Singapore is one of the world’s leading energy and chemicals hub. The Energy and Chemicals sector in Singapore accounts for 25% of Singapore’s Total Manufacturing Output in 2022 and employs about 27,000 people. Like many other sectors, they face increased competition for workers amidst a competitive and tight labour market. Advario, a leading tank storage and infrastructure solutions provider for chemicals, gases and new energies, has responded to the competitive talent landscape by diversifying its hiring strategy to include skills-first practices. For example, by identifying skillsets that are relevant for the job role, Advario successfully facilitated 12 career transitions through WSG’s Career Conversion Programme (CCP) for Future Energy & Chemicals Sector into Advario’s operations.

Among these new hires is Mr. Mohamed Hairul, a former Senior Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) Coordinator. New to the Energy and Chemicals sector, Mr Hairul takes on responsibilities in contractor management, port facility security operation and other terminal operations. To gear him up, he underwent On-the-Job training, providing him with first-hand exposure to port terminals safety issues. Leveraging his past experiences, he helped streamline operational processes through innovative use of technology. Recognising his potential, Advario has sponsored his pursuit of a Specialist Diploma in Workplace Safety and Health, setting the stage for his progression to a Registered Safety Officer. Reflecting on his journey, Mr Hairul said, “Embracing change and challenges to develop myself further is crucial to my career growth and allows me to play a bigger role in the company.”.

Advario has benefitted from fresh perspectives and innovative thinking brought on by Mr Hairul and his new colleagues which has enriched the organisational culture and driven business growth. 

Mr Keith Low, Advario’s Director, HSSE (Health, Safety, Security and Environment), said, “To expand our business, we have to be more capable and conscientious in identifying skills and setting defined career pathways and development roadmaps. This ensures that our people are relevant, skilled and operationally ready at every stage of their career with us, especially as we venture into the New Energies space.”

As consumer demand for environmentally sustainable practices continues to rise, going green has become a business imperative. This shift presents new opportunities for businesses and creates new job roles to fill.

One example of such a forward looking company is Re Sustainability Cleantech Pte Ltd, an environmental management solution provider that has embraced a green business model. Its focus on sustainable practices has resulted in the creation of a new job role: the Quality, Health, Safety and Environment (QHSE) & Sustainability Manager. Mr Tan Beng Huat, a mid-career switcher, was subsequently employed and reskilled through the Career Conversion Programme (CCP) for Sustainability Professionals, to support him in his new position.  

Mr Tan previously held Environmental Health and Safety roles within the materials engineering and logistics industries, and concepts such as carbon management and sustainability reporting were unfamiliar to him. Nonetheless, through attending sustainability courses and on-the-job training, he acquired the necessary knowledge and skills, such as reporting using Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards. Now, Mr Tan plays a pivotal role in advising Senior Management on green policies and ensuring compliance with sustainable practices.

The mid-career switch has provided new career development opportunities for Mr Tan as he looks forward to acquiring and deepening new capabilities in sustainability practices and continuously harnessing the new skillsets in his job. He reflects on his new role, sharing, “Sustainability is everyone’s business. Playing a pivotal role in shaping the company’s sustainability strategies brings me great satisfaction and motivation, both personally and professionally.”

Mr Ang Kin Yong, CEO of Re Sustainability Cleantech, elaborated from his perspective, “We are building a pool of sustainability ambassadors by investing in our employees’ career health and supporting their career development. We seek to grow alongside our people to bring everyone to new heights and stay competitive in this evolving market.”

Watch and find out how RE Sustainability Cleantech stands at the forefront of adopting green practices.

Leading semiconductor manufacturer, ams Osram, embarked on a digital transformation journey with Industry 4.0 technologies to improve its operations and productivity. More than 15 workstreams were transformed through process automations and improvements in data accessibility such as automated guided vehicles and retrieval systems. 

The transformation journey was not just about acquisition of new technology. It was also about future-proofing their employees. ams Osram invested in its employees through WSG’s job redesign initiative and a comprehensive Career Conversion Programme (CCP) for Electronics Engineer/Assistant Engineer. 

More than 100 staff gained new competencies in automation programming, data analysis, data visualisation and project management skills through the three-month CCP. Workmen were upskilled to take on higher value roles such as Automation Technicians and Engineers, ensuring their relevance for the digital economy. 

Ms Soon Vern Yee, a Manufacturing Engineer who participated in the programme, said, “Initially, there was confusion arising from the integration of these new skills into our existing job scope. But the structured on-the-job training helped us transition from performing daily operational tasks to more strategic data analysis and reporting, which significantly improved my professional trajectory and efficiency at work.” 

