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Business Times
5 hours ago
- Business
- Business Times
No money, manpower or time to train workers? SBF can help
[SINGAPORE] Small and medium-sized enterprises in Singapore face three big challenges when it comes to training: a lack of cash, a lack of manpower, and a lack of time. But these barriers can be overcome – and the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) wants to help, said vice-chairman and honorary treasurer Mark Lee. On Thursday (Jul 10), the Ministry of Manpower launched Career Health SG, a national initiative that supports workers to take charge of their careers through career planning and skills development. SBF will support the initiative by reaching out to employers and C-suite executives. The business chamber has already been partnering government agencies, including Workforce Singapore (WSG), to help companies hire better, redesign jobs and upskill their workforce, said Lee. This is done through its Human Capital Action Committee, which Lee also chairs. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 8.30 am SGSME Get updates on Singapore's SME community, along with profiles, news and tips. Sign Up Sign Up Help for every challenge The committee's work includes alleviating companies' struggles to implement good workforce development practices. First, companies which struggle with costs can turn to career conversion programmes, which offer salary support of up to 90 per cent. SBF works with WSG on these programmes, which cover more than 30 sectors and a variety of business needs, including sustainability, human resources and internationalisation. 'So 'money not enough' should not be a hindrance to human capital development,' said Lee. Next, businesses which struggle with a lack of manpower 'may not fully understand how automation and artificial intelligence (AI) can help them', he said. Here, SBF runs AI workshops so business owners can learn about tools that allow them to be more productive with fewer resources. Lastly, if a company lacks time, it should look at re-engineering and restructuring its processes. 'The way that your workflow is today will not be the same tomorrow,' said Lee. 'Certain parts of that workflow need to be thought through… That is where job redesign comes in.' Businesses can also tap AI for this, or consider 'fractionalising' job roles – breaking down roles to accommodate those who need to work on a part-time basis, such as mothers with child caring needs. Doing so can also help a company to access an untapped workforce of stay-home parents and seniors, he added. Why bother training? Lee acknowledged that businesses want to see returns if they invest in training, and many want to see immediate returns. 'All I can say is that in terms of return on investment, you will always get the best returns if you invest in your people. '(Workers who) stay without development will not be able to help you go forth, pivot, or help you internationalise, help you take on new initiatives,' he said. Even companies without growth ambitions can have a reason to upskill their workers. 'There is no right or wrong… (but) being a responsible employer, you will always want to do the best for your employee,' said Lee. Agreeing, WSG chief executive Dilys Boey stressed that workforce development is central to business growth and staying relevant. Boey said: 'A business needs to continue to reinvent itself, innovate, and broaden its customer base. But to do all that and to deliver these business outcomes, they must recognise that they need a strong workforce to support them.' Companies should thus adopt a twin strategy of business transformation and workforce development, she added.
Business Times
6 hours ago
- Business
- Business Times
Workers should future-proof careers before crisis strikes, say WSG, SBF
[SINGAPORE] Workers should see improving their career health as a form of professional insurance, especially amid economic uncertainty and rapid change, said Workforce Singapore's (WSG) chief executive Dilys Boey. The new Career Health SG initiative, launched on Thursday (Jul 10), aims to help workers do just that. Speaking to The Business Times ahead of the launch, Boey said workers should assess their skills and close any gaps before change is forced upon them. Whether an individual is five or 10 years into their career, they should take stock of where they stand and plan ahead, so they will not have to deal with the shock when change suddenly hits. 'We always say, you can't future-proof your job. But you can future-proof your career. That's really the idea behind this movement.' Businesses are also recognising the need to maintain their employees' career health, said Mark Lee, chair of Singapore Business Federation's (SBF) Human Capital Action Committee. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 3 pm Thrive Money, career and life hacks to help young adults stay ahead of the curve. Sign Up Sign Up This is as companies face increasing volatility, from geopolitical tensions to rapid advances in automation and artificial intelligence (AI), he said in a separate interview. WSG and SBF co-organised the inaugural Career Health Summit on Thursday, where Manpower Minister Tan See Leng officially launched the Career Health SG website. The new one-stop portal offers resources for both individuals and employers, from the recently announced Career and Skills Passport to SkillsFuture-related programmes and human resource guides. These are designed to support them at each step of their career health journey, said Dr Tan. During the event, he also announced that the Ministry of Manpower and Singapore National Employers Federation will launch an Alliance for Action on Advancing Career and Employment Services. This will bring together private career and employment service providers to develop innovative