Training and Financial Support for Re-skilling of Oil and Gas Workers

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what are the re-skilling programmes that cater specifically to former oil and gas workers that are currently available or under development; (b) whether there are any available financial support schemes for workers who participate in these programmes; and (c) whether the Government will develop roadmaps for higher education programmes based on the expected emerging jobs in sustainability sectors.

Companies in every sector, including oil and gas, can avail themselves of a range of support schemes to transform their businesses and reskill their workforces. These include the Productivity Solutions Grant, which now includes enhanced support for job redesign. Where the trade associations or groups of companies in a sector have expressed strong interest in, or need for, industry- or occupation-specific schemes to facilitate staff redeployment, WSG can work with them to design additional targeted interventions.

Likewise, jobseekers that originate from any sector can be considered for participation in a range of career support programmes. Recognising that every jobseeker has transferable skills, programmes focus on matching them to growth opportunities.

Today, Workforce Singapore (WSG) offers around 100 career conversion programmes covering in-demand jobs across 30 sectors. We provide substantial support to employers – up to 90% of training and wage costs, when they hire mid-career individuals who do not have the full set of skills required for the job, but are willing to learn and re-skill. The funding recognises the companies’ efforts in staff development. The Jobs Growth Incentive, which was introduced last year and extended at Budget 2021, provides further encouragement to employers during this time of greater uncertainty in the labour market.

These career conversion programmes have helped many locals to switch into new careers. Since 2016, we have facilitated over 34,000 placements and redeployments through WSG’s career conversion programmes, including locals previously in the oil and gas sector. In the 5th edition of the Jobs Situation Report released last September, we highlighted one such example – 47-year old Mohd Nasir Ja’apar was retrenched in April 2020 from his role as a Senior Quality Engineer in an oil and gas company. Through the Professional Conversion Programme for Advanced Manufacturing Engineer, he joined a Precision Engineering firm and learnt new skills in additive manufacturing and inspection of 3D printer parts. With the right mindset and resolve, other jobseekers, too, can build on transferrable skills and experiences, and make the switch into new careers.

The Member has also asked about higher education programmes to prepare our students for emerging jobs relating to sustainability. Our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) continually work closely with industry to ensure that their programme offerings are relevant to industry so that graduates have good employment outcomes. In this way, the IHLs have been strengthening their emphasis on sustainability in their programme offerings. For example, National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) offer sustainability and environment-focused degrees in Environmental Studies, Environmental Engineering, and Environmental Earth Systems Sciences. Temasek Polytechnic offers the Diploma in Architectural Technology & Building Services while Republic Polytechnic will be launching two new diploma courses (Diploma in Sustainable Built Environment and Diploma in Environmental and Marine Science).