22/10/2019

SkillsFuture Singapore Collaborates With Industry Partners And Institutes Of Higher Learning To Support Enterprises And Individuals In Their Workforce Development And Skills Transformation In Advanced Manufacturing

A. First train-for-sector partnership with German engineering firm, Bosch Rexroth, to support enterprises in advanced manufacturing

Supported by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), Singapore Polytechnic (SP) and JTC, the Bosch Rexroth Regional Training Centre will be set up by the fourth quarter of 2020 to anchor the technology, skills and talent needs of advanced manufacturing companies in the Jurong Innovation District and beyond.

The Centre will work with small and medium-sized enterprises to:

• Tap on Bosch Rexroth’s network and expertise to drive proof-of-concept projects, to encourage enterprise adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies;
• Co-develop training content with SP in cutting-edge technologies, and provide mentorship and skills training to enterprises as part of proof-of-concept projects;
• Transfer of expertise to SP lecturers who will extend training to enterprises, especially to SMEs; and
• Train a pipeline of Industry 4.0 specialists who will be certified by the Singaporean-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (SGC).

SSG, Bosch Rexroth, SP and JTC will sign a Memorandum of Understanding on 24 October 2019 with 11 early adopter companies – Aluputer Industrial, ASM Assembly Systems, CKE Manufacturing, Delphic Manufacturing Solutions, Elite Springs, Exxel Technology, Fong Lee Metal Industries, Hai Sia Seafood, NTT DATA Singapore, Racer Technology and ServoConnect Systems (Asia) – to mark the start of the training partnership.

B. Develop a pipeline of job-ready engineers through the SkillsFuture Work-Learn Bootcamp for Engineer 4.0

The SkillsFuture Work-Learn Bootcamp for Engineer 4.0 is the first-of-its-kind rapid upskilling programme for advanced manufacturing. Open to fresh graduates and mid-career individuals, the programme will equip them with the relevant mind-set, and job-role specific behavioural and technical skills.

Participants will undergo an eight-week programme delivered by SP and Temasek Polytechnic. The programme is designed to integrate real-life industry scenarios into hands-on projects, and will include role-play, case study discussions and simulations. The curriculum incorporates feedback and inputs from experts and employers from nine companies, such as ASM Assembly Systems, Jabil and Makino Asia.

Participants will be trained in areas of industry demand such as Lean Manufacturing, Industrial Internet of Things, and Agile Project Management. They will also be equipped with behavioural skills such as adaptability, teamwork and cross-functional communication. Upon completion of the Bootcamp, participants will have the opportunity to be placed into engineering jobs such as Industry 4.0 R&D, Digital Transformation Engineer and Performance Improvement Engineer. 

The SkillsFuture Work-Learn Bootcamp for Engineer 4.0 is expected to train and place up to 200 engineering talent over the next two years. The first run of the SkillsFuture Work-Learn Bootcamp for Engineer 4.0 was conducted by SP on 21 October 2019. The second run of the bootcamp will be conducted by Temasek Polytechnic in the first quarter of 2020.

The programme is open to Singapore Citizens and Singapore Permanent Residents aged 18 years old and above, with an engineering diploma or degree, and who are willing to take a full-time job upon completion of the programme.

The SkillsFuture Work-Learn Bootcamp is a three-year pilot programme, developed in partnership with SSG, the five polytechnics, Institute of Technical Education, and Generation¹.

¹Generation is a US-based non-profit social organisation founded by McKinsey & Company. It develops and implements short, focused bootcamps to train and place young people in jobs, resulting in 17,000 job placements across 23 professions in nine countries to date. Generation’s placement methodology has proven to be effective, short and scalable in these countries, yielding 83% job placement within three months and 80% retention at three months. Nearly 88% of participating employers say that Generation graduates outperform their peers along business metrics and 98% of participating employers would hire Generation graduates again. There has also been positive feedback from other key stakeholders such as training providers and alumni. [Source of info from Generation as at 23 July 2018.]