Wednesday, Feb 2015
THE STRAITS TIMES
TOP OF THE NEWS
THE STRAITS TIMES
TOP OF THE NEWS
Help with mid-career switch
Published on Feb 24, 2015 2:39 AM
Ms Megan Chee, 39
Duty manager at Goodwood Park Hotel
How she benefits
Subsidies that cover at least 90 per cent of training course fees for workers making a mid-career switch.
How workers benefit
Singaporeans aged 25 and above will get $500 next year to use on training courses and more top-ups in the future. Study awards and fellowships for workers looking to gain specialist skills.
MS MEGAN Chee took up one of the biggest challenges of her life when she left her job of 16 years as an air stewardess to join a hotel as a customer relations officer four years ago.
But the transition was made easier when her employer, Goodwood Park Hotel, sent her for an executive development programme.
"I started with no background in the hotel industry at all. The course gave me a good understanding of how various departments work," she said.
The chance to go for subsidised training will encourage more workers to make a mid-career switch, said Ms Chee, who used to be with Singapore Airlines.
"Like myself, I think many other workers are afraid of not being able to adapt to a new industry," she said. "Going for training will enable them to gain skills and, importantly, build their confidence."
The two-year executive development programme Ms Chee attended also helped her gain the skills to earn her promotion to duty manager last year.
About 70 per cent of the course fees was subsidised by the Singapore Workforce Development Agency and NTUC's training arm, the Employment and Employability Institute.
Mr Steve Lim, Goodwood Park Hotel's learning and development director, said employers will be encouraged to send workers for more courses now that subsidies have been raised.
"I am thinking of sending Megan for courses in service excellence and to help her become a trainer.
With more training, she can be promoted to senior duty manager in a few years," he said.
With more training, she can be promoted to senior duty manager in a few years," he said.
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