Electronics sector continues to develop regardless of COVID-19, provided greater than 2,800 alternatives since April: MOM

SINGAPORE: Regardless of the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on Singapore’s economic system, the electronics sector has continued to develop, with greater than 130 firms within the trade providing greater than 2,800 jobs, traineeships and coaching alternatives since April. 

Of those, about 1,880 are for jobs, in response to the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) newest jobs scenario report launched on Monday (Oct 19). About 95 per cent of the roles had been for skilled, supervisor, govt and technician (PMET) roles.

The bulk had been for technical roles, comparable to manufacturing engineering technicians, electronics or mechanical engineers and industrial and manufacturing engineers.

There have been additionally non-technical roles, comparable to patrons and buying brokers, gross sales and advertising and marketing executives, in addition to enterprise growth managers.

Salaries for these roles vary from S$1,800 to S$8,500, relying on the abilities required, the ministry mentioned.

READ: 2,800 job seekers positioned in traineeship and firm attachments below SGUnited Jobs and Abilities programmes

ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY CONTINUES TO EXPAND

The report famous that electronics was the one trade throughout the manufacturing sector that noticed a rise in complete employment domestically, hiring 1,000 individuals even amid the biggest contraction on report in the second quarter of 2020.

“This was partly because of the surge in demand for digital items and companies to assist people keep linked, even with journey restrictions, protected distancing measures and distant working preparations in place,” mentioned MOM in its report.

“Moreover rising capability to fulfill calls for for electronics parts, corporations are additionally reworking to deal with higher-value manufacturing actions through the use of expertise comparable to Web of Issues, synthetic intelligence, robotics and automation.”

Chatting with reporters throughout a go to to semiconductor agency Globalfoundries’ premises in Woodlands, Minister for Commerce and Trade Chan Chun Sing mentioned that the semiconductor trade contributes about 7 per cent of Singapore’s gross home product, up from lower than 1 per cent in 1990s.

“As of September 2020, we have now already recorded greater than S$5.7 billion in fastened belongings funding and greater than S$376 million in complete enterprise expenditure within the electronics sector. This may create greater than 1,100 jobs within the subsequent three to 5 years because the investments are fulfilled,” he mentioned.

OPPORTUNITIES IN THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY

Some job seekers might imagine they require a technical background to use for a job within the electronics sector, mentioned Manpower Minister Josephine Teo.

“It’s true that numerous the job roles are technical in nature. But it surely doesn’t suggest that if you do not have a background in electronics, you can’t discover your means into this sector,” added Mrs Teo.

“You will have been in a technical function, however in a distinct sector. There are methods wherein your expertise may be transferred, with the addition of area information, you may equally entry the alternatives in electronics.

“On the identical time, there are additionally job roles on the PMET stage inside electronics that don’t all the time require a technical background.”

MOM mentioned it’s “not essentially true” that employers within the electronics trade solely rent job seekers from the identical sector or these with technical expertise.

“Many mid-career people from different industries have been in a position to efficiently enter (or re-enter) the trade,” mentioned the ministry, including that the sector gives non-technical roles that job seekers with out engineering backgrounds can apply for.

“Employers additionally worth transferrable expertise and wealth of expertise of mid-career people,” MOM mentioned.

Those that are eager to hitch the electronics trade however lack the related expertise can “bridge expertise gaps” by way of Workforce Singapore’s (WSG) profession conversion programmes.

WSG gives 10 Skilled Conversion Programmes (PCPs) and Place-and-Practice Programme, which impart completely different expertise, from engineering, provide chain and logistics, manufacturing, operations to technical expertise.

Job seekers with restricted or no prior expertise can faucet on of company-hosted traineeships and attachments below the SGUnited Traineeships and SGUnited Mid-Profession Pathways Programmes to achieve publicity to the work within the trade.

Roles provided embrace lab technologist trainee, plant information automation trainee and manufacturing expertise trainee, amongst others.

MOM additionally highlighted coaching programs below the SGUnited Abilities Programme, such because the semiconductor expertise programme provided by Singapore Polytechnic and the converged infocomm infrastructure programme provided by Nanyang Polytechnic.

READ: COVID-19: Switching careers a problem for some job seekers regardless of alternatives

Between April to September this yr, greater than 220 individuals have been positioned into jobs and traineeships within the electronics sector, the report mentioned.

MOM mentioned 180 individuals discovered jobs or took on new roles, about half of whom had been above the age of 40. Greater than 40 individuals have enrolled in traineeships since June.

Within the first 9 months of this yr, about 51,700 job seekers have acquired primary profession advisory or job search help by way of WSG’s and the Nationwide Trades Union Congress (NTUC) Employment and Employability Institute’s (e2i) profession matching companies.

“This 49 per cent year-on-year improve within the variety of job seekers assisted is because of elevated outreach by way of an enlargement of WSG and NTUC’s e2i touchpoints, in addition to elevated demand of jobseekers eager to make profession transition,” mentioned MOM.

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