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Straits Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Changing gears: The mid-career workers finding purpose through new skills
Singapore's mid-career professionals are reinventing their careers, but the transition often involves trade-offs. PHOTO: GETTY BRANDED CONTENT Changing gears: The mid-career workers finding purpose through new skills Meet the professionals who are reinventing their careers amid a shifting landscape, driven by their personal goals Would you trade job security for passion, just as you're figuring out sleepless nights and toddler tantrums? Mr Darren Yong, 35, did exactly that. When his son turned two in 2023, the first-time parent quit his job as a general manager in a healthcare technology company. He was earning a five-figure monthly salary. '(I decided to) drop everything to do what I loved,' Mr Yong shares. He packed up his life in Singapore and moved to Wellington, New Zealand, with his homemaker wife and toddler in tow. The goal: To pursue a master's degree in climate science and policy. This huge leap of faith was far from easy. He funded his own tuition, which cost $50,000 over 18 months, while the family went without income for the duration of Mr Yong's studies. 'We consciously set aside savings for up to an 18-month stay abroad, knowing that neither of us would have paid work during the entire period,' says Mr Yong. Despite careful planning, financial stress crept in. The family encountered unexpected rental hurdles, forcing them to move thrice during their stay in New Zealand. 'It would have been better if we had increased our budget buffer by another 20 per cent,' Mr Yong admits. Both short- and longer-term cost pressures make changing careers as a young parent 'mentally exhausting at times', says Mr Yong. 'Especially with the worry of getting paid work that resonates with my passions.' Making the leap easier For individuals like Mr Yong, who left a stable job and funded his own career switch, job transitions can be daunting and costly. But there is support available. One example is the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme, announced in Budget 2024. Under this scheme, all Singaporeans aged 40 and above will be eligible for up to $3,000 in monthly training allowance for selected full-time courses, capped at $72,000 a year. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced in Budget 2025 that the scheme would be extended to include part-time training. Those who work and learn part-time can receive a training allowance of $300 per month, starting in early 2026. It's crucial to upskill to stay relevant and adaptable, says Mr Dean Tong, head of Group Human Resources at UOB, especially as technologies like artificial intelligence rapidly reshape industries and displace traditional roles. Some companies are also stepping up to ease this transition. UOB, for one, is helping its employees adapt to new workplace demands and achieve their long-term career goals. In 2019, the bank launched its flagship 12-week Better U learning programme to equip its workers with future-ready skills. Better U comprises short, bite-sized modules lasting two to three hours each. Nearly all of these courses are conducted online, allowing employees to learn at their own pace and convenience, Mr Tong says. The modules focus on soft skills such as having a growth mindset, digital innovation and data storytelling. These are taught through gamification or interactive team-based formats to make the learning experience engaging, he adds. It's crucial to upskill to stay relevant and adaptable, says Mr Dean Tong, head of Group Human Resources at UOB. UOB offers support programmes to ease career transitions for its staff. PHOTO: UOB Building a future-ready workforce A key challenge that UOB faced was supporting its employees amid constant change. 'It was unclear what skills would be most needed in the future,' says Mr Dean Tong, UOB's head of Group Human Resources. The bank decided to focus on developing core competencies: Soft skills that provide a strong foundation for continuous learning. UOB's flagship learning and development initiative Better U, launched in 2019, focuses on skills like growth mindset, problem-solving and digital innovation. 'These soft skills are particularly suited for adult learners, as they are practical, accessible, and help ease the return to structured learning,' Mr Tong explains. 'They are (also) transferable across roles, equipping employees to navigate uncertainty with confidence, regardless of how the future of work evolves.' In 2024, the bank launched the 12-month Better U Pivot Programme to help selected employees reskill into new or evolving roles within UOB. Employees are paid a full-time salary while undergoing this place-and-train programme. They also receive ongoing support through regular check-ins and guidance from trained coaches. 'Reskilling cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach,' says Mr Tong. Rather than generic training, the Better U Pivot Programme starts with 'identifying high-demand roles, pinpointing individual skill gaps, and then providing customised training to bridge those gaps', he explains. UOB expects to create up to 500 opportunities over two years for employees in operations and administrative roles. These reflect changing business needs, including growing demand in areas such as financial crime prevention. Mr Tong adds that the bank is evolving its training and development programmes to help employees build critical thinking, problem framing and digital fluency. The aim: To ensure employees can use tools like generative AI effectively and responsibly. 'We've already begun rolling out training programmes that empower our people to experiment with generative AI, understand its potential, and apply it meaningfully in their work,' says Mr Tong. UOB employee Ms Rebecca Yip, 46, spent 18 years in largely customer-facing jobs before pivoting to her new role at the bank's Corporate Sustainability Office. PHOTO: UOB Path to purpose So far, close to 12,000 UOB employees across the region have gone through Better U, with many using it as a springboard to chart new career paths within the bank. One of them is Ms Rebecca Yip, 46, who's currently a vice-president at UOB's Corporate Sustainability Office. She joined UOB as a branch officer in 2004, accumulating diverse experiences across departments including operations, training and employee development. After spending 18 years in largely customer-facing roles, Ms Yip found herself yearning for deeper purpose and a chance to make a positive impact. Her opportunity came in 2022, when she was chosen to be part of UOB's talent development initiative, Leadership Acceleration Programme (LAP). The programme provides mentorship, leadership development courses, and the opportunity to take part in strategic projects. Mentors would also help participants craft customised career journeys and identify goals to work towards. Reflecting on her experience, Ms Yip says she appreciated the personalised approach. '(LAP) allowed us to participate and grow at our own pace.' With the guidance and support from LAP, Ms Yip successfully transitioned into a new role in UOB's Corporate Sustainability Office in 2023. She was responsible for launching and leading the bank's in-house Sustainability Academy, a training programme designed to deepen employees' sustainability knowledge. To help her transition into her new role, UOB also sponsored Ms Yip's year-long Advanced Certificate in Sustainability & Sustainable Businesses course at Singapore Management University in 2023. 