solutions to help businesses access talent. It will also explore new work models; strategies to strengthen individual employability; and ways to build a robust talent pipeline to meet employers' evolving needs. Boey said the idea of career health was seeded during the Forward Singapore exercise in 2023, where Singaporeans said that they wanted more fulfilling and flexible careers that evolve with their personal and professional goals. Just like physical or financial health, career health is about regular check-ups and action, she said. WSG captures the process with the acronym ACE: Assess, Chart and Execute. Workers should assess their skills and aspirations; chart a plan to close gaps or explore opportunities; and execute that plan through training, job moves or career coaching. Companies can also apply this process in planning how to redeploy and upskill their workforce, she said. The need for this has become more urgent, as skills are becoming obsolete faster than ever, Boey added. Companies can no longer rely on multi-year training cycles, or expect new hires to show up job-ready. Instead, they should upskill existing employees who understand the business and have the right foundational attributes. This is especially as top-performing workers and those at the bottom get more attention, while the broad middle 80 per cent may get overlooked. Career health must be a shared responsibility, she stressed, with employers actively developing talent by recognising capabilities and redeploying workers into new roles. Staying agile Career health is increasingly relevant to businesses too, in today's uncertain environment, said SBF's Lee. Companies are grappling with trade volatility, rising costs and mounting technological disruption. Beyond external shocks such as US tariffs, traditional business models are being upended by advances in robotics, automation and AI, he said. But in 'every crisis, there are opportunities', said Lee, who is also the chief executive and director of Sing Lun, a family-owned business whose interests include industries, investments and real estate. It is just a matter of how fast businesses can pivot and capture them, while helping their workers, he added. SBF has a four-pronged 'Skills-empowered Action Agenda' for employers: Recruit, Reskill, Redesign and Recognise. The first pillar, Recruit, focuses on helping companies hire better, including through skills-first practices that look beyond qualifications. Reskill supports employers in training workers for future roles. Redesign encourages companies to rethink job roles in tandem with business transformation, such as introducing automation or restructuring roles to allow for more flexible arrangements. Finally, Recognise is about celebrating both employers and employees who step up to drive transformation and take charge of their career health. 'If your people are your biggest asset, how do you ensure they're ready for the future?' said Lee, noting that companies must adopt this forward‑looking mindset to remain competitive.
CNA
2 days ago
- Business
- CNA
Rise in job switches among Gen Zs; more employees taking ‘micro-retirement' breaks, say experts
SINGAPORE: In just three years in the workforce, Nathaniel Wong has had three careers – as a barista, in finance, and now a trainee kindergarten teacher. "I think initially in my early stage of life, making all these transitions - yes, it seems scary,' said the 25-year-old, who now teaches at My First Skool. 'But I have no regrets … in these industries, when combining the experience together, it helps to shape me to who I am today. I feel that it's a good opportunity for me to expand my horizon and learn about different job scopes.' Key to his job changes was the Career Conversion Programme (CCP) run by government agency Workforce Singapore (WSG), which he said helped him secure the skills and certification needed to qualify as a preschool teacher. According to WSG's figures, the number of Gen Z workers – or those typically aged below 28 – who changed jobs last year more than tripled to over 900, compared to 2021. Some Gen Zs are also switching careers much earlier in life, with some starting their third of fourth job by the age of 25. The statutory board noted that more young jobseekers like Mr Wong are turning to the CCP, which are usually targeted towards mid-career switchers. Over 2,400 people born after 1997 enrolled in the programme as of 2025 – up from just over 300 participants in 2021. YOUNG EMPLOYEES SEEKING A PURPOSE Ms Safrah M Eusoof, director of healthcare and social and business services at WSG, told CNA that many young working adults make career switches driven by personal values and aspirations. 'Interestingly (we see) that they transitioned from some sectors, including finance and petrochemical (industries),' she added. Career coaches said they are starting to engage fresh graduates earlier to plan their careers. "It's important that they (acquire the skills) needed for the job, instead of expecting the new employer to train them,' said Ms Joey Kang, a senior career coach at WSG. She added that graduates with the right skills are more attractive to employers who do not need to train them from scratch, despite multiple job changes. Human resource experts noted that while it is natural for young workers to try out different industries, they advised them not to job hop continuously but to plan their moves with a purpose. 'My recommendation is … build certain skills that … add value … as they move through their career,' said Kirsty Poltock, country manager of recruitment firm Robert Walters (Singapore). She told CNA's Singapore Tonight programme that while employees should embrace artificial intelligence, they should also develop soft skills like people management which AI cannot replace. 