As more companies are coming on board with the government’s Earn and Learn program, it might be time to look at why this scheme is good for your firm
With the Earn and Learn program now encompassing about 150 trainees, Ng Cher Pong, chief executive of the Workforce Development Agency (WDA), says that the scheme is “on track”.
“We've been reaching out ... to companies and the response has been fairly positive,” he told The Straits Times. “This is new to the companies as well; some of them require a bit of hand-holding on how to set up internal structures.”
The Earn and Learn program is currently being run across the following eight sectors: food services, food manufacturing, games development, infocomm technology, logistics, marine and offshore engineering, precision engineering, and retail.
Ng hoped to further increase the number of placements and expand the program into new sectors in the future, he said.
On Thursday (3 December), the Acting Minister for Education, Ong Ye Kung, visited one of the Earn and Learn participants, Dillon Choy, at Accenture’s office in Raffles City.
Choy began the scheme in August and is one of 27 graduates from Singapore’s five polytechnics to join the program in the infocomms sector.
He has been working at Accenture since June when he commenced a four-month training program looking at emerging technology. At present, he is part of a team responsible for the grants and funding management system developed for one of the company’s clients.
“With this program, I get to work in a multinational company and learn skills that I can apply immediately to projects,” Choy told The Straits Times.
Iris Tee, HR director for Ubisoft, told HRD about how the program works.
“Under the Earn & Learn program, the company is committed to moulding the person with mentorships and structured career growth programs within 14 months,” she said. “It works together with the 14-month diploma course that the person has to go through.”
Ubisoft has also chosen to initiate a partnership at Nanyang Polytechnic that “dovetails” into the Earn and Learn program, she said.
This lets students experience the games development process while allowing Ubisoft to determine whether that individual is a good fit for the company.
Related stories:
How one tech firm is beating its competitors to the best graduates
New scheme introduced to upskill mid-career workers
WSQ training boosts Singapore workforce
“We've been reaching out ... to companies and the response has been fairly positive,” he told The Straits Times. “This is new to the companies as well; some of them require a bit of hand-holding on how to set up internal structures.”
The Earn and Learn program is currently being run across the following eight sectors: food services, food manufacturing, games development, infocomm technology, logistics, marine and offshore engineering, precision engineering, and retail.
Ng hoped to further increase the number of placements and expand the program into new sectors in the future, he said.
On Thursday (3 December), the Acting Minister for Education, Ong Ye Kung, visited one of the Earn and Learn participants, Dillon Choy, at Accenture’s office in Raffles City.
Choy began the scheme in August and is one of 27 graduates from Singapore’s five polytechnics to join the program in the infocomms sector.
He has been working at Accenture since June when he commenced a four-month training program looking at emerging technology. At present, he is part of a team responsible for the grants and funding management system developed for one of the company’s clients.
“With this program, I get to work in a multinational company and learn skills that I can apply immediately to projects,” Choy told The Straits Times.
Iris Tee, HR director for Ubisoft, told HRD about how the program works.
“Under the Earn & Learn program, the company is committed to moulding the person with mentorships and structured career growth programs within 14 months,” she said. “It works together with the 14-month diploma course that the person has to go through.”
Ubisoft has also chosen to initiate a partnership at Nanyang Polytechnic that “dovetails” into the Earn and Learn program, she said.
This lets students experience the games development process while allowing Ubisoft to determine whether that individual is a good fit for the company.
Related stories:
How one tech firm is beating its competitors to the best graduates
New scheme introduced to upskill mid-career workers
WSQ training boosts Singapore workforce