'Sustainability is definitely an area where I can make a more positive and meaningful impact through my work,' she says. For those intimidated by the idea of upskilling mid-career, Ms Yip offers a simple piece of advice: Take it one step at a time. She practises what she calls 'micromastery' by breaking big goals into small, manageable steps. '(It's) like learning (to play the) piano,' she says. 'If your goal is to play a Beethoven piece, start with just three notes a day.' 'This will help to build confidence, keep you motivated and ensure steady progress.' This is the last of a six-part series titled 'Right by you', in partnership with 'Right by you' is a series that explores how organisations drive meaningful impact for communities, customers and employees. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Straits Times
16-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Govt prepared to enhance support for workers, businesses amid tariff uncertainty: DPM Gan
Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong said job security had emerged as the top-of-mind concern during conversations with fresh graduates, workers and the unions. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI SINGAPORE - The Government is ready to enhance existing schemes to help workers and businesses if the global economy weakens further due to tariff-induced uncertainties, said Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong. While providing an update on the progress made by the Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce on May 16, DPM Gan said job security had emerged as the top-of-mind concern during the committee's conversations with fresh graduates, workers and the unions. He said the task force is working with institutes of higher learning to step up efforts in helping fresh graduates secure good jobs. These include providing career counselling and holding job fairs. He also encouraged fresh graduates and younger workers to keep their options open, and be more flexible in terms of the type of jobs and the salary package they are looking for. 'When the situation improves and the job market strengthens, there will always be opportunities to look for better jobs and better-paying jobs,' he said. Employers can also do their part and give more opportunities to young graduates, he added. 'You take them on as a trainee, as interns, so that they will acquire necessary experience because everybody has to start somewhere. We will be talking to these companies to create internship opportunities,' DPM Gan said. For mid-career workers, he said they can tap the training and upskilling opportunities under initiatives such as the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme, which provides Singaporeans aged 40 and above with a top-up of $4,000 in SkillsFuture Credit to pursue courses that can help them stay industry-relevant. He urged workers to stay positive and focus on upgrading themselves as the job market and the skill sets needed after the tariff tension settles will be 'quite different'. 'They should keep their skills up to date and relevant, so that when these new opportunities emerge, they will be in a strong position to seize these opportunities that will come our way,' DPM Gan said. More support for companies On the business front, DPM Gan said some companies are already grappling with deferred or cancelled orders, while others are worried about declining revenue, potential payment delays and cash flow issues. To address their concerns, the Government has introduced several measures from tax rebates to the Market Readiness Assistance grant, which supports companies that want to explore new markets by defraying their costs of overseas market promotion, business development and set-up. 'We are also talking to the banks and reviewing our various financing schemes that we have already put in place and are still in place, to see whether they are adequate and whether there is room for us to enhance them,' DPM Gan said, noting that companies that are exporting directly to the US market may face greater issues with working capital in the event of an economic slowdown. Businesses are also concerned about the policy uncertainty over tariffs. They do not know what tariffs will be applied six months or a year from now, which makes it hard for them to lock in longer-term orders. 'To many businesses, this uncertainty is very worrying and very unsettling,' DPM Gan said, adding that companies have found it difficult to do business planning. 'In the absence of absolute knowledge of what's going to happen, it is always a challenge,' he said. But he encouraged businesses to look ahead and get ready for any changes that may come their way. 'We must be ready to diversify our supply chain sources, and also diversify our markets for our goods and products. 'At the same time, we also encourage our enterprises to develop new products and services that will allow us to open up new opportunities for our businesses and for the workers,' he said. He noted that some companies here have taken advantage of the 90-day tariff deferment period to export to the US as much as they can, he said, but he cautioned against interpreting this as a positive sign. 'This is what we call front-loading, and therefore you may see our exports grow, and our economy activities picking up,' he said. According to figures released by trade agency Enterprise Singapore on May 16, Singapore's non-oil domestic exports surged 12.4 per cent in April year on year, compared with a 5.4 per cent rise in March. Mr Gan said while the advance sales may boost export numbers, it is 'really no consolation'. 'You are just selling ahead of time, which means in time to come, the exports and production will slow down when they (importers) have already stocked up in the countries that we are exporting to,' he said, adding that the advance exports may also incur storage costs, especially if there are further changes to tariff policies. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
