Measurable Outcomes from Overseas Markets Immersion Programme

29 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what are the measurable outcomes from the Overseas Markets Immersion Programme over the next five years; (b) how will its success be assessed against the $16 million budget; (c) what are the safeguards against firms using the programme to subsidise routine business costs instead of employee development; (d) how will Workforce Singapore ensure that the submitted career plans lead to meaningful outcomes; (e) how can smaller firms with limited resources access the programme; and (f) what share of the budget will benefit SMEs.

Dr Tan See Leng: The Overseas Markets Immersion Programme (OMIP), launched in November 2024 by Workforce Singapore (WSG), aims to encourage companies to send more local employees with little or no overseas experience for overseas work postings. This enables workers to gain regional or global work experience, alongside with building overseas networks that will help them progress in their careers. It also supports employers to build a globally competitive workforce to realise their overseas expansion and business growth plans.

OMIP will run for two years till 2026. After two years, we will review the outcomes of OMIP to assess its success. These outcomes include the number of local employees successfully placed in overseas postings and the number of companies supported in expanding into new overseas markets.

We have also put in place measures to ensure meaningful career outcomes for employees embarking on OMIP.

First, companies must submit a business growth or transformation plan to show that the overseas posting will contribute to business expansion.

Second, companies must provide a comprehensive on-the-job training plan describing the developmental skills and competencies that the trainee is expected to acquire by the end of their in-market training. Both the business plan and training plan must be approved by either WSG or the Singapore Business Federation, which is WSG's appointed programme partner for OMIP.

Third, to ensure the training leads to meaningful career outcomes, companies must prepare a career development plan (CDP) outlining the employee's development over the next 24 months, including the potential career pathways that the trainee will have after completing the overseas posting. Companies must submit this plan in their application and update the plan again when claiming reimbursement.

To fulfil these criteria, employers and employees must do their part to follow through and make the most of their overseas training experience. This is why WSG requires companies to get their trainees and their supervisors to acknowledge the CDP.

OMIP is open for application to both small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and non-SME companies. Each OMIP application is assessed based on merit and potential impact, rather than company size. We hope that through OMIP, many more Singaporeans can gain overseas work experience to help them progress into higher positions; and companies, too, will be equipped with a globally-oriented workforce to support their overseas expansion plans.