Gearing Up to Meet Manpower Demand in the Healthcare Sector

      The Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA), in collaboration with Ministry of Health and Nanyang Polytechnic, are seeking to train 150 Singaporeans through the Healthcare Professionals Conversion Programme (PCP). The 3-year programme due to commence in April 2009 offers Professionals, Managers, Executives and Technicians (or PMETs) with an opportunity to acquire the relevant training and switch to work in the healthcare industry.

2.    The Healthcare PCP will cover four occupations including:

• Registered Nurses whose job is to assess, diagnose, develop and implement treatment plans for patients’ care and recovery.
• Physiotherapists who assess and treat disorders of human movement due to physical disabilities, trauma or illness, thus relieving pain and improving muscle strength and mobility of patients.
• Occupational Therapists who assess, diagnose, develop and implement treatment plans to help raise patients’ capacity to perform day-to-day tasks essential for self-care, daily living, leisure and work.
• Diagnostic Radiographers who work with highly sophisticated medical imaging technologies crucial for the diagnosis of pathologies and injuries.

3.    As the PCP is offered on a Place-and-Train basis, trainees can be assured of employment after completion of training. Successful candidates will receive subsidised training under the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience (SPUR). To further ease the financial burden of entering a three year full time training course, the sponsoring hospital will provide trainees with a monthly training allowance of $900 per month for the first year, $950 per month for the second year and $1000 per month for the final year of training. Trainees will only need to pay a nett fee of $6656 (inclusive of GST) over the three year period and serve a three-year bond with their sponsoring hospital upon completion of training. Upon successful completion of the programme, participants will embark on their new career at their sponsoring hospital.

4.    Mr Chan Heng Kee, Chief Executive of WDA said, “The healthcare sector offers many job opportunities for Singapore, even in this ongoing downturn. Through SPUR, we are combining skills training and employment opportunity so as to facilitate Singaporeans making a career transition into the sector. We hope Singaporeans will come forward to take advantage of the programme”.

5.    Entry requirements for the Healthcare PCP include minimally two years of full-time working experience with a degree from a recognised university; or local polytechnic diploma; or 3 GCE ‘A’ level credits in Science and two other subjects for Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist and Diagnostic Radiographer; or 3 GCE ‘A’ level credits with 2 GCE ‘O’ level credits in a Science subject and mathematics for Registered Nurse.

6.    To attract new entrants and mid-career individuals, WDA is organising a Healthcare Career Preview Seminar on 13 December 2008 at Nanyang Polytechnic, Theatre of the Arts and Function Room. Members of the public can gain more information about Healthcare PCP and career opportunities in the healthcare sector through presentations by WDA and the healthcare professionals. There will also be Q & A sessions for participants to seek clarifications. Representatives from Nanyang Polytechnic and HR personnel from the participating hospitals will be present to address queries too. Those interested to attend the Healthcare Career Preview Seminar can register through WDA Call Centre at Tel No: 6883 5885.

7.    The Healthcare PCP for Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist and Diagnostic Radiographer is into its second run with the April 09 intake while the Registered Nurse programme is accepting its tenth batch of students. Members of the public can also obtain more information about Professional Conversion Programmes at WDA website at www.wda.gov.sg.