Residents in South West District get help to improve employability, find career opportunities

Straits Times

18-07-2025

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Apart from the 14 training partners, the CDC is looking to expand the partnership and onboard more organisations.
SINGAPORE – Residents in the south-west of Singapore looking for jobs or to upskill themselves for the future have access to a plethora of workshops, industry talks and consultations.
T hey can receive one-to-one consultations with skills and training ambassadors from Lifelong Learning Singapore, and also with career coaches from employment agencies to help them work towards their career goals, like in mixed reality and urban farming.
These opportunities are offered under a new partnership between South West Community Development Council (CDC) and 14 training partners supported by SkillsFuture Singapore . The organisers aim to reach 3,000 residents with these.
Some of the training partners are Emarsity , which holds classes on how to produce videos using artificial intelligence; Tembusu Institute, which offers sewing classes; and Xprienz , which offers training on eldercare and caregiving skills .
The tie-up was announced at an annual festival for career opportunities and professional development on July 18 by South West District Mayor Low Yen Ling.
South West CDC, which covers areas like Jurong, Bukit Batok and Choa Chu Kang, is one of five CDCs in Singapore, including the Central, North East, North West and South East.
'With rapid changes in technology and the job market, our workforce has to continuously upskill and reskill,' said Ms Low at the SkillsFuture Festival.
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Apart from the 14 training partners, the CDC is looking to expand the partnership and onboard more organisations.
The SkillsFuture Festival @ South West, taking place from July 16 to 19 at the Devan Nair Institute of Employment and Employability, is the first of five such events that will be held around Singapore in 2025.
The next one will be held in Bedok Town Square on July 19 and 20 for South East residents.
The festival at South West includes a community job fair and offers more than 50,000 job opportunities across different sectors to help job seekers gain skills, Ms Low said.
Minister for Education Desmond Lee, who also attended the festival on July 18, said CDCs play an important role in reaching out to Singaporeans to tap on SkillsFuture offerings.
These councils have strong networks and connections, and are keenly aware of the needs on the ground, he added.
The SkillsFuture Advice initiative was launched in 2017 as a key partnership between CDCs and SkillsFuture to provide information on jobs and skills to residents and help them explore career pathways, he said.
In 2024, around 80,000 individuals participated in 1,600 workshops that offered content tailored to the needs of specific industries. About 13,000 of these people later took action and enrolled in training with their SkillsFuture credits within six months of attending a workshop.
The SkillsFuture Festival @ South West, taking place from July 16 to 19 at the Devan Nair Institute of Employment and Employability, is the first of five such events that will be held around Singapore in 2025.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
Mr Lee, who is also Minister-in-charge for Social Services Integration, said: 'We live in an increasingly uncertain world, with rapid advancements in technology. The SkillsFuture movement is more important than ever.'
Amid the global trade war and globalisation, people are concerned about their livelihoods and jobs, he said.
'In the next decade, we must go broader, deeper and higher with our SkillsFuture efforts, so that we invest more intensively in our people, and ensure that we can remain competitive.'
This includes going broader in partnering different sectors of society, he added.
Mr Lee also added individuals must take personal responsibility for their training, employers must do their part to invest in the skills of the workforce, and tripartite partners such as the labour movement and trade associations can reach out to individuals and employers to invest in the development of their skills.
The festival on July 18 showcased the digital, green and care sectors. Booths provided simulations for participants who are interested in the manufacturing and engineering industries to learn more about industrial and advanced machinery, and sustainable urban farming workshops taught attendees about transplanting seedlings.
A community job fair at the festival also provided opportunities for job seekers to be connected with more than 20 employers from industries like logistics and healthcare, with some offering on-site interviews.