SINGAPORE – Four new SkillsFuture work-study programmes, offering a total of about 300 places over the next three years, are in the pipeline to meet manpower needs in emerging and growth sectors.

Three of these new programmes will be rolled out in October.

The work-study schemes, which allow adults to pursue higher qualifications while working, will also rope in more than 32,000 firms – mostly local small and medium-size enterprises – in tie-ups with higher learning institutes and business associations.

Second Minister for Education Maliki Osman said at a virtual SkillsFuture Work-Study Fair on Friday (Aug 13) that two memoranda of understanding have been signed between the higher learning institutes and the Singapore Business Federation and Singapore Manufacturing Federation respectively.

The expansion of the work-study programmes builds on their success, said Dr Maliki. For instance, 96 per cent of those trained were employed six months after completion of their work-study programmes according to a survey last year.

Since the launch of the programmes in 2015, more than 7,000 trainees and more than 1,600 companies have benefited from them.

“One example of a company that has benefited from the work-study programme is Raffles Hotel Singapore of the Accor Group,” said Dr Maliki, citing how the hotel has recruited a total of 14 people from the programme, of whom five are still being trained.

Among them is National ITE Certificate (Nitec) graduate Benjamin Tong, who enrolled in the Institute of Education’s (ITE) Work-Study Diploma in Security Systems Engineering course as an assistant engineer with NEC Asia Pacific. Upon completion of the course as part of ITE’s pioneer cohort, he was given a pay increment and entrusted with additional responsibilities, said Dr Maliki.

With the addition of the four new work-study programmes, there are now 187 such programmes in total.

One of the three programmes to be offered in October is the Work-Study Post-Diploma (Specialist Diploma in AgriTechnology and AgriBusiness) jointly developed and delivered by Republic Polytechnic and Ngee Ann Polytechnic. The other two programmes are in business analytics and digital entertainment and events.

The SkillsFuture Work-Study Post-Diploma (WSQ Specialist Diploma in Aerospace) is the fourth new programme and will be rolled out in January next year. It will equip those who wish to pursue a career as a licenced aircraft engineer.

The scheme will include practical training and also prepare participants for examinations conducted by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore.

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