Jobs Situation Report 21st Edition

Traineeship and attachment schemes benefit 9,500. More openings to be available in coming months

1. Against the backdrop of severely weakened hiring demand, the SGUnited Traineeships Programme and SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme were launched in 2020 to help recent graduates and mid-career individuals develop industry-relevant skills and boost their employability.
   
   
2. Both programmes have since been extended and enhanced. Companies hosting traineeships and attachments that start before 31 March 2022 can qualify for financial support. From 1 April 2021, training allowances were raised for ITE and diploma graduates, as well as mid-career jobseekers aged 40 and above.
   
   Progress as of end February 2021
   
   
3. Since inception, the SGUnited Traineeships and SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme (Company Attachments) have served as useful complements to the Government’s efforts to place Singaporeans into jobs. There was strong interest from host organisations and applicants.
   
   
   
   
4. WSG will be engaging participants who have not secured full-time employment to further support their job search.
   
   
5. It also conducted a survey of host organisations whose trainees have ended or are ending their traineeship/attachments by June 2021. The vast majority (85%) have either converted or intend to convert suitable trainees to regular employees. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), for instance, plans to offer full-time employment to 87 trainees across four roles, namely Cloud Engineer, Tech Developer, Infra Engineer, and UI/UX Developer.
   
   
6. Of the remaining host organisations (15%), key reasons for not converting the trainees include:
   (i) the trainee wanted to further their studies
   (ii) they needed more time to assess the trainee
   (iii) they had found the trainee unsuitable
   (iv) they did not have available headcount.
   
   Openings still available
   
   
7. With the extension of both programmes, we expect continued strong interest from host organisations. In the coming months, another 15,000 traineeship and company attachment opportunities will likely be available.
   
   
8. However, as unemployment eases and pockets of tightness appear in the labour market, WSG has started to observe a moderated pace of applications. Nearly half of those who received at least one traineeship or attachment offer had turned it down, with fresh graduates more likely than mid-career applicants to do so. The key reason cited was another traineeship or full-time employment opportunity.
   
   Suggestions for applicants
   
   
9. WSG has also noticed that 70% of the applications were concentrated on 20% of vacancies. Understandably, applicants focused on better known organisations and prominent sectors. As a result, many did not secure any interview opportunity. As majority of applicants who secured interviews subsequently received offer(s), applicants should consider applying to a broader range of host organisations, and those with fewer applicants. This information is easily found on the job postings on WSG’s MyCareersFuture portal.
   
   
   
   
10. Skills mismatch was another reason why host organisations did not follow up with some applicants. There are two ways for applicants to focus their efforts on more likely hosts or openings:
    
    (i) Use MyCareersFuture’s skills-matching tool
    
    Mid-career individuals have transferrable skills such as problem-solving, communication, strategic thinking, marketing, etc. By using the “Add Skills” function on MyCareersFuture, they will get more recommended roles that help identify adjacent opportunities.
    
    (ii) Sharpen job resume to prioritise key skills relevant to the postings
    
    More employers today are using the “Applicant Tracking System (ATS)” software to filter resumes. Applicants should therefore tailor their resumes using keywords that match the job requirements in terms of Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. Those who need help are encouraged to use the “Check Resume” function on MyCareersFuture or approach WSG’s Careers Connect, NTUC’s e2i and SGUnited Jobs and Skills Centres.
    
    Conclusion
    
    
11. The SGUnited Traineeship Programme and SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme have helped many jobseekers to acquire meaningful work exposure while they try to secure regular employment. The programmes also provide hosts with the opportunity to assess the trainees.
    
    
12. There continues to be healthy interest from host organisations and applicants. We encourage applicants to widen their search and consider lesser-known hosts who can still provide them with experience. Host organisation can also demonstrate their seriousness by converting suitable trainees early and profiling these success stories when engaging prospective applicants.
    
    For more information
    
    
13. To find out more about:
    (i) SGUnited Traineeships Programme, please visit https://go.gov.sg/sgut.
    (ii) and SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme, please visit https://go.gov.sg/sgup-midcareer.
    (iii) How the government is supporting employers can be found in the 19th Edition of the Jobs Situation Report (https://go.gov.sg/jsr19)
    (iv) WSG’s programmes and career advisory and matching services, please visit www.mycareersfuture.gov.sg/careercoaching (QR code below) or call WSG’s hotline at 6883 5885.
    (v) Upcoming engagement and outreach events organised by WSG and NTUC’s e2i, jobseekers can visit https://www.ssg-wsg.gov.sg/events.html or https://e2i.com.sg/events/.