Semiconductor industry attracting broad range of jobseekers
He has come full circle and returned to his roots in electronics. Mr Jacob Ong, 36, who started his career in the semiconductor industry, left GlobalFoundries Singapore in 2012 to fulfil a different dream.
He taught design and technology and computer applications in a secondary school for five years. He later left teaching and spent more than a year job hunting while giving part-time tuition.
Mr Ong said: "It was a period where I was a bit lost. However, I was able to reflect... and concluded I should go back to where my roots and strengths were."
He is now a senior engineer, having returned to the semiconductor company in April last year. He had come across Workforce Singapore's six-month professional conversion programme for electronics engineers and was excited to find an opening at his former workplace.
He was able to bridge his knowledge gap with a programme that comprised classroom and on-the-job training.
He also put his teaching skills to use. "Teaching helped me learn how to work with different stakeholders. While you are focused on students, you also have to learn to work with parents and other teachers," he said.
During his visit to GlobalFoundries Singapore yesterday, Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing said prospects in the semiconductor industry are bright as new technology is being developed.
Another person who tapped this opportunity was a senior engineer at Systems on Silicon Manufacturing Company who wanted to be known only as Mr Goo. The 49-year-old was previously a systems, applications and products specialist at a healthcare company.
He said: "It is important to keep an open mind when switching industries. One needