Workforce Singapore’s (WSG) Career Conversion Programmes (CCPs) are placement-centric programmes that aim to address structural mismatches in the labour market. Under the Place-and-Train (PnT) CCP, a company hires a jobseeker and puts him/her through on-the-job training or industry-recognised training to take on a new growth job role that aligns with its business and workforce transformation needs.

Our study evaluated the impact of the PnT CCP and found that it improved the labour market outcomes of participants. Specifically, the PnT CCP (i) increased participants’ wages by 2.5 per cent in the year of placement, with the impact rising further to 5.8 per cent to 6.5 per cent in the subsequent four years, and (ii) improved their employment retention by 3.9 percentage-points, compared to their control groups. Notably, the PnT CCP had a stronger impact on non-PMET and mature workers who were found to have benefitted more from the placement and accompanying training.

Against the backdrop of rapid technological change, these findings suggest that schemes that target structural mismatches (including WSG’s PnT CCP) play a key role in addressing skills gaps and helping workers to take on growth job opportunities. By aligning talent with industry needs through the CCPs, workers can be empowered to pivot into future-ready roles, thereby enhancing their adaptability and resilience in a fast evolving and dynamic Singapore economy.

The views expressed in this paper are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), Workforce Singapore (WSG) or the Government of Singapore.

Please click here for the full article.