The Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) with the support of the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) will be launching a Traineeship Programme for the Early Childhood sector. The programme will allow jobseekers who are interested in the Early Childhood sector to have first-hand experience of jobs offered in the sector.

Trainees will undergo a short-term traineeship programme with pre-school operators for up to 2 weeks (80 hours) of on-the-job training in early childhood skills. They will receive training allowance for the period of traineeship. In addition, they will receive incentives of up to $500 if they complete the traineeship programme and continue to remain in the sector.

The Traineeship Programme for the Early Childhood sector enables pre-school employers to “open their doors” to jobseekers who are interested to find out more about  the  Early  Childhood  sector. Through the programme, both pre-school operators and trainees will have the opportunity to assess suitability for positions such as pre-school teachers, infant educarers and para-personnel. Trainees get a better understanding of the requirements of the positions in a hands-on setting, while employers can gauge whether the trainees are suitable before offering them positions in their organisations.

WDA and ECDA will facilitate placement of candidates under the Traineeship Programme to participating kindergarten and child care centres and draw up trial areas of work for trainees. Please refer to Annex A for further details.

The Traineeship Programme for the Early Childhood Sector will be launched at ECDA’s upcoming Early Childhood Career and Education Fair on 31 May 2014, by the Minister for Social and Family Development, Mr Chan Chun Sing. Jobseekers who are keen to embark on a career in the Early Childhood sector can find out more about the Traineeship Programme, as well as explore other training and employment opportunities at the Fair. Over 30 booths and more than 500 teacher and educarer positions are expected to be offered (refer to Annex B for details). ECDA will also be releasing a Career Guide, with information on careers and relevant qualifications in the Early Childhood sector, as well as training support available to jobseekers.

The Traineeship Programme complements other initiatives that lead to employment opportunities in the Early Childhood sector. These include the accelerated Professional Conversion Programme for mid-career entrants with tertiary qualifications; and the Relief Staff Programme (refer to Annex C for details).

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ANNEX A

Traineeship Programme for the Early Childhood Sector

The Traineeship Programme for the Early Childhood sector is a short-term on- the-job training arrangement with hiring companies to allow Singaporean and Singapore Permanent Residents participants to acquire new skills and improve their confidence to potentially take on roles such as pre-school teachers, educarers and para-personnel. This programme will be part of the suite of employment facilitation services offered by the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) Career Centres co-located at the Community Development Councils. Apart from the Early Childhood sector, Traineeships are available to jobseekers interested in sectors such as Retail, Hospitality and Food & Beverage.

Traineeship Programme Benefits for Participants

The Traineeship Programme aims to allow participants to learn practical and basic work skills required of early childhood personnel in a child care or kindergarten setting and potentially transit into the new area of work if an offer of employment is extended by the host companies. Participants will receive a training allowance, and incentives upon completing the programme and staying employed in a job or in a sector relevant to the Traineeship Programme. (Please see para 7 for more details.)

Traineeship Programme Benefits for Employers

The Traineeship Programme aims to allow pre-school operators to have an additional avenue to recruit locals to fill their vacant positions. Employers can assess participants’ job fit during the programme and offer positions to suitable participants after the Traineeship Programme. Traineeship participants who are hired are more likely to adapt quickly to their jobs, as they are already familiar with the pre-school environment.

Eligibility Criteria

The Traineeship Programme is open to all unemployed Singapore Citizens or Singapore Permanent Residents. Trainees will have to fulfil pre-determined requirements to be eligible for the allowance and incentives.

Traineeship Programme Scope

Host  companies  will  have  committed  to  supervising  participants  with  pre- planned training objectives, activities and assessment, with view to offering employment eventually.

Duration of Traineeship Programme

a. The Traineeship Programme duration ranges from 40 to 80 hours.

b. Host companies will suggest the suitable number of working days/hours and the training curriculum for each Traineeship position.

Allowances and Incentives for Participants

Table A summarises the allowance and incentives the participants can receive upon meeting their respective criteria.

TABLE A: TRAINEESHIP ALLOWANCE AND INCENTIVES

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ANNEX B

The inaugural Early Childhood Career and Education Fair 2014, organized by ECDA, is a one-day event to be held at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre, Level 3 Concourse, on Saturday 31st May 2014. The Fair serves as both a recruitment platform for pre-school operators and to educate the public  on  the  career  opportunities  and  training  support  available  in  the  sector. Minister for Social and Family Development, Mr Chan Chun Sing, will be gracing the event as Guest-of-Honour.

Recruitment, Training Opportunities and Resource Support at the Career Fair

There will be over 30 booths comprising employers, training agencies and career  counselling  services  by  industry  association. More than 500 teacher and educarer positions will be on offer at the Fair. ECDA, WDA and Training Agencies would also be on hand to promote career information, guidance on training programmes and training grant support that would be relevant for jobseekers that are new to the sector.

Target Outreach and Details on Registration

The Fair aims to attract jobseekers who have a keen interest to start a career in the early childhood sector, as well as early childhood trained personnel re-joining the sector.

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ANNEX C

PROFESSIONAL CONVERSION PROGRAMME AND RELIEF STAFF PROGRAMME

Professional Conversion Programmes for Pre-School Teacher

The Professional Conversion Programme, leading to the WSQ Professional Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education (Childcare) [WSQ PDECCE (CC)] or WSQ Professional Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education (Kindergarten Teaching) [WSQ PDECCE (KT)], is an accelerated programme delivered over 12 to 15 months for career-switchers with tertiary qualifications. The programme construct allows child care centres and kindergartens to send their newly-recruited untrained Teachers for training and yet maintain access to their staff as manpower resource during the entire programme duration.

Under this programme, the employers would co-fund the salary and course fees of the trainees, while WDA provides funding for the training stipend at 70% of basic monthly salary, capped at $1,400 and course fee grant at up to 70%.

For  more  information on  the  Professional Conversion  Programme, please contact the following Programme Partners appointed by WDA:

National CET Institute
SEED Institute – WSQ PDECCE (CC) Contact: 6332 0668
Email: info@seedinstitute.edu.sg
Website: www.seedinstitute.edu.sg

Programme Partners
KLC International Institute – WSQ PDECCE (CC) Contact: 6858 9600
Email: enquiry@klc.edu.sg
Website: www.klc.edu.sg

Singapore Polytechnic – WSQ PDECCE (KT) Contact: 6772 1288
Email: pace@sp.edu.sg
Website: www.sp.edu.sg

Relief Staff Programme

The Relief Staff Programme is a 110-hour WSQ training programme developed by SEED Institute, in consultation with WDA and ECDA. The trained Relief Staff could stand-in for permanent staff in childcare centres and kindergartens when the permanent staff needs to take time off work for medical leave, annual leave or Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activities.

The programme will equip Relief Staff with the skills to carry out routine care duties and non-structured activities with young children such as Art & Craft, Music & Movement and Storytelling. WDA provides a course fee grant at 90% of the course fees and training allowance of up to $4.50 per training hour.

Interested participants and employers may contact SEED Institute at the following:

Contact: 6332 0668
Email: info@seedinstitute.edu.sg
Website: www.seedinstitute.edu.sg