Last year, nearly a quarter of newcomers in the ICT sector were PMETs with changed roles

SINGAPORE: Local employment in the Infocomm technology sector (ICT) has increased by about 4,000 people over the past year, of which about 900 professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMET ) who changed jobs under the Adapt and Grow initiative, Labor Minister Josephine Teo said Friday (November 2).

The Labor Market Reports of the Department of the Workforce indicate that as of June of this year, the ICT sector employed 137,800 people, an increase of 7,500 over the previous year. Previous year.

Ms. Teo pointed out that some of the newcomers to the ICT sector are people who have held different positions within the same company. This means that employers create growth opportunities for their staff.

She said: "During the year, we found that, overall, the Adapt and Grow (Initiative) program and the professional retraining program have gained momentum. If we continue along that path, I think it's the employers or the companies. job seekers, they will both be better off. "

The Adapt and Grow initiative aims to help workers adapt to changing demand and develop their skills in the new economy. The professional conversion program, which facilitates mid-career transitions, is part of the initiative.

Dr. Janil Puthucheary, Minister of State for Transport, Communication and Information, stressed that the retraining program for professionals is not only for PMETs but also for young professionals .

He stressed that Singapore needed to ensure that these young professionals understood that to move forward, they too would have to participate in the process.

"They are an important part of the cultural change that we need to adopt, not just mature PMETs, we are all for all," he said.

Ms. Teo and Dr. Puthucheary spoke during a visit to technology company Hewlett Packard (HP), which employed some of these mid-career professionals.

One of them is Sam New, a supply chain analyst aged 46 and who has been working for the company for over 20 years. It enjoys the Adapt and Grow initiative.

"I have held various positions and functions over the past 24 years at HP. With years of experience, I think I can bring more, given the new knowledge, "he said.