10/12/2020
Microsoft And Generation Partner Singapore Government To Launch #GetReadySG To Upskill And Boost Employment For Up To 1,000 Singaporeans
- #GetReadySG is the first public-private sector collaboration with a leading technology company and a global non-profit organisation to bridge holistic training in both hard and soft skills with employment
- The collaboration will provide tech jobseekers greater diversity of career choices with different hirers and ensure that they are well-equipped for employment
Microsoft and Generation1 are partnering Digital Industry
Singapore (DISG), Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and
SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) to upskill, place, and fill demand for
tech-enabled jobs for up to 1,000 Singaporeans as part of the SGUnited
Jobs and Skills Package.
Titled #GetReadySG, the national skills initiative was launched today by
Guest-of-Honour Mr S Iswaran, Minister for Communications and
Information, and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations, at Microsoft’s
30th anniversary celebrations in Singapore.
Through #GetReadySG’s unique partnership model, Generation will become
the bridge between leading tech company Microsoft – who will guide
industry relevant training – and Microsoft’s rich ecosystem of customer
and partner companies who need to hire skilled tech manpower.
The partnership model has the potential to quickly scale to more tech
ecosystems by leveraging end-to-end programme managers like Generation
to take on an integrated central role of vocational training and job
placement services for them. This will make it easier for other leading
companies to participate in similar efforts, ultimately providing
opportunities to more jobseekers and offering them greater diversity of
hiring company choices across different networks.
Equipping job seekers with relevant skills for the future of work
Targeted at fresh graduates and mid-career Singaporeans, #GetReadySG –
which will run over a two year period – aims to equip participants with
in-demand tech skills such as Java and Python programming language – all
of which are top trending skills identified in LinkedIn’s Economic
Graph.
#GetReadySG currently has two programmes, which include:
(i) TechSkills Accelerator’s (TeSA) Company-Led Training, hire and train programme, in partnership with IMDA
Up to 300 Singaporeans who enrol and get selected by Generation and participating employers will:
• Be offered a salaried employment position to undergo a 9-month training programme
• Be trained in in-demand job roles such as Full Stack Developer, Data Engineer/Analyst, Cloud Support and DevOps Practitioner
• Gain industry recognised Microsoft certifications over the course of the training
• Gain opportunities to work with a selection of Microsoft
customer and partner companies on live projects, apply the skills
learned and pick up new specific tech skills
• Get experienced mentorship guidance in relevant fields to help adjust to the work and plan for post-job searching
Registration for #GetReadySG’s TeSA Company-Led Training programme is expected to open in January 2021.
(ii) SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme – Company Training
Microsoft, together with Generation, SSG and Temasek Polytechnic (TP),
will roll-out three new courses under the SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways
Programme – Company Training, which will train participants in job roles
of Junior Full-Stack Developer, Cloud Support and DevOps, as well as
Business Intelligence and Data Analyst.
Participants will undergo a 9-month full-time programme that comprises a
blended learning bootcamp, and an opportunity to work in a structured
apprenticeship with a Microsoft partner or customer. This will be
facilitated by Microsoft and Generation, and supported by Temasek
Polytechnic – the first Institute of Higher Learning to come onboard
this initiative.
These courses will equip mid-career jobseekers with in-demand tech
skills to allow them to pivot to new career opportunities in
tech-related roles in growth sectors. The course structures are aligned
to pre-defined core learning objectives for specific job roles within
companies in Microsoft’s customer and partner network. Trainees will
also be given access to Microsoft’s tools and platforms – including
content from Microsoft Learn modules and LinkedIn Learning.
At the end of the programme, Microsoft and Generation will assist
participants to access job placement opportunities with Microsoft’s
customer and partner companies.
Eligible trainees will receive a monthly training allowance of $1,500.
Registration will begin in mid-December 2020, and participants can use
their SkillsFuture Credit to defray the nett fee payable for the
courses.
Besides the SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme, more training
programmes with placement opportunities will also be introduced
progressively over the next two years. In total, up to 700 mid-career
professionals are expected to benefit from these training programmes.
At least 20 of Microsoft’s hiring partners will be onboarded onto
#GetReadySG by September 2021. To date, companies within Microsoft’s
customer and partner network such as IT solution providers (AsiaPac,
Avepoint, NTT Data, NTT Singapore and Taiger Global) as well as
companies in service and end-user sectors (Certis, ComfortDelGro and
Standard Chartered Bank) have confirmed their participation. These
employers will offer training and job placement opportunities for
participants.
