17/07/2020

SkillsFuture Month 2020

Promoting upskilling for a more resilient workforce

The SkillsFuture Month 2020, held from 17 July 2020 to 16 August 2020, will feature a series of mostly virtual and a few physical events. These events will cater to Singaporeans at different stages of their careers and life, and share more about the range of training opportunities for jobseekers, especially mid-careerists, who have been affected by the economic impact of COVID-19. Organised by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) and various partners, the SkillsFuture Month supports the efforts of the National Jobs Council. 

More than 80 community, education and industry partners are participating in SkillsFuture Month 2020, which is expected to reach out to more than 15,000 learners. SSG and its partners have lined up a series of events that are specially designed to meet the needs of different workforce segments. These include live webinars, online classes and workshops, as well as virtual exhibitions.

SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package

The SkillsFuture Month 2020 kicked off with a SkillsFuture Forum, which was attended by Mr Ong Ye Kung, Minister for Education. Minister Ong Ye Kung also witnessed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between SSG, Singapore Management University and eight industry partners. The MOU signals the strong support from the private sector in actively coming onboard to provide projects, mentorship and potential future employment opportunities for trainees under the SGUnited Skills (SGUS) Programme. To-date, more than 6,500 training places are available under the SGUS programme across a range of over 113 courses offered by 13 training providers. More training places and courses are expected to be rolled out through to the end of the year. Thus far, there have been about 1,300 sign-ups for SGUS courses.

SSG and Workforce Singapore (WSG) are also jointly organising the SSG X WSG Jobs and Skills Fair from 24 to 28 July 2020, which aims to provide various job, traineeship and training opportunities for Singaporeans. A hybrid of virtual and physical activities, the fair is a continuation of the series of SGUnited Jobs and Skills Fairs. The fair will help jobseekers access information on the various support initiatives such as online career coaching, one-on-one Skills and Training Advisory sessions, as well as live sessions and sectoral webinars with training providers, industry partners and employers. Physical activities will take place at Lifelong Learning Institute from 24 to 26 July 2020, including onsite and virtual services for individuals to learn more about training options available for their needs. About 5,000 participants are expected to benefit from this fair.

Into the future beyond COVID-19

In partnership with Nanyang Technological University (NTU), and supported by all the autonomous universities, polytechnics and the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), the SkillsFuture@NTU event will go virtual this year. This event will see a series of workshops highlighting specific jobs and skills relevant for the evolving job market. The workshops will cover topics on health, food sustainability and technological advances, as well as share ways for individuals to keep abreast in a digital world, including soft skills adaptations to cope better for an ever-changing world.

The SkillsFuture Work-Study Fair, organised by Singapore Polytechnic (SP) in collaboration with other Polytechnics, ITE, and private sector partners, aims to showcase work-study opportunities for fresh and recent graduates, as well as the strong industry partnerships that underpin the work-study ecosystem. Participants will have access to a series of webinars and virtual exhibitions jointly curated with industry partners, featuring interesting work-study opportunities. Participants will better understand how they can build their skills and develop a career in the sector of their choice.

The five Community Development Councils (CDCs) will jointly organise this year’s SkillsFuture@CDC, comprising learning activities for the residents through a series of virtual and edutainment programmes, covering employability skills and lifelong learning topics. Participants can look forward to learning from experts on job-search skills, personal wellness and industry insights. Participants will also be guided to various resources that they can leverage on for skills upgrading.

Mr Ong Tze-Ch’in, Chief Executive of SSG, said, “The SkillsFuture Month this year takes on a focus on jobs and skills to cater to the topical concerns of Singaporeans. We have significantly expanded the range of courses supported by SkillsFuture Singapore, particularly those under the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package. I hope that the series of SkillsFuture Month activities, both virtual and physical, will allow more Singaporeans to discover new opportunities, explore available resources and continue their individual lifelong learning journeys, even amidst these challenging times.”