THERE are some 350 immediate job vacancies and many more training and apprenticeship opportunities in the Creative Industries, the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) said on Saturday.
Some job openings in areas such as Animation, Games Development, New Media, Public Relations, Publishing and Arts Management are available at the Creative Industries Fair. Participating employers include Emily Hill, DesignSingapore Council, Pearson Education, Double Negative, Ubisoft and the Institute of Public Relations.
Many of these jobs are suitable for Professionals, Managers, Executives and Technicians (PMETs) interested in entering the sector or further advancing their career within the sector, the agency said.
The first-of-its-kind fair is jointly organised by the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA), the Ministry of Information, Communications & the Arts (MICA) and its statutory boards and agencies as well as SPRING Singapore. 15 employers and 13 training providers are participating in the event.
Eight new conversion programmes will also be launched to provide some 400 training and apprenticeship opportunities over the next year to help Singaporeans gain industry-relevant knowledge, skills and work experience in the arts and culture, design, media and communication sectors. These conversion programmes aim to help PMETs to convert to new careers successfully.
The fair also features many other skills upgrading programmes for those currently working in the Creative Industries specifically those in the Publishing, Arts Education, Printing, Animation, Games Development and Design sectors.
All these programmes are part of the Professional Skills Programme (PSP), announced by the Prime Minister last week. The PSP brings together the entire range of skills training and job assistance initiatives specifically for PMETs. These range from career conversion, skills upgrading, tertiary upgrading programmes to career workshops on communications skills, resume writing and interview techniques. PMETs will receive enhanced course fee funding support under the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience (SPUR).
'As the creative industries are at the forefront of the latest technology, innovation and cultural trends, those working in the industries need to update their skills very frequently,' said Mr Chan Heng Kee, Chief Executive of WDA in a statement.
Entry to the Creative Industries Fair 2009, held at the Marina Square central atrium from 27 Feb to 1 Mar 09, is free. For more information, visit www.wda.gov.sg or call WDA's hotline 6883 5885 for further enquires.
- The Straits Times
Feb 28, 2009
Feb 27, 2009
4,800 flock to job fair
WHEN organisers of a job fair at Jelutong Community Centre in Sembawang opened the doors at 9.30 am yesterday, they were greeted by a long line of waiting people.
Over 1,000 arrived within the first hour of the North West Community Development Council's (CDC) job fair yesterday. By the time it ended at 4.30pm, the number had risen to 4,800.
The event brought together 40 service industry employers offering more than 3,000 jobs and was the largest recruitment fair organised by a CDC.
Fast-food chain McDonald's, security firm Cisco and department store Metro were among those offering jobs, mostly rank and file positions. About 10 per cent were managerial or executive posts.
Many job seekers made a beeline for the Resorts World at Sentosa booth, which had over 1,000 applications by the end of the fair. The integrated resort was offering 300 jobs, half of which are for the Universal Studios theme park.
A sign of increasingly hard times for job seekers, the overwhelming turnout mirrored that at other job fairs held recently. One organised by the South East CDC on Saturday saw over 5,000 hopefuls going after 1,000 jobs on offer.
Yesterday's crowd left Dr Lim Wee Kiak, a Member of Parliament for Sembawang GRC, worried.
He said: 'We were a little surprised by the response. It's a weekday...it's not somewhere in town, yet we are enjoying an overwhelming response. It is a worrisome sign as well.
'I hope that Singaporeans will be a little bit more receptive and take up job offers that may not exactly fit 100 per cent of their criteria, that they will be flexible enough to accept that times are tough.'
The North West district, which includes Woodlands, Bukit Timah and Sembawang, has seen a 43 per cent rise in job seekers between September and last month. Noting the rise among the unemployed and retrenched, mayor Teo Ho Pin said yesterday that the council would be spending $1.6 million this year to help residents find jobs.
- The Straits Times
Over 1,000 arrived within the first hour of the North West Community Development Council's (CDC) job fair yesterday. By the time it ended at 4.30pm, the number had risen to 4,800.
