The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) have launched two new programmes as part of their rapid and immersive skill enhancement (RISE) programme, a digital skilling and capabilities-building initiative. The launch also marked BCG’s appointment as a SkillsFuture Queen Bee.
The new programmes, named RISE for Business and RISE2.0 were launched at BCG Singapore by Minister for Education, Chan Chun Sing and Neeraj Aggarwal, chairman of BCG Asia-Pacific on Sept 27.
RISE for Business seeks to help accelerate the digitalisation of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by equipping businesses’ home-grown talent with high-demand business and digital skills.
Under this programme, participating SMEs will work directly with BCG to identify their digital business challenges and related skills gaps. Their employees will then be placed in one of three tracks where they will pick up digital skills and use them to solve their company’s digital business challenges.
Up to 90% of the course fee will be available to eligible participating SMEs under the Enhanced Training Support for SMEs (ETSS).
RISE2.0, the second programme launched by BCG and SSG, will extend its successful digital reskilling programme, RISE1.0, to accelerate the transformation of the workforce.
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RISE1.0 had successfully reskilled some 1,700 professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) in the train-and-place programme since February 2021.
Under RISE2.0, working professionals looking to reskill to pivot out of vulnerable sectors or roles, or to upskill to pursue more attractive opportunities within their current or other organizations, are now offered more flexibility with a part-time track. Phase 1 of the programme will commence in September.
Similar to RISE1.0, RISE2.0 learners will benefit from best-in-class content from proprietary research, perspectives, and project experience directly from BCG practitioners and industry experts. Up to 90% of course fees will be supported under BCG’s SkillsFuture Career Transition Programme (SCTP) framework.
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“As SSG’s partner in SGUnited [by SSG and Workforce Singapore], BCG has helped to train and place Singaporeans through the Covid pandemic. We are now growing this partnership to help more companies and workers, learning from our experiences over the past two years. The expanded RISE programme will focus on supporting SMEs in their digitalisation journey, and on preparing mid-careerists for opportunities in the growing digital economy,” says SSG’s chief executive Tan Kok Yam.
“As BCG, we are committed to bringing our global experience and expertise in digital transformation and talent development through our innovative and locally contextualized RISE programme,” says Neeraj Aggarwal, chairman of BCG Asia Pacific. “We are excited to have the support of the Ministry of Education, SSG, the Economic Development Board and other partners including the Trade Associations and Chambers (TACs), as we unlock this next bound of growth for homegrown Singaporean companies.”
“Now, more than ever, there is a need for us to shape the next generation of talent in Singapore. We look forward to working with our clients and partners to curate unique and impactful skilling programmes and opportunities for hands-on exposure, in order to play our part in growing and diversifying the local talent pool in emerging areas such as digital and climate & sustainability,” says Jeffrey Chua, chairman of BCG Singapore.