'But don't forget to be human. AI is not human. You can be human, you can use empathy, curiosity, experimental learning,' said Ms Poltock. She noted that firms have realised that employees are not staying for long periods like five or 10 years. Ms Poltock added companies are also hiring contract staff, freelance workers and 'boomerang' employees - individuals who have left and returned after a break. MID-CAREER MICRO-RETIREMENTS More employees are also taking mid-career breaks – or 'micro-retirement' – to recharge, pick up new skills or explore personal passions, according to business and employment social networking site LinkedIn. Its data showed that 17 per cent of its users who took career breaks last year did so for personal goals, up from 12 per cent in 2020. "These breaks can range from weeks to even years. It reflects a growing shift away from the mindset that a career path needs to be linear and that there needs to be fixed milestones that one needs to hit,' said Ms Chua Peiying, head economist for APAC at LinkedIn. One worker who took such a break was Mr Dom Chiam, who quit his job as a project manager in 2023, after 12 years in the workforce. "I was in an environment where the working hours are long … (with a) seven-day work week,' said the 39-year-old. His partner Ms Lim Hui Jing, an engineer, joined him a few months later. 'Housing was also expensive in Singapore, so we wanted to try an alternative way of living … (by pursuing) van life,' she added. The couple said they took more than a year's break from work, travelling and camping around Southeast Asia. Others like 31-year-old Chen Zhi Liang started a new venture as his way of taking a break from employment, taking greater control of their time and work. 'I feel more recharged now. I think Monday blues is no longer a thing. I look forward to Monday, and of course … with the flexibility of running my own business … I can also plan my day better," said the founder of a design and web development practice. Still, Mr Chen acknowledged that his extended break was a privilege due to ample savings from work and some side hustles. Experts said that companies need to adapt to more people considering 'micro-retirement' because of burnout and changing priorities. "If companies have those programs that are available for their employees, then the employees would feel empowered to take these breaks,' said Ms Chua. She added that employees would not view such breaks as stigmatising but rather as 'an opportunity for growth, an opportunity to learn new skills, or gain perspective, or even just mental renewal.' For Mr Chiam and Ms Lim, their travels in a van became a key talking point when they returned to Singapore, helping the duo stand out during job interviews. "It became … an icebreaker during our job interview process. Sometimes taking the leap of faith does have (a) good outcome,' said Mr Chiam. Returning to work has motivated them to continue with their travel goals, he added. They are now saving up for their next 'micro-retirement' journey – driving to the United Kingdom. 'Even though … now that we are back, we never really stopped travelling in our van. We still go for short trips here and there whenever we can,' said Ms Lim.
Irish Independent
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Drogheda & District miler Christopher Keenan achieves podium finish on World stage in Greece
Organised by the International Workers and Amateurs in Sports Confederation (CSIT), the WSG brought together approximately 6,000 amateur athletes from 36 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa and America to compete in a wide range of athletic events. Keenan is now officially one of the most talented middle distance runners in the country and this astonishing performance was all the more impressive given that he is so focused and dedicated on his full-time studies and got to Greece on the back of his usual training and a few races. His time was not shabby either as he clocked 4:05.89 for the metric mile. Closer to home, summer was in the air as several Drogheda & District AC athletes enjoyed the country lanes at the annual Patrick Bell & Nicky Philips 5K at Bohermeen on Saturday evening. There was a good turnout, but down on previous yearswhich is odd considering the course is well suited to fast times. The race was won by the in-form Sean Doran and fastest around the course for Drogheda was club favourite Paddy Murphy who ran a nice 19:16. Brian Carrig was just 30 seconds behind, making a good return to racing after a short gap, and Katheryn Meade also broke the 20-minute milestone. Colin Prone returned to racing and smartly took it easy, while Colin Cuffe found the course a little short after all the long miles he's been running so far this year, with both these athletes clocking just over the 20-minute mark. Helga McDonnell and Linda Byrne Cruise took second and third place category prizes respectively in times of 23:34 and 24:05, and with plenty of food and drinks after it was a night to remember. Elsewhere, there was much delight at the Dublin Graded Track and Field Meeting at Morton Stadium as talented track athlete Ernesto Saborio returned to the cauldron and made it count when he lit up the track two seconds quicker than his last outing in the 800m, running the distance in 2:04.46 which was good enough for third place. ADVERTISEMENT Saturday's Glenmore Challenge Running Festival on the Cooley Peninsula was enjoyed by several Drogheda & District athletes. Conditions were favourable on the day and Olivia Reilly (22:50), Louise Irvin (26:16), Gerard Maher (27:53), Lorraine Reilly (28:56) and Amy Gregory (28:59) ran the 5K, while Maria Ward (1:24:26) completed the 10K distance. Joe Carroll (1:21:14) and Mike Staunton (1:35:35) ran the 10-mile event. Moving to the south, Yasmin Canning took a category prize in the 800m at the Leinster Masters Championships in Carlow - her time 2min 43sec.
