An estimated 2,500 jobs will be available in the social service sector over the next five years, with a shortfall of about 100 social workers per year expected in the same period.
Professionals who are interested to make the switch to social work can enrol themselves for a new Professional Conversion Programme. Trainees will undergo a 24-month Bachelor's degree or a 14-month Graduate Diploma programme run by SIM University (UniSIM).
The Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience (SPUR) will provide up to 90 per cent of the course fees.
35 places will be set aside for employers who are committed to hiring Professionals, Managers, Executives and Technicians (PMETs) or fresh graduates and training them to become qualified social workers.
The government will provide a training allowance of S$1,000 per month under SPUR to defray the salary costs for voluntary welfare organisations. This initiative will cost the government S$1.2 million a year and is expected to start later this year.
Some 2,000 jobs are available in the childcare sector over the next five years as 200 additional childcare centres come on stream.
To train childcare professionals, a new Accelerated Workforce Skills Qualifications Professional Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education under SPUR will be put in place.
This is a 10-month place-and-train programme for retrenched PMETs and fresh graduates.
The first intake in May will train 40 professionals who will be employed at childcare centres. The trainees will also receive a S$1,000 monthly training allowance under SPUR.
The Community Development, Youth and Sports Ministry is now planning for a second intake later this year and is working with the Workforce Development Agency to create more training places.
- Channel News Asia
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