The event brought together 40 service industry employers offering more than 3,000 jobs and was the largest recruitment fair organised by a CDC.
Fast-food chain McDonald's, security firm Cisco and department store Metro were among those offering jobs, mostly rank and file positions. About 10 per cent were managerial or executive posts.
Many job seekers made a beeline for the Resorts World at Sentosa booth, which had over 1,000 applications by the end of the fair. The integrated resort was offering 300 jobs, half of which are for the Universal Studios theme park.
A sign of increasingly hard times for job seekers, the overwhelming turnout mirrored that at other job fairs held recently. One organised by the South East CDC on Saturday saw over 5,000 hopefuls going after 1,000 jobs on offer.
Yesterday's crowd left Dr Lim Wee Kiak, a Member of Parliament for Sembawang GRC, worried.
He said: 'We were a little surprised by the response. It's a weekday...it's not somewhere in town, yet we are enjoying an overwhelming response. It is a worrisome sign as well.
'I hope that Singaporeans will be a little bit more receptive and take up job offers that may not exactly fit 100 per cent of their criteria, that they will be flexible enough to accept that times are tough.'
The North West district, which includes Woodlands, Bukit Timah and Sembawang, has seen a 43 per cent rise in job seekers between September and last month. Noting the rise among the unemployed and retrenched, mayor Teo Ho Pin said yesterday that the council would be spending $1.6 million this year to help residents find jobs.
- The Straits Times
New job 'screening' process
WHEN Ms Annie Yeo, 32, left home for a job fair on Friday, she had more than a good chance of securing a position with an employer.
That was because the organisers had already contacted her earlier to confirm that she had the work experience and educational qualifications for the hotel and sales positions that she was interested in.
This new 'screening' process, ahead of when job fairs are held, is to ensure that there will be a better fit between job seekers and employers when such events are held, said National Trades Union Congress deputy secretary-general Halimah Yacob.
It is the latest move being adopted by the NTUC Women's Development Secretariat, which she heads, to help more women return to the workforce.
A related step is to ensure that there is better follow-up action once a job seeker links up with an employer, she told reporters after touring the jobs fair at the Employment and Employability Institute.
This means checking with employers if the women they shortlisted will need training - say in English literacy skills - and then helping put them through a relevant course, she explained.
On Friday, some 2,000 women turned up at the fair, which employers were seeking to fill 900 vacancies in jobs such as food and beverage crews, and retail assistants.
Among job seekers who turned up were retrenched factory workers, and housewives whose husbands had lost their jobs or suffered a pay cut.
- The Straits Times
That was because the organisers had already contacted her earlier to confirm that she had the work experience and educational qualifications for the hotel and sales positions that she was interested in.
This new 'screening' process, ahead of when job fairs are held, is to ensure that there will be a better fit between job seekers and employers when such events are held, said National Trades Union Congress deputy secretary-general Halimah Yacob.
It is the latest move being adopted by the NTUC Women's Development Secretariat, which she heads, to help more women return to the workforce.
A related step is to ensure that there is better follow-up action once a job seeker links up with an employer, she told reporters after touring the jobs fair at the Employment and Employability Institute.
This means checking with employers if the women they shortlisted will need training - say in English literacy skills - and then helping put them through a relevant course, she explained.
On Friday, some 2,000 women turned up at the fair, which employers were seeking to fill 900 vacancies in jobs such as food and beverage crews, and retail assistants.
Among job seekers who turned up were retrenched factory workers, and housewives whose husbands had lost their jobs or suffered a pay cut.
- The Straits Times
Feb 26, 2009
CDC fair offers 3,000 jobs
OVER 1,000 jobseekers turned up on Thursday morning at a job fair in Sembawang, within an hour of its opening.
Organised by the North West Community Development Council, the job fair gathers 40 employers from the services industry who are offering more than 3,000 vacancies.
