BrazilDeloitte Singapore launch career conversion programme for consulting sector
Deloitte in Singapore is looking to lure external talent with the launch of a career conversion programme for professionals wanting to make the switch to consulting.
Operating under the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Manpower, the Singapore government’s Professional Conversion Programmes aim to help PMETs (professionals, managers, executives and technicians) undertake skills conversion and training to move into in-demand sectors that have been identified as offering greater opportunities for the future.
Designed in collaboration with the bodies overseeing the initiatives – Workforce Singapore and the Economic Development Board – Deloitte’s PCP is the first among a range of national career development initiatives to focus on the consulting sector. Altogether, there are over 50 PCPs in place across more than 20 sectors, including ICT, Healthcare, Manufacturing and Infrastructure.
Earlier this year, Singapore’s Ministry of Finance released a national roadmap to support the development of the local professional services industry, with a range of initiatives aiming to generate an additional 5,500 jobs in the sector per year with a projected value-add of S$31 billion by 2020. Among the announced plans was the launch of further industry-related PCPs.
Kelvin Wong, the assistant managing director of Singapore’s Economic Development Board, said of the launch; “We are delighted that Deloitte Singapore has become the first consulting firm here to launch a PCP, making talent development a key part of their corporate capabilities.” Tan Choon Shian, Chief Executive, Workforce Singapore, added, “This is indeed a great recognition placed on the value that mid-career PMETs bring.”
Once determined that they have the suitable skill-base and are an appropriate cultural fit, selected candidates for the Deloitte PCP will receive in-house training and mentoring as they begin their consulting career with the firm, working closely with and receiving guidance from a workplace peer. The government in turn provides funding support for in-house courses and skills training.
Eugene Ho, Deloitte Singapore’s consulting leader, said; “The PCP formalises what we have been doing all along – seeing the value of hiring professionals who would like to pursue a different career in the consulting sector.” Philip Yuen, CEO, Deloitte Southeast Asia and Singapore, added; “This group of talent will be able to help us deliver greater value to our clients with their unique insights that their previous experience affords them.”
The government’s industry transformation map for the professional services sector is part of a concerted effort to grow Singapore as a leading regional and international professional services hub driven by home-grown talent, which will also see the city-state levy a tax on imported professional services from 2020. Meanwhile, the global human capital consultancy Mercer in a survey last year found that Singapore’s employees are increasingly less engaged in their current roles compared to their global counterparts.
