9,500 people have taken on SGUnited traineeships, attachments so far: MOM

ABOUT 9,500 people have so far taken up government-funded traineeships and attachment programmes introduced in June last year, with about 160 having completed the programme, according to the Ministry of Manpower's (MOM) 21st edition of the Jobs Situation Report.

Among those who have completed the SGUnited Traineeships and SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programmes, about 60 per cent have found full-time employment, Workforce Singapore (WSG) said.

It said this estimate is based on those who updated the agency about their employment status, adding that it will be engaging participants who have not secured full-time employment to further support their job search.

Meanwhile, another 200 individuals found full-time jobs while the programme was ongoing.

Overall, eight in 10 applicants were recent graduates, while the rest were mid-career individuals, MOM and WSG said in a joint statement on Monday. They were attached to 2,500 host organisations, including public sector agencies. Of the host organisations, nearly 90 per cent are small and medium-sized enterprises.

Many of these companies are in the infocomm technology and media, financial services and professional services sectors, said the authorities.

Some 85 per cent of the host organisations said they have converted or intend to convert suitable trainees to regular employees, according to a survey by WSG which drew over 250 responses. These host organisations have trainees who have ended or are ending their traineeship or attachment by June 2021.

The remaining 15 per cent said their key reasons for not hiring the trainees include needing more time to assess the trainee, finding the trainee unsuitable or not having available headcount. Some of the trainees also wanted to further their studies.

Over the next few months, another 15,000 such traineeship and attachment opportunities would "likely be available", MOM and WSG said.

"However, as unemployment eases and pockets of tightness appear in the labour market, WSG has started to observe a moderated pace of applications," said the authorities.

Nearly half of those who received at least one attachment or attachment offer had turned it down, with fresh graduates more likely than mid-career applicants to do so, according to MOM and WSG. The key reason was having another traineeship or full-time opportunity, they added.