Among them are companies such as fast food chain McDonald's, security company Cisco, department store Metro, and integrated resort Resorts World at Sentosa. It is the first time Resorts World is taking part in a job fair.
- The Straits Times
Organised by the North West Community Development Council, the job fair gathers 40 employers from the services industry who are offering more than 3,000 vacancies.
Among them are companies such as fast food chain McDonald's, security company Cisco, department store Metro, and integrated resort Resorts World at Sentosa. It is the first time Resorts World is taking part in a job fair.
- The Straits Times
Count yourself lucky to have a job
IT WAS a Friday night when I walked into my usual Japanese restaurant.
To my surprise, the small place was packed and I was glad I had made a booking, despite being a regular patron.
Another surprise awaited me as I took my seat at the counter: There was none of the usual greetings and smiles from the chefs. In their place were black faces. There was no eye contact; it was as if we customers were 'transparent'.
Something told me there was more to the extraordinary situation than meets the eye.
The busy waitresses were told off rudely by the two chefs either for not writing the orders clearly or for not serving food fast enough, all these within earshot of the customers sitting around.
My heart went out to the poor girls.
The atmosphere was tense, like that in a courtroom. Halfway through my dinner, my curiosity got the better of me and I asked one of the chefs what the problem was.
Unknowingly, I had touched a raw nerve, sparking an outburst. The reason for the outburst?
He felt that the crowd was more than they could handle, that their boss and supervisors were not doing anything to reduce their workload...
The two chefs were even contemplating resigning to teach the owner a lesson, without giving enough thought to the consequences - to them and their families. Unfortunately, their attitude is not uncommon in the workforce.
There are workers who prefer days when there are fewer customers and less work, or who go on leave or call in sick during busy periods. To them, busy days are a chore. But have they thought about the consequences of not having enough work or customers?
How long can a company, no matter how big it is, last if there is not enough business? The workers may end up without jobs.
The work in most jobs is often periodic in nature - there are peaks and troughs. What workers need to do is to learn to compromise, to give and take. Unfortunately in life, taking is easier than giving.
If there are genuine grievances, these should be discussed with management in a constructive way.
Suffering in silence is not the solution. Bottling up frustrations is bad enough. Venting them on customers is even worse. The company's image suffers. Resigning en masse is not a way of getting back at the boss. It is plain stupidity and workers will end up losers. You can never fight an institution.
Frontline staff are the ones that make or break a company. The chefs lost their restaurant a few loyal customers that Friday night. I, for one thing, would have second thoughts about dining there again.
Let us appreciate the fact that we are still employed in these difficult economic times and treasure our jobs.
- My Paper
To my surprise, the small place was packed and I was glad I had made a booking, despite being a regular patron.
Another surprise awaited me as I took my seat at the counter: There was none of the usual greetings and smiles from the chefs. In their place were black faces. There was no eye contact; it was as if we customers were 'transparent'.
Something told me there was more to the extraordinary situation than meets the eye.
The busy waitresses were told off rudely by the two chefs either for not writing the orders clearly or for not serving food fast enough, all these within earshot of the customers sitting around.
My heart went out to the poor girls.
The atmosphere was tense, like that in a courtroom. Halfway through my dinner, my curiosity got the better of me and I asked one of the chefs what the problem was.
Unknowingly, I had touched a raw nerve, sparking an outburst. The reason for the outburst?
He felt that the crowd was more than they could handle, that their boss and supervisors were not doing anything to reduce their workload...
The two chefs were even contemplating resigning to teach the owner a lesson, without giving enough thought to the consequences - to them and their families. Unfortunately, their attitude is not uncommon in the workforce.
There are workers who prefer days when there are fewer customers and less work, or who go on leave or call in sick during busy periods. To them, busy days are a chore. But have they thought about the consequences of not having enough work or customers?
How long can a company, no matter how big it is, last if there is not enough business? The workers may end up without jobs.
