• The manufacturing sector has more than 6,300 job and training offers for Singaporean workers
• Only a fraction of these are taken up based on MOM’s limited data
• Close to 400 full-time and part-time positions in the biomedical manufacturing sector are being offered by 50 companies
• About 75 per cent of these positions remain unfilled.
• In the ICT sector, there are about 18,000 jobs and training opportunities available

SINGAPORE — There are more than 6,300 full-time jobs, traineeships, attachments and training opportunities within the manufacturing sector being offered to Singaporean jobseekers through the SGUnited Jobs and Skills programme since its launch in March this year. 

However, only 730 people have taken up these jobs between April and June, based on the limited data the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is able to collect.  

These numbers were provided by Manpower Minister Josephine Teo in an update on the domestic job market. She was visiting the Asia-Pacific headquarters of medical technology company Becton Dickinson in Jurong East on Wednesday (Aug 26).

The Government's SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package aims to support 100,000 jobseekers by helping them acquire job-related skills and capabilities, and access expanded employment opportunities, among other initiatives.

Calling the manufacturing sector a “key pillar” of the Singapore economy, Mrs Teo said that it contributes about 20 per cent to its gross domestic product and employs 472,000 workers.

When asked about the low take-up rate of manufacturing jobs, Mrs Teo said that the 730 who were hired were graduates from the Professional Conversion Programme (PCP) run by government agency Workforce Singapore (WSG).

MOM could not capture individuals who had been hired directly by companies.  

“The companies, we are trying our very best to reach out to them so that we can capture the data, but I must admit that this particular set of data on placements has its own limitations, so I would encourage you to take it with that context in mind,” she said. 

Mrs Teo also said that professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) are possibly taking more time to secure a placement.

This is because employers are likely to be more stringent in their selection process for PMET jobs, while jobseekers may take some time to consider whether an opening is suited for their longer-term development. 

“I'm also mindful that rushing the process is not always going to benefit the individual the most. It may be a stop-gap type of role and that’s why the attachments give them a chance to experience a new industry, a new role.

“But ultimately, I think we want to fit people into meaningful employment,” she said.

Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing, who was also present at the company visit and media conference, said that one way to improve job-matching rates is for employers and jobseekers to do away with the mindset that only people from relevant backgrounds are suited to join the industry. 

Redesigning jobs to be less reliant on low-cost labour is also another way to make it more attractive to Singaporeans, he added. 

MANUFACTURING JOBS 

Out of the 6,300 positions available:

• 3,200 are full-time jobs

• 2,100 are traineeships and attachments

• 1,100 are training opportunities

• More than 80 per cent (5,100 positions) are for PMETs

The top five hiring roles are:

• Electronics engineer (median salary of S$4,700)

• Engineering professionals (median salary of S$4,450)

• Administrative professionals (median salary of S$2,400)

• Manufacturing engineering technicians (median salary of S$2,215)

• Production clerks (median salary of S$1,500) 

Out of the 730 individuals who found a job in manufacturing between April and June, 62 per cent were mid-career professionals who graduated from the PCP.

Since June 2020, about 60 fresh and recent graduates have taken on traineeships through the SGUnited Traineeships Programme. 

BIOMEDICAL SUB-SECTOR 

The biomedical manufacturing cluster remains a bright spot in this tough economic climate, with output growing by 27 per cent in the first half of the year, compared to the same period last year, Mr Chan said. 

He said that demand for biomedical products in Asia continues to be strong, particularly among the growing middle-income population.

Investments into the biomedical manufacturing sector will create 1,300 jobs over the next five years, he added. 

Close to 400 full-time and part-time positions in the biomedical sector are being offered by 50 companies through the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package. About 75 per cent of these positions remain unfilled. 

To meet the increased manpower demand of this sector, WSG, the Economic Development Board and industry players have launched a new PCP for professionals and executives looking to enter the advanced biopharmaceuticals manufacturing sector.

This will aim to help 300 mid-career individuals switch to this sector over the next year. 

ICT SECTOR

Speaking on the job scene for the information and communications technology (ICT) sector, Communications and Information Minister S Iswaran said that there are now about 18,000 jobs and training opportunities available for Singaporeans. 

“It speaks to the fact that there are possibilities and we need to be adaptable and responsive to these, get the requisite training and participate,” Mr Iswaran, who was also present at the media conference, said. 

He added that the career prospects for the sector remain strong and medians wages among ICT professionals are higher than the national median wage. 

The ministry is targeting to place another 1,800 Singaporeans in ICT jobs in the next 12 months, he said.

In the last four years, about 6,600 jobseekers have found jobs in the tech sector through the TechSkills Accelerator programme, a training and placement programme for ICT jobs driven by the Infocomm Media Development Authority. 

CAREER-MATCHING EFFORTS

MOM said on Wednesday that 36,400 jobseekers received help through WSG and the labour movement's career matching services in the first seven months of 2020.

This is 30 per cent more than in the same period last year.

Out of the 36,400 job seekers who received help, 22,700 received individualised career coaching

WSG placed a total of 19,000 people found jobs between January and June 2020, 15 per cent more than in the same period a year ago.