Success Rate of Professional Conversion Programme
Ministry of HealthSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the success rate and implementation of the Professional Conversion Programme (PCP) for individuals switching into or within the healthcare industry. Ms K Thanaletchimi inquired about placement and retention rates for career switchers and the standardisation of the programme across different healthcare institutions. Minister for Health Mr Gan Kim Yong shared that 82% of trainees from 2009 to 2011 completed training and secured jobs, with 92% remaining employed after their service period. He added that over 750 enrolled nurses and 54 non-clinical staff have been supported to upgrade to registered nurse and clinical roles through various sponsorships. Minister for Health Mr Gan Kim Yong further explained that while the curriculum is mostly standardised, on-the-job training is specifically tailored to the practices of individual institutions.
Transcript
4 Ms K Thanaletchimi asked the Minister for Health (a) what is the current success rate of the Professional Conversion Programme (PCP) in the placement and retention of individuals who switch from another industry to the healthcare industry; and (b) what is the current success rate of individuals in the healthcare industry who have been able to switch to higher-end jobs through the PCP.
The Minister for Health (Mr Gan Kim Yong): Madam, the Healthcare Professional Conversion Programmes (PCPs) help mid-career Singaporeans to train and make a career switch to the healthcare sector. Today, we have PCPs for conversion to registered and enrolled nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists, diagnostic radiographers and dental surgery assistants. The Government provides significant funding for the course fees and allowances during the period of training.
We have admitted more than 400 Singaporeans from non-healthcare sectors into the Healthcare Conversion Programmes since 2009. For the 223 enrolled between 2009 and 2011, 82% completed their training and were successfully placed into a healthcare job. Among those successfully placed, 92% remained in their jobs after the end of the minimum service period.
Our public healthcare institutions also support suitable non-clinical healthcare staff to undergo skills conversion through the PCPs and similar programmes to take on clinical roles. For example, over the last three years, 54 training scholarships and sponsorships were provided for non-clinical in-service staff to convert into clinical roles as nurses and allied health professionals.
We also provide upgrading opportunities for in-services nurses to take on higher end roles. More than 750 enrolled nurses entered our Polytechnic nursing programmes over the last three years to undergo skills training to become registered nurses.
Ms K Thanaletchimi (Nominated Member): Madam, I would like to seek one clarification regarding the PCP. Could the Minister share if the programme is standardised across all the institutions or is it very customised to individual institutions, as the career the Minister talked about aligns to all the institutions?
Mr Gan Kim Yong: The bulk of the PCP is standardised because they are based on the nursing modules or the specific Allied Health Professional modules. But in each of the PCP, it will also involve on-the-job training. On-the-job training would be catered more specifically to the institutions, in terms of their practices, team-based approach and so on. There are variations between institutions but the larger part of it is standardised.