The work in most jobs is often periodic in nature - there are peaks and troughs. What workers need to do is to learn to compromise, to give and take. Unfortunately in life, taking is easier than giving.
If there are genuine grievances, these should be discussed with management in a constructive way.
Suffering in silence is not the solution. Bottling up frustrations is bad enough. Venting them on customers is even worse. The company's image suffers. Resigning en masse is not a way of getting back at the boss. It is plain stupidity and workers will end up losers. You can never fight an institution.
Frontline staff are the ones that make or break a company. The chefs lost their restaurant a few loyal customers that Friday night. I, for one thing, would have second thoughts about dining there again.
Let us appreciate the fact that we are still employed in these difficult economic times and treasure our jobs.
- My Paper
Feb 25, 2009
99,000 jobs may go
UNEMPLOYMENT could surge beyond the levels of recent recessions to hit a 20-year high of 5 per cent next year, according to a new report by DBS.
Its Singapore economist, Irvin Seah, estimates that the economy will contract 4.8 per cent this year, bringing about a total of 99,000 net job losses in the current recession. Manufacturing would be the worst hit with about 58,000 jobs lost, he added.
Mr Seah expects the unemployment rate to 'rise steadily' to 4.8 per cent by the end of the year and peak at about 5 per cent by the midde of next year. This would be the highest level of unemployment since the manufacturing recession in 1985 and 1986, when the rate hit 6.5 per cent, he said.
While the unemployment rate briefly touched 4.8 per cent in 2003 due to Sars, for the most part it stayed below 4 per cent in 2003 and 2004. But in the current downturn, Mr Seah expects unemployment to surpass 4 per cent in the second half of this year right through next year.
Said Mr Seah in the DBS report: 'Singapore is likely to experience its worst ever growth this year with a GDP contraction of 4.8 per cent. Labour markets are expected to deteriorate further.
'The unemployment rate will likely hit 5 per cent with cumulative job losses expected to reach 99,000 by 2010. Policy measures that have been put forth so far will help to cushion the blows but the worst of the labour market cycle is yet to come.'
The Singapore economy shrank by 3.7 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2008, compared to a year ago. Non-oil domestic exports plunged by 17.7 per cent in the same quarter, down significantly from an average negatove 4.2 per cent for the first three quarters of last year.
NODX growth in January plummeted by 34.8 per cent - the sharpest single month decline ever and a clear reflection of the collapse in global demand. Singapore's unemployment rate has risen in the previous two quarters as the labour market continued to feel the heat of the global recession.
About 73,100 Singapore residents were jobless in December last year, an increase of about 58 per cent over a year ago. Job growth also slowed significantly, with just 26,900 jobs created in the fourth quarter, which is less than half the total gain of 55,700 in the previous quarter.
'Against the backdrop of the dire economic conditions, this is probably just the initial stage of a protracted down-cycle in the employment market. Job losses and unemployment rate will continue to rise as companies struggle to cope with the impact of the global downturn,' said Mr Seah.
- The Straits Times
Its Singapore economist, Irvin Seah, estimates that the economy will contract 4.8 per cent this year, bringing about a total of 99,000 net job losses in the current recession. Manufacturing would be the worst hit with about 58,000 jobs lost, he added.
Mr Seah expects the unemployment rate to 'rise steadily' to 4.8 per cent by the end of the year and peak at about 5 per cent by the midde of next year. This would be the highest level of unemployment since the manufacturing recession in 1985 and 1986, when the rate hit 6.5 per cent, he said.
While the unemployment rate briefly touched 4.8 per cent in 2003 due to Sars, for the most part it stayed below 4 per cent in 2003 and 2004. But in the current downturn, Mr Seah expects unemployment to surpass 4 per cent in the second half of this year right through next year.
Said Mr Seah in the DBS report: 'Singapore is likely to experience its worst ever growth this year with a GDP contraction of 4.8 per cent. Labour markets are expected to deteriorate further.
