During the announcement of the Resilience Budget earlier in March, the government has pledged S$100million to fund a traineeship scheme, a bid to help graduates tide through the COVID-19 situation.
This is part of the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package that has been rolled out to help provide support to workers and job seekers.
In order to provide more opportunities for young locals, the government announced during the Fortitude Budget that the number of traineeships available will be more than doubled, with an increase of opportunities in the R&D sector.
Starting from 1 June, eligible candidates can start applying for traineeship positions, with more than 21,000 positions available from over 1,000 organisations.
The SGUnited Traineeships Programme aims to assist fresh graduates by providing them a headstart into emerging sectors and allowing them to acquire industry-relevant experience, thus boosting their employability in preparation for the eventual market recovery.
This is also put in place to alleviate the uncertainties which has been brought about by the current situation, where job searching has been a challenge amidst the current economic climate.
Such job opportunities would also allow graduates to build up relevant skills, knowledge and network, in preparation for their next career phase.
Here are some key information about this SGUnited Traineeships Programme:
- Who is eligible for the programme
- Duration of the programme
- Training allowance
- How to apply
- Types of job categories available
Who Is Eligible for the Programme
- Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident
- Graduating or graduated in 2019 or 2020, from ITEs, polytechnics, universities, or other educational institutions (e.g. private universities and overseas institutions) – this includes mid-career switchers who just completed part-time studies, and Masters and PhD graduates
- Graduated earlier from above institutions and completed National Service (NS) in 2019 or 2020.
Duration of Traineeship Programme
The traineeship programme will last up to 12 months.
Upon completion of Traineeship, training will cease at the host company. The Host company will then decide if the trainee would be hired on a full-time basis, based on performance.
Trainees are also free to pursue career opportunities elsewhere.
Training Allowance
Estimated monthly training allowances are based on the required qualifications, as well as the scope of traineeship and skills required.
- University degree or above – $1,800 to $2,500 monthly
- Polytechnic diploma or professional qualifications – $1,300 to $1,800 monthly
- ITE or equivalent – $1,100 to $1,500 monthly
As there is no employer-employee relationship, there are some important points to note:
- Host companies are not obliged to offer employee benefits. However, benefits can be offered on a discretionary goodwill basis.
- CPF contributions will not be given by the host companies.
How to Apply for the Traineeship Programme
Application can be done via MyCareersFuture. Interested applicants can create an account to receive the latest updates on the programme, as well as relevant job postings.
Here’s a simple guide:
On the main page, locate the SGUnited Traineeships Programme banner. Click into it.
All traineeships available will be tagged under #SGUnitedTraineeships.
There is an option to add relevant skills, a nifty tool to sieve through the portal for relevant jobs, and also provide information on the job-to-skills matching.
A recommendation of at least 5 job skills would help to boost the job search process, as well as providing better job matches.
Each job listing indicates the job title, roles and responsibilities, training allowance as well competencies which could be picked up during the traineeship programme.
Types of Job Categories Available
Jobs are also categorised according to their industry, for interested applicants can locate relevant job functions.
Some categories include:
- Accounting, Auditing or Taxation
- Banking and Finance
- Building and Construction
- Design
- Engineering
- Environment and Health
- F&B
- Healthcare / Pharmaceutical
- Public / Civil Service
- Sciences / Laboratory / R&D
More categories can be found and navigated from the sidebar of the website.
The SGUnited Traineeships programme primarily serves recent and new graduates, offering opportunities to gain valuable industry-relevant experience.
In the upcoming months, we will be expecting more details on the other initiatives under the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package, catering to the needs of other groups of job seekers, with programmes like the SGUnited Mid-Career Traineeships programme, which would facilitate about 4,000 traineeships for unemployed mid-career job seekers.
SGUnited Traineeships Programme: up to 21,000 Positions Available
The government has been rolling out various initiatives to help Singaporeans to cope with the current job climate, which has been brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
There are many available opportunities made accessible for all, including learning tools and resources, as long as one is willing to pick up new skills and adapt.
Tough times don’t last, tough people do. All the best to all job seekers!
