SGInnovate to create more jobs, traineeships in deep tech industry

SGINNOVATE on Monday announced two initiatives to create more job opportunities for Singaporean students, fresh graduates and mid-career professionals looking to start a career in deep tech.

More than 200 apprenticeships and full-time roles will be offered in over 30 deep-tech companies and startups at a virtual showcase to be held on Sept 12. Positions available include technical roles in areas such as software development and robotics engineering, as well as sales and business development.

Participants of the upcoming "New Frontier: Deep Tech Opportunities and Jobs" event can attend panel discussions, showcases by deep-tech startups and free training workshops in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. These will help them better understand the deep-tech landscape, career options available to them, as well as receive tips on how to make a successful transition into such roles, SGInnovate said.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to join virtual booths and interact with representatives from SGInnovate and hiring companies such as Lucence Diagnostics and MicroSec, as well as government partners including the Infocomm Media Development Authority and the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore.

Said Lim Jui, chief executive officer (CEO) of SGInnovate: "Through our conversations with partners and founders, as well as observations of the burgeoning deep-tech ecosystem, we found a strong demand for specialised roles that contribute to technology development - which are essential to future business growth. We foresee at least 1,000 of such roles to be created and made available."

Separately, SGInnovate has also launched Power X, a new full-time deep-tech traineeship programme.

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Supported by the National Research Foundation (NRF) Singapore, the programme aims to equip Singaporean talent with essential, real-world skills necessary for a new career in the deep-tech space.

The first run, Power X Robotics, will groom trainees to become future robotics engineers. Participants will be guided by experienced domain experts and undergo traineeship with partner companies, including Hope Technik, Movel AI, NDR Medical Technology, Polybee, and Sesto Robotics.

The nine-month traineeship programme will take place over two phases. In the first phase, trainees will undergo three months of formal structured training with assessments and embark on a capstone project. The second phase will see trainees undergo full-time on-the-job training at their attached companies for six months, as they work alongside their mentors to complete their projects.

Those who meet the traineeship expectations may potentially be placed in a full-time robotics role with the partner companies.

Training fees are fully funded, and trainees will receive a monthly stipend of up to S$4,000 during the programme, SGInnovate said.

Low Teck Seng, CEO of NRF, said the launch of Power X is timely, with the current "challenging economic climate being a pressing concern for jobseekers and employers".

"Robotics is a growing industry in Singapore and there is demand for trained engineers who can carry out technology translation. This programme will help our recent graduates and mid-career professionals gain in-demand skills and experience in this area, while supporting companies who are looking to take on and train more employees," he added.

SGInnovate also has plans to expand the Power X programme to other deep-tech domains that see a high demand for talent, such as in cybersecurity, it said.

Abhishek Gupta, CEO and co-founder of Movel AI, noted that there is a high demand for good robotics engineers, though most candidates with a good foundation may lack essential or industry skills to put this knowledge into practice. "Trainees who have acquired relevant skills through formal and hands-on training will definitely be potential candidates for our team," said Mr Gupta.

Power X Robotics is now accepting applications from all university graduates, preferably with a background in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Candidates should also have basic programming skills and at least two years of full-time working experience in any field, SGInnovate said.

Interested applicants can sign-up at www.sginnovate.com/power-x-robotics. The deadline for application is Oct 4.