'The unemployment rate will likely hit 5 per cent with cumulative job losses expected to reach 99,000 by 2010. Policy measures that have been put forth so far will help to cushion the blows but the worst of the labour market cycle is yet to come.'
The Singapore economy shrank by 3.7 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2008, compared to a year ago. Non-oil domestic exports plunged by 17.7 per cent in the same quarter, down significantly from an average negatove 4.2 per cent for the first three quarters of last year.
NODX growth in January plummeted by 34.8 per cent - the sharpest single month decline ever and a clear reflection of the collapse in global demand. Singapore's unemployment rate has risen in the previous two quarters as the labour market continued to feel the heat of the global recession.
About 73,100 Singapore residents were jobless in December last year, an increase of about 58 per cent over a year ago. Job growth also slowed significantly, with just 26,900 jobs created in the fourth quarter, which is less than half the total gain of 55,700 in the previous quarter.
'Against the backdrop of the dire economic conditions, this is probably just the initial stage of a protracted down-cycle in the employment market. Job losses and unemployment rate will continue to rise as companies struggle to cope with the impact of the global downturn,' said Mr Seah.
- The Straits Times
Feb 24, 2009
4,300 jobs to go in Q1
MORE unionised workers will lose their jobs in the first three months of this year than originally estimated: The number is now expected to hit 4,300.
The figure is much higher than labour chief Lim Swee Say's estimate of 3,700, made just last weekend.
In giving the bleak figures last night, National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) deputy secretary-general Halimah Yacob said the bulk of the retrenchments will come from the beleaguered electronics sector.
She said 2,700 workers from this sector could lose their jobs by the end of next month. This is more than the 2,374 layoffs the sector recorded for the whole of last year.
The rest of the layoffs will come from the manufacturing sector, which is reeling as a result of plunging global demand.
Madam Halimah said that though the situation is worrying, there are some signs that it is improving.
'Some companies in the electronics sector are reporting that they are securing more orders, and we can see the slide in numbers slowing a little,' she said.
She credited initiatives such as the Jobs Credit scheme and the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience (Spur) - a $600 million training plan aimed at helping workers upgrade and retrain - for mitigating the effects of the downturn.
'We need to do more and focus on retraining our workers and finding other jobs for those who have been displaced.'
Madam Halimah was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a seminar aimed at helping union members get legal help if they feel they have been unfairly dismissed or retrenched.
The seminar, jointly organised by NTUC and the Singapore Law Society, is the first of about four sessions to help rank-and-file workers as well as executives - better known as PMETs (professionals, managers, executives and technicians). More than 550 union leaders and representatives attended yesterday's seminar, conducted by lawyers.
- The Straits Times
The figure is much higher than labour chief Lim Swee Say's estimate of 3,700, made just last weekend.
In giving the bleak figures last night, National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) deputy secretary-general Halimah Yacob said the bulk of the retrenchments will come from the beleaguered electronics sector.
She said 2,700 workers from this sector could lose their jobs by the end of next month. This is more than the 2,374 layoffs the sector recorded for the whole of last year.
The rest of the layoffs will come from the manufacturing sector, which is reeling as a result of plunging global demand.
Madam Halimah said that though the situation is worrying, there are some signs that it is improving.
'Some companies in the electronics sector are reporting that they are securing more orders, and we can see the slide in numbers slowing a little,' she said.
She credited initiatives such as the Jobs Credit scheme and the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience (Spur) - a $600 million training plan aimed at helping workers upgrade and retrain - for mitigating the effects of the downturn.
'We need to do more and focus on retraining our workers and finding other jobs for those who have been displaced.'
Madam Halimah was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a seminar aimed at helping union members get legal help if they feel they have been unfairly dismissed or retrenched.
The seminar, jointly organised by NTUC and the Singapore Law Society, is the first of about four sessions to help rank-and-file workers as well as executives - better known as PMETs (professionals, managers, executives and technicians). More than 550 union leaders and representatives attended yesterday's seminar, conducted by lawyers.
- The Straits Times
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