In addition, LinkedIn, Generation and Microsoft will also work with
employers to offer mentorship in the form of emotional support and
career coaching as part of #GetReadySG, to help job seekers assimilate
into the workplace and navigate challenges. For example, the LinkedIn
Coaches programme aims to equip jobseekers facing barriers with soft
skills such as interview, networking and communication skills to help
participants integrate into their roles through career guidance and
mentorship
Helping employers enhance capabilities and build pipeline
Apart from skills training for individuals, Microsoft will also be
partnering SSG as part of the SkillsFuture Queen Bee programme. For this
partnership, Microsoft will enhance workplace learning practices among
its ecosystem of partners and customers, and help them equip their
workforce with critical, industry-relevant skills. With SSG’s support,
Microsoft will hire a Skills Manager to engage its network of SME
partners to identify common skills gaps and develop customised learning
solutions and interventions. The partnership is expected to last over a
period of 12 months and benefit at least 30 SMEs.
Mr Kevin Wo, Managing Director, Microsoft Singapore, said: “In our 30
years of operation here, Microsoft has been committed to enabling
future-ready skills and talent for the digital economy. We see this as
our responsibility as a technology and industry leader, and have adopted
it as one of our national aspirations as we look to create economic
opportunities and societal impact in the Singapore market. COVID-19 has
accelerated the need for these upskilling efforts – hence it is more
important than ever that we embark on this national skills initiative.
What makes #GetReadySG different from other skilling programmes is that
it brings together the best of what Microsoft, IMDA, SSG, DISG and
Generation have to offer in terms of resources, expertise and technical
knowledge. Participants will not only receive all-rounded training for
hard and soft skills, but also mentorship and guidance in securing job
placements.”
Mr Lew Chuen Hong, Chief Executive of IMDA, said, “IMDA, through our
TeSA initiative, is always innovating with our industry partners, to
train highly-skilled Singaporeans for the many exciting jobs in the ICT
domain. We thank Microsoft for bringing together its partner firms to
hire across its entire software ecosystem, and also to Generation for
its unique training model that imparts not just the hard skills such as
cloud architecture and data analytics engineering but also inculcates
important soft skills such as cross-cultural teamwork and communication.
This will enable Singaporeans to better seize the exciting
opportunities across our growing digital economy.”
Mr Ong Tze Ch’in, Chief Executive of SSG, said: “SkillsFuture Singapore
is happy to partner Microsoft, which is one of the leading companies in
the industry, to equip trainees with industry-relevant skills and to
boost their employability. We are also very happy to have Microsoft come
on board as a SkillsFuture Queen Bee. This will help SMEs strengthen
their capabilities and to help drive up employer participation in the
development of their workforce.”
Mr Prateek Hegde, CEO Generation Singapore & COO Generation APAC,
said: “We continue to hear from companies that it is difficult to find
the right tech talent, while jobseekers continue to report on barriers
to employment – such as lack of specific domain skills and relevant
certifications. This programme is designed to effectively bridge this
gap and help more Singaporeans who require such support to launch their
careers in tech-enabled roles. While our primary commitment is to serve
jobseekers in need, we recognise that the entire tech industry ecosystem
can benefit from having access to a highly skilled talent pool.
Generation is thrilled to be co-creating an initiative which aims to do
just that, working alongside Microsoft and the Singapore government."
Ms Charlotte Thng, Head of HR, Singapore, Australia and ASA Cluster
Markets, Standard Chartered Bank, said: “We are proud to be part of the
#GetReadySG initiative, working closely with the government and industry
partners such as Microsoft, IMDA, SSG and Generation to nurture a
pipeline of homegrown techno-bankers for the future – especially in
areas including Cyber, Data Solutions, Digital Banking, Analytics,
Cloud, AI Architect, API, and DevOps. This is very much aligned to our
commitment as a Significantly Rooted Foreign Bank in Singapore to invest
for growth, continuously reskill our workforce and build a strong
Singapore Core to ensure future competitiveness.”
To find out more about #GetReadySG and its programmes, please visit getreadysg.generation.org or write to getreadysg@generation.org.
For details on TeSA Company-Led Training programme, go to go.gov.sg/tesaclt
1 Generation is a global nonprofit founded by McKinsey & Co.