Debated in Parliament on 19 Jan 2015.
Mrs Lina Chiam asked the Minister for Manpower from 2011 to 2014 (a) what is the age breakdown of successful applicants for the Professional Conversion Programmes (PCPs) for (i) nurses, (ii) social workers and (iii) occupational therapists; and (b) how many of the successful applicants are unemployed at the time of application for the PCPs.
The Singapore Workforce Development Agency’s (WDA)’s Professional Conversion Programmes (PCPs) are aimed at helping workers to undergo the skills conversion needed to fill positions at the Professionals, Managers and Executives (PME) level in industries where employers have identified critical manpower needs.
Between 2011 and 2014, more than 230 applicants were successfully enrolled into the Healthcare and Social Work PCPs, which include those for registered nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, diagnostic radiographers and social workers. About 10% of these successfully enrolled applicants were unemployed at the point of application and 30% were aged 35 and above.
PAPERCUTS