Politics

New training scheme by Google, government agencies for 3,000 job seekers in Singapore


Mon, Jul 20, 2020 – 11:50 AM

GOOGLE has joined hands with three government agencies – the Economic Development Board (EDB), Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) – to launch a new jobs and skills initiative for 3,000 local entry-level and mid-career job seekers.

Named the Skills Ignition SG – A Grow With Google Program, it is in support of the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package, said the four parties in a joint press statement on Monday.

The latest initiative is aimed at boosting job seekers’ employment and employability outcomes, and providing vital industry experience amid a challenging labour market.

It offers two programmes, based on Google’s curricula. One focuses on providing on-the-job training, while the other focuses on skills upgrading in digital marketing and cloud technology.

The first is a nine-month place-and-train programme for up to 600 applicants, supported by IMDA under its TechSkills Accelerator initiative. Participants will go through three months of online vocational training before moving on to six months of hands-on work experience with employers.

Google will make 100 positions in Singapore available, starting October 2020, for this programme. The remaining 500 positions will be offered by the US tech giant’s key partners, including companies such as Castlery, Sephora, RedDoorz, Trip.com as well as marketing and advertising groups such as Dentsu Aegis Network, Publicis Groupe and Omnicom Media Group.

“When participants successfully complete the programme, they will be equipped to take on jobs with companies within Singapore’s broader tech ecosystem,” said Google’s Singapore country director Ben King.

The other programme comprises two six-month full-time training courses in digital marketing and cloud technology.

Supported by SSG, this skills-upgrading programme will cater to up to 2,400 mid-career professionals. Its two courses will provide industry-relevant skills to boost employability in the information and communications technology sector.

Each enrolled participant will receive a monthly training allowance of S$1,500. The nett fee for each training programme will be S$500, which participants can use their SkillsFuture credits for. The rest of the fees will be subsidised by SSG.

The cloud technology course starts in mid-August and will cover topics including business transformation, design and process as well as networking and security. The digital marketing course starts in September and will cover topics including digital channels and technologies, as well as the fundamentals of data and analytics.

The two courses are the first to be rolled out under SSG’s SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways – Enterprise-based Training programme.

As part of the new Skills Ignition SG initiative, Google has developed an online curriculum with authorised training providers AVADO and Agilitics to provide vocational learning via a mix of online live instructor-led training, self-paced online study, as well as online group and individual project work.

Participants who complete either course will receive professional certificates that are recognised globally.

Minister for Communications and Information S Iswaran said: “In this uncertain environment, the government’s overriding economic priority is to create jobs and opportunities for our people, and I am encouraged that companies, such as Google, are also stepping up to join us in this critical national effort.”

Scott Beaumont, Google Asia-Pacific president noted that while the pandemic has impacted jobs and career opportunities, it has also accelerated digitalisation by businesses and increased demand for digital skills. “We hope this programme will help bridge that gap,” Mr Beaumont said.

The new initiative is also aligned with the efforts of the National Jobs Council to provide jobs and training opportunities in various sectors and cater to every skill level.

In a further show of support for the Singapore community, Google has returned its Jobs Support Scheme wage subsidies, and pledged to decline future payout from the government.





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