Singapore Polytechnic and e2i collaborate to enhance and boost competencies and employability of workforce
on
- Singapore Polytechnic (SP) students going into the workforce can look forward to greater support and career guidance under a new MOU signed between SP and NTUC’s Employment & Employability Institute (e2i). The partnership aims to steer students towards making better decisions to enter jobs they are trained in and to continuously excel in their career paths through a series of workshops, industry career advisory and networking sessions.
- The collaboration will tap on e2i’s expertise, industry networks and resources in employment and employability and further strengthens SP’s existing Education & Career Guidance (ECG) efforts.
- Under the MoU, a new Career Excellence Immersion Programme by e2i will be rolled out in July 2017 to graduates embarking on the SkillsFuture Earn & Learn Programmes (ELP) managed by SP. This is a first of its kind industry-specific programme to drive job-ready capabilities at the tertiary level. The one-day job preparatory workshop aims to equip graduates with soft skills and instil the right mind-set and drive for professional development as they transit into the workforce.
- Sharing sessions by industry mentors from e2i will also be conducted regularly to allow SP students and alumni to tap on the knowledge and expertise of industry leaders to make informed career decisions. These sessions will be part of an integrated eco-system of career services to provide students and alumni with personalised career guidance, support and resources for job search and skills development.
- The three-year partnership also supports union members in attaining new industry-relevant skills to enhance their employability by leveraging on the Union Training Assistance Programme (UTAP) to attend skills-based modular courses under SP’s Professional & Adult Continuing Education (PACE) Academy. PACE Academy will offer an additional 102 skills-based modular courses for union members; making up a total of 230 courses offered by PACE Academy under UTAP. Union members can enjoy up to 50% subsidy on unfunded course fees (capped at $250 per year) to defray training cost and also tap on the SkillsFuture Credit for courses that are listed in the SkillsFuture Course Directory.
- The skills-based modular courses are specially customised for PMETs to deep-skill or upskill, and are aligned to industry needs in areas such as Cybersecurity, Business Management and Biomedical Engineering. Credits earned in these modular courses can be accumulated to gain a full diploma qualification. SP and e2i will continue to identify and bridge skill gaps of PMETs by developing skills programmes to meet the needs of the industry.
- Mr Soh Wai Wah, Principal and Chief Executive Officer of Singapore Polytechnic said, “Through this meaningful partnership with NTUC, Singapore Polytechnic will be able to help the workforce deepen its skills and enhance employability. Apart from the training opportunities provided, it will also help students, alumni and union members to raise their awareness of the employment trends and developments. This will prepare them to better meet the demands of the evolving working environment.”
- Mr Gilbert Tan, Chief Executive Officer of e2i said, “As an enabler between the government, employers, training providers and workers, we value the strong partnership with tertiary institutions to develop and nurture our students to be job ready. We hope students, alumni and workers will be empowered and benefit from our career support services, tap on our extensive industry network to make well-informed career choices and progress in their careers.”