SINGAPORE, Oct 1 — More than 1,500 companies in professional services such as architecture, engineering and accounting have offered about 9,000 job and training opportunities since April, Manpower Minister Josephine Teo said today.
About 80 per cent of them are for professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) and more than 1,400 jobseekers have been hired so far for these opportunities, which include jobs, traineeships, attachments and training courses.
Why it matters
Teo was sharing these figures during a briefing on the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) weekly job situation report, which aims to give jobseekers an overview of which sectors are still hiring during the economic downturn.
Teo said the roles available in the professional services sector are diverse, with companies seeking to hire everything from interior designers to artificial intelligence professionals and content strategists.
The impact of Covid-19 on the sector has been uneven, with architecture, engineering and law firms experiencing sharp falls in their activities while accountancy firms have been less affected.
What roles there are
Since April, about 9,000 openings have been offered by more than 1,500 companies:
● For jobs, 4,750 are for PMETs and 1,120 are for non-PMETs
● For company-hosted traineeships and attachments, 1,970 are for PMETs and 100 are for non-PMETs
● For training courses, 480 are for PMETs and 600 are for non-PMETs
In consultancy:
● Major consulting firms have seen growing demand for technology and cybersecurity expertise
● Human resource consulting firms have seen a rise in clients seeking advice on setting up effective remote working systems and managing company restructuring
● Skills in demand include cloud technology, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence
● Top employers include Ernst and Young, PwC Singapore and Amaris Consulting
In advertising and marketing:
● Demand for roles such as content strategists, community managers and commercial and marketing sales executives remains high
● Employers include Publicis, MediaMonks and Carat Media Services Singapore
In design:
● Design services especially in user experience and user interface (UX/UI) have gained prominence
● There are company-hosted traineeships and attachments in roles such as design executive, graphic design/communications trainee, interior designer, UX/UI interaction designer
In accountancy:
● Available opportunities include company-hosted traineeships and attachments such as audit associate, accounts associate and tax associate
In engineering:
● Available opportunities include company-hosted traineeships and attachments in roles such as mechanical/civil and structural engineers, building information modellers, project assistant engineer (tank maintenance), assistant sales engineer (electrical heat tracking) and electrical technician
How much the industry pays
The MOM highlighted the monthly salary range for various roles in the five key sub-sectors that are still hiring:
Consultancy:
Non-specialised roles such as management and business consultants: S$3,500 to S$8,500
Those with specialised skills can command higher salaries
Advertising and Marketing:
Professionals: S$4,750 to S$9,500
Commercial and marketing sales executives: S$2,250 to S$4,500
Design:
Interior designers and decorators: S$2,900 to S$4,600
Graphic and multimedia designers and artists: S$6,750 to S$9,250
Accountancy:
Accountants: S$3,150 to S$7,450
Engineering:
Civil engineers: S$3,750 to S$5,500
Mechanical engineers: S$4,000 to S$6,000
— TODAY
