New career transition programme launched for retiring SAF servicemen going into logistics sector

(From left) Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Home Affairs Josephine Teo with graduate professional A’fifah Aljahsyi Bti Mahmood, development executive, Dreiheit House International Pte Ltd and Director of Dreiheit House International Pte Ltd, Gigi Ng on July 17, 2019. ST PHOTO: ZHANG XUAN

SINGAPORE - Retiring Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) servicemen could soon find it easier to transit into a second career in the supply chain and logistics industry, under a new initiative by Workforce Singapore (WSG).

Servicemen on the programme will undergo workshops conducted by the Supply Chain and Logistics Academy (Scala) as well as a 40-day attachment with a logistics company during their last year of service.

The Career Transition Programme for Retiring SAF Servicemen, launched on Wednesday (July 17), is part of WSG's efforts to sustain the employability of experienced, older workers from different backgrounds.

It also aims to provide employers with another pool of manpower. A pilot group of 40 SAF servicemen are expected to benefit over the next two years.

Manpower Minister Josephine Teo announced the programme at Scala's graduation ceremony at Supply Chain City in Jurong West on Wednesday, where about 120 participants of the Professional Conversion Programmes for logistics officers, logistics executives and supply chain professionals received certificates.

She said the supply chain and logistics industry is undergoing a wave of transformation driven by technological advances, such as e-commerce, data analytics and automated logistics and supply chain systems.

"Far from shedding jobs, the industry is calling for a stronger pipeline of talent in new roles to support business growth," she said.

Other than the programme for retiring servicemen, Mrs Teo also announced that another 150 places will be added to the Professional Conversion Programme (PCP) for supply chain professionals.

This is in addition to the 100 places set aside for the initial two-year run of the PCP which have all been filled since the programme was introduced last year.

Another effort under the Adapt and Grow initiative to further sustain the talent pipeline for supply chain and logistics industry, this PCP is meant to support employers looking to hire and reskill mid-career entrants with no relevant experience.

A new redeployment PCP for supply chain and logistics professionals was also introduced on Wednesday to help firms train affected PMET workers so that they can take on new or enhanced job roles in the company.

This was developed with the Economic Development Board (EDB) and Enterprise Singapore, and supported by industry stakeholders, including the National Trades Union Congress and the Logistics Alliance.

A total of 200 PMET employees are expected to benefit from this programme in the next two years.

Mrs Teo said that last year, the WSG's Adapt & Grow initiative helped more than 30,000 job seekers move into new jobs.

There are more than 100 PCPs in over 30 sectors. The programmes have helped close to 5,000 people reskill and take on new careers last year, an increase of over 30 per cent compared to 2017.

In a statement, WSG's chief executive Tan Choon Shian said it was very encouraged by the active participation from the industry to ensure the workforce stays skilled in the midst of business transformation.

"With the redeployment PCP and the Career Transition Programme for Retiring SAF Servicemen in place, we look forward to establishing partnerships with even more employers to... benefit more Singaporean workers and sustain a robust flow of talent into the industry," he said.

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