Straits Times
04-06-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Telecoms engineer, music producer share how they forged their careers at ST Podcast Live event
Telecommunications system engineer Noel Png (left) and career coach Parameswari Seenivasan (centre) joined ST's manpower correspondent Tay Hong Yi for a live recording of Headstart on Record. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE Telecoms engineer, music producer share how they forged their careers at ST Podcast Live event SINGAPORE – Most people expect professional networking to happen at conferences or on LinkedIn, but for Mr Noel Png, 31, it was a part-time bartending job at a bar that unexpectedly opened doors to a career in the satellite industry. It all began in 2016, when Mr Png - then a mechanical engineering student in NUS - struck up a conversation with a group of Western visitors who were in town for a business convention. That chance encounter led to a local internship with Thales Alenia Space, a France-headquartered company that provides satellite-based systems for telecommunications, navigation and other purposes. In 2020, he left Singapore for the UK to pursue a Master's degree in engineering before going on to work on satellite and defence projects across Europe. Mr Png, who returned to Singapore in 2024 and is now a telecommunications system engineer at ST Engineering, shared his story during a live recording of Headstart on Record on June 3. He was joined by senior career coach Parameswari Seenivasan from Workforce Singapore (WSG), and the session was moderated by The Straits Times' manpower correspondent Tay Hong Yi. The event, which drew nearly 80 attendees to Rasa at Republic Plaza, marked the third edition of ST Podcasts Live, a series kicked off as part of ST's 180th anniversary celebrations. During the recording, Mr Png emphasised how networking has opened up more pathways for him. An extrovert by nature, he found it easy to speak to people from different fields and backgrounds - some of them would go on to become mentor figures in his professional life. His advice for introverted individuals is to make good use of virtual platforms like LinkedIn, where algorithms can help connect them with others in related industries. This episode of Headstart on Record was organised in partnership with WSG in support of Career Health, a SkillsFuture initiative. Ms Seenivasan from WSG encouraged the audience to seek guidance from career coaches throughout their professional journey. 'You don't have to wait till if something's gonna happen, you can always check in with a career coach,' she said. 'A career coach can always help you find out your values, interests and skills, work with you with a career plan, and look at the goals that you want to accomplish.' The full recording of this episode will be made available on ST Podcasts' YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify on June 16. The event on June 3 also featured the recording of a Music Lab episode with award-winning Singaporean music director and producer Evan Low, one of the creators behind The Road Ahead, a well-loved National Day Parade theme song. Close to 80 people attended the ST Podcasts Live event, held at Rasa at Republic Plaza on June 3. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE Helmed by ST music correspondent Eddino Abdul Hadi, the session focused on how Mr Low found his calling in music and built a career rooted in his passion. Growing up, expressing himself did not come naturally to him, Mr Low said. That was because in his family, love was quietly served on a plate of cut fruits, but never spoken aloud. But this changed when he discovered the piano. The 36-year-old recalled a moment when he suddenly cried while playing the piano , and realised he could express his emotions through music. He took a leap of faith and went on to study music at Singapore Polytechnic and subsequently the prestigious Berklee College of Music. Catch the full episode of Music Lab on ST's podcasts platforms on June 25.
