3 rebranded career centres to help more jobseekers find work

SINGAPORE — Jobseekers looking for career counselling services, instant tips from career coaches, or contacts for support may now do so at three remodelled career centres from government agency Workforce Singapore (WSG).

Launched on Wednesday, the rebranded Careers Connect centres at Our Tampines Hub, Woodlands Civic Centre and the Lifelong Learning Institute in Paya Lebar have three new programmes added to the services they provide.

The first of these initiatives — Career Recharger — offers one-on-one career counselling over four sessions, to help those who are unemployed cope with the emotional challenges after losing a job, for instance, and help them build a positive mindset as they begin their job hunt.

Another programme, Career Catalyst, will see career coaches working with jobseekers to iron out their work preferences and valuable skills, and charting action plans towards getting employed, while the Career 360 support programme will help jobseekers tap the networks and resources of peers to make their job search more effective.

These programmes have been piloted over the last three months with more than 160 people taking part.

Mr Chong Choon Yew, for example, started attending fortnightly Career 360 sessions about two months ago.

After leaving his job as a product engineer in the manufacturing sector in March, the 45-year-old sought help at WSG’s Tampines centre the following month.

Mr Chong, a long-time charity volunteer, wanted to move into social service.

After undergoing training recommended by his career coach, he refined his resume to include his volunteer experience and “transferable” skills, and snagged a job as a care coordinator at a community organisation.

Mr Chong, who is awaiting his work contract, said that Career 360 allowed those in the group to consult one another and share contacts: “If you’re alone in the job search, you’ll be quite lonely.”

The three centres will also be spruced up to include self-help areas that come with desktop computers, allowing users to access career profiling tools and update their resumes, for example. Career coaches will also be there in person to guide them.

The Paya Lebar centre also features an e-lobby with extended service hours from 7am to 10pm daily (except public holidays), beyond the centre’s weekday operating hours from 9am to 5pm.

Employers with hiring needs may head to these Careers Connect centres as well. There is a job description workshop, for example, to guide firms in searching and choosing candidates using skill-based requirements.

Ms Lynn Ng, group director of WSG’s Careers Connect Group, said that this would reduce “missed matches” between employers and jobseekers.

New spaces at the centres, such as “interview pods”, enable firms to conduct multiple interviews at one go, Ms Ng added.

Speaking to reporters after touring the Paya Lebar centre on Wednesday, Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say hopes that the new programmes would help jobseekers who have difficulties finding a job, though he pointed out that this was only half the solution. “The other half ... is to focus on the jobs ... (and) to look at the job opportunities,” he said.

On this front, a new effort — led by Second Manpower Minister Josephine Teo, with the support of four Senior Ministers of State — is under way to help workers take on jobs in five growth sectors: Financial services, professional services, healthcare, wholesale trade, and infocomm and media.