Ms Valerie Lee, Senior HR Director of ams Osram, Singapore and Philippines, emphasised the company's commitment to keeping its workforce relevant in the digital economy, "Fostering a culture that embraces change and continuous learning is crucial to achieving our business objectives. ams Osram believes that by elevating the capabilities of our workers and supporting innovation and adaptability, we can effectively meet the dynamic demands of this ever-evolving industry." 

As the COVID-19 pandemic spurred digital transformations and the adoption of hybrid work models, it also brought to light skill gaps within PwC's back-office workforce, putting their role at risk of redundancy. In response, PwC made strategic investments to transform their back-office operations while upskilling their staff with support from WSG. 

Under the Career Conversion Programme (CCP) for Consulting, 53 employees from five different support functions underwent training. Among them was Elin Lam, formerly a secretary whose role became disrupted with her daily tasks gradually becoming obsolete as leaders of the firm started using self-management tools. To future-proof her employability, Elin was offered by PwC to transit to a new role as a Client Engagement Lifecycle Specialist. In the short span of three months undergoing reskilling and upskilling, Elin familiarised herself with various forms of data reading tools, picked up data analytics and shored up on data literacy skills through the CCP. 

In her new role, Elin supports the Client Engagement teams by accelerating client onboarding processes and managing back-end project changes. Reflecting on her career transition, Elin shares, "Initially, there was fear of uncertainty and making mistakes. However, having a well-structured on-the-job training and a manager coaching me gave me the confidence for the transition. By supporting the engagement teams, I am able to offer more value-added services and free up time for them to focus as growth partners of our clients." 

PwC's global strategy prioritises the continuous learning and development of its talent, according to Theresa Sim, Partner and Chief Operating Officer at PwC Singapore. She notes, "At PwC, we have always placed engagement and the development of our talents as our strategic priority. Recognising the relentless nature of change as a business imperative, we focus on strong partnership with our workforce on their professional development. This collaboration is essential to empower our people with purpose and agility to sustain high performance.” 

As technology continues to advance and consumer electronics become more prevalent, the world faces an increasing challenge in the proper disposal and management of electronic waste (e-waste). KGS, a local e-waste recycling and disposal company, is actively working to alleviate this environmental concern.

Sustainability is an emerging field that is gaining momentum, where e-waste management is a key component. However, a lack of industry knowledge and skills has resulted in inefficient practices and missed opportunities for improvement. KGS recognised the importance of having a skilled team that can drive their e-waste recycling business, and decided to send their employee, Samuel Wang, to the WSG Career Conversion Programme (CCP) for Sustainability Professionals.

Samuel, who originally served as a Digital Marketer, embarked on a transformative three-month reskilling programme. The CCP, a blend of classroom learning and on-the-job training, equipped him with the technical know-how and introduced him to the best practices in the field. Today, Samuel is a Sustainability Analyst, in charge of assessing KGS’s e-waste recycling efforts and spearheading the development of innovative, eco-friendly strategies. The community of sustainability professionals that the CCP has introduced him to has been helpful in his journey. Samuel shared, “Naturally, transitioning into a new job role was daunting, but this was an opportunity for personal and professional growth. With the knowledge gained and support from fellow CCP attendees, I am now in a position to innovate and contribute fresh ideas to the company.”

Andrew Tay, co-founder of KGS who was behind Samuel’s career transition, said, "Samuel's reskilling through the CCP not only empowered him to become a Sustainability Analyst at KGS but also enabled us to develop strategies for responsible e-waste management practices. For his dedication and expanded role, the company decided to accord him with an improved salary package that reflected our company’s core values of empowerment and excellence."

In a world driven by digital evolutions, Lion Heartlanders, a local educational tour company, took bold strides towards innovation, reimagining tour experiences with immersive technologies like augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). 

To achieve this, Lion Heartlanders enrolled one of their employees, Tan Jun Wei, in the Career Conversion Programme (CCP) for Immersive Digital Experience Tourism Executives. 

Through this four-month programme, Jun Wei gained useful knowledge and skills to support the integration of AR and VR into the company’s tour offerings. He explained, “The CCP ignited a spark within me on the boundless possibilities that digital solutions can bring. I can now offer new perspectives to the company and contribute to the company’s growth.” Armed with his newfound capabilities, Jun Wei confidently dons the mantle of Operations Manager, orchestrating the integration of AR and VR into the company’s tour products. Additionally, he oversees all aspects of tour operations, ensuring the tour guides and operations teams can confidently use these technologies with the participants. 

Director Koh Byron Jevan, reflects, “Through the CCP, we gained an edge in immersive technologies and crafted new products for our customers. The CCP helps our staff to develop professionally and contribute to the growth of the business.”.

As technology evolves, companies are constantly adapting their strategies to stay ahead of the competition. Panasonic Appliances R&D Center Singapore (PAPRADSG) is no exception. To remain competitive, the company consolidated its audio design business in Japan and shifted its focus towards the promising realm of IoT (Internet of Things) products and services. However, this shift came with the challenge of managing existing employees and transforming their skillsets.

To address this, PAPRADSG turned to WSG’s Career Conversion Programme (CCP) for Advanced Manufacturing Engineers, Assistant Engineers and Operators. The CCP brought 37 Mechanical and Electronic Engineers through a 3-month reskilling programme, equipping them with IoT skills to transition into Software and Research Engineers. These engineers are now developing concept plans for IoT platform systems and learning to code.

One of them is Freddie Tan, previously the Assistant Senior Engineer responsible for quality control of physical audio products. After undergoing reskilling, he is now a Web App Developer carrying out web application development and conducting programme tests. 

Through job redesign reskilling, PAPRADSG was able to pivot to a new business model by leveraging their personnel more effectively. Providing their engineers with new capabilities and renewed career pathways allowed the company to re-strategise the business proposition and value-add to their customers whilst capturing new opportunities. 

As Tan Kim Leng, the Managing Director of PAPRADSG, puts it, “By investing in our engineers and reskilling them, we successfully transformed our workforce to meet business demands and stay ahead of the curve.” 

Lendingpot, a Digital Loan Marketplace start-up, discovered an effective way to boost their marketing efforts through WSG’s Career Conversion Programme (CCP). The CCP has allowed Lendingpot to tap into fresh talent and explore new and better ways to market and promote their digital products. 

When Lendingpot needed a Digital Marketing Executive, they received an application from Lina Tay whose background was in Graphic Design. Although Lina lacked experience in digital advertising, marketing or fintech, her passion and potential made her a compelling candidate for the role. 

Recognising her abilities and complementary skillsets, Lendingpot enrolled her in the CCP for Digital Advertising and Marketing Professionals. Over a span of six months, this structured programme provided Lina with on-the job training to bridge her knowledge gaps. Despite the steep learning curve, Lina’s determination and ability to grasp new concepts quickly allowed her to exceed expectations in handling the marketing portfolio. Leveraging her graphic design skills, she redesigned Lendingpot’s corporate website, and optimised it with her newfound skills for better user experience. Lina now oversees all aspects of Google and Facebook advertising, engages customers through eDMs (Electronic Direct Mailers) and coordinates the work done by their marketing agency.

Benjamin Lam, Business Head, expressed his satisfaction with Lina’s exceptional work, saying, “We are very pleased with Lina’s performance and has since promoted her to Marketing Lead for Lendingpot.” 

With Lina at the helm, Lendingpot now has a marketing-centric development strategy that has helped them grow their business.

The Green Wave is driving more companies to integrate sustainability practices into their operations. Over 85 individuals have joined the Career Conversion Programme (CCP) for Sustainability Professionals since its launch in December 2022, with over 40 companies participating to reskill existing staff or hire mid-career jobseekers for sustainability roles.

FoodXervices, a local wholesale trade company dealing with Food & Beverage (F&B) products, has established a new sustainability team by reskilling three existing management-level staff through the CCP. The team will lead sustainability implementation within their operations, attend a three-month training programme, and receive salary support while being paired with an industry expert.

One of the reskilled staff is Mr Jeremy Lau, currently the Facilities Manager, who will take on the expanded job role of a Facilities and Sustainability Manager. 

Mr Lau elaborated on his role, “FoodXervices has put in place a solar panel set-up to optimise energy efficiency and digester that converts food waste to water – the skills I picked up at the CCP like energy and waste management will help my team implement and manage these technologies.” 

FoodXervices’ Co-Founder and CEO, Ms Nichol Ng, aims to develop a sustainable F&B supply chain and ecosystem beyond her company. The new sustainability team will work with different business units and tenants to reduce carbon footprint and kickstart a green movement.

“I hope to influence the other 5,000 F&B players we serve to make green changes and make a difference.” says Ms Ng. “Though having a dedicated sustainability team may stretch our company’s resources, I believe it’s an investment for the future.”