Sea Limited and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) will be partnering to hire and train 500 Singaporeans for tech jobs under a new programme.
Both companies signed the memorandum of intent on Oct 2.
The programme, when implemented, will be the largest ever TechSkills Accelerator (TeSA) Company-Led Training (CLT) programme by a Singapore-based company. It will benefit 500 Singaporeans comprising 400 entry-level and 100 mid-career (employees with over three years of working experience) jobseekers.
Trainees will undergo six months of on-the-job or instructor-led structured training at the Singapore-based global consumer internet company’s ecommerce arm, Shopee, in areas such as Product Management, Software Engineering and User Experience Design.
The programme, which is part of the broader SGUnited Jobs and Skills efforts, will help boost trainees’ employment and employability outcomes.
Through the course of training, the trainees will acquire foundational and specialist skills, occupational knowledge as well as get hands-on experience in project work.
Trainees who complete the programme will be equipped for success in the e-commerce and tech industry.
All suitable trainees that complete the training will be employed by the business entities under Sea, which include Shopee Singapore and Garena Online.
The signing of the memorandum of intent between the two organisations was witnessed by Minister for Communications and Information S Iswaran.
“In these challenging times, the Government’s priority is to create good jobs for Singaporeans. In particular, we want to ensure that we have a strong pipeline of local tech talent equipped with the skills to secure new opportunities in the Digital Economy,” says Minister for Communications and Information S Iswaran.
“Partnerships with the industry players is key. For example, this collaboration with Sea Limited (Sea) is timely as it will help some 500 Singaporeans acquire the requisite skills to further their career in the ICT sector, which remains a bright spot in our economy. It also signals the scale and ambition of our ongoing national effort to create jobs and training opportunities for all Singaporeans in our economic recovery from COVID-19,” he adds.
“As a global consumer internet company born and bred in Singapore, we are honoured to partner with IMDA on this important initiative. This programme not only creates 500 highly-skilled, technical roles at Sea and Shopee for Singaporeans at all stages of their careers, but also ensures that these talents can access training and development opportunities to build thriving long-term careers in the ICT sector,” says Sea’s chairman and group CEO, Forrest Li.
“In line with our mission to better the lives of consumers and small businesses through technology, we are committed to empowering our local communities to take full advantage of the opportunities presented by the growth of the digital economy,” he adds.
“As a homegrown tech company, we see tremendous growth opportunities in Singapore and the region. As we broaden and deepen our technology capabilities, we aspire to engage talent from diverse backgrounds, develop a strong pipeline of local tech talent and upskill our employees by equipping them with the relevant skills to succeed in today’s digital economy,” says Shopee’s head of regional operations and people team, Lim Teck Yong.
Shares in Sea Limited closed US$160 on Oct 1.
