Close to 6,700 jobs, training opportunities available in healthcare sector: MOM

SINGAPORE: About 6,700 openings are available in the healthcare sector, with close to 5,500 jobs and other training opportunities, said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in its weekly jobs situation report on Thursday (Dec 10).

The jobs are suitable for fresh graduates and mid-career jobseekers, including those without healthcare experience, said the ministry. The majority of the openings – 75 per cent – are long-term roles. 

Seven in 10 of the long-term jobs are in healthcare support and administrative support roles such as healthcare assistants, therapy assistants and patient service associates. The others are in healthcare professional and executive roles such as nurses, allied health professionals, and finance and human resources executives. 

These figures are as of end-November.

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Between April and end-November, close to 8,340 jobseekers have been placed into jobs, company-hosted traineeships and attachments, as well as enrolled in training places in the healthcare sector, said MOM.

The “vast majority” were placed into jobs, of which 71 per cent were shorter-term in nature, it said.

This includes swabbers and swab assistants to support COVID-19 related operations, as well as care ambassadors and patient concierge with public healthcare institutions and community care organisations. 

"WELL-REGARDED" HEALTHCARE SECTOR

"Singapore’s healthcare sector is well-regarded internationally for its quality services, infrastructure and sound policies," said MOM in the jobs report. 

It noted that the healthcare system is supported by a workforce of more than 100,000 across both the public and private sectors. 

About 70 per cent of this workforce consists of healthcare professionals such as doctors, nurses and allied health professionals, while the remaining are support care, administrative and ancillary workers.

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Of the 5,500 jobs available, more than 80 per cent are offered by public healthcare clusters such as the National Healthcare Group, as well as community care organisations such as Ren Ci Hospital, said MOM. The rest are offered by private organisations.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has created a temporary demand for a number of roles such as swabbers and swab assistants, in the longer term, an ageing population and rising chronic disease incidence will drive demand for healthcare manpower in Singapore, added MOM. 

As such the sector has been committing resources to “strengthen the Singaporean core” by expanding the pipeline of fresh graduates and mid-career individuals, as well as providing traineeship, attachment and skills training opportunities to equip Singaporeans with relevant skills, said the ministry.

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