9,000 opportunities in professional services offered in last six months: MOM

MORE than 1,500 companies have offered about 9,000 opportunities in the professional services sector, Manpower Minister Josephine Teo said on Thursday.

Among them, 5,870 of these opportunities are jobs, of which 81 per cent are for professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMET) roles, according to the ministry.

The remaining 3,150 opportunities are traineeships, attachments and training places.

The update is part of a series of "job situation reports" that the Ministry of Manpower has been putting out for various sectors in Singapore.

So far, about 1,400 jobseekers have been placed in various positions across the sector, Mrs Teo said, speaking at a press briefing following a visit to professional services firm PwC.

She noted that the impact of Covid-19 on the sector has been uneven, with the architecture, engineering and law sub-sectors seeing a larger fall in activity compared to the accountancy one.

At the same time, the accelerated pace of digitalisation has benefited firms offering consultancy, design, advertising and marketing services with digital expertise, she said.

During the same session, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing said the professional services sector will continue to be a high growth sector for Singapore, especially as more firms look for sharper analysis and ideas for transformation amid greater uncertainty in the business landscape.

He also urged Singaporeans and companies to consider going overseas to get regional exposure, so that they can take on regional roles and better serve the wider market.

"When many of the companies, big or small, look for regional leaders, they need people who have regional experience," Mr Chan said.

"And if Singaporeans are able to have under their belt some of this, as they go through their career, it will be a big plus," he added.

While travel has been made difficult with the pandemic, Mr Chan said this is not going to be a permanent situation.

Instead, companies' need for people with international experience will intensify as they serve an increasingly global, rather than local, market, he said.