integrated, with IT.
He added that there is also an emphasis on building a Smart Nation – Singapore's national vision of using technology to improve lives and businesses. Hence, manpower demand in the ICT sector remains the highest amongst the other sectors.
Singaporean Core
ASG Tay said that the ICT sector is also one of the sectors where tripartite partners want to develop the Singaporean core.
“There are currently many jobs vacancies which Singaporeans can fill and some 4,500 of them are in the ICT sector according to the National Jobs Bank. Therefore, the Labour Movement wants to push very hard with this and other programmes to ensure those jobs are filled with the right people with the right pay, and with the right skills,” he added.
One of the employers who has jumped on board the programme is FindSGJobs.com Founder Eric Poh who plans to expand his company.
“I’m glad for such an initiative. Having worked 18 years in the IT industry, it is hard to get IT staff. Such programmes allow us to train workers and put them into the job, and get government support in terms of funding,” he said.
He elaborated that 70 per cent of workers in the industry are not locals and added “it’s a good way to bring the locals in.”
Good to know
Both employers and job-seekers who wish to find out more on the ICT PCP can visit: www.ntuclearninghub.com/pages/infocomm-technology-ict-professional-conversion-programme-pcp.
Source: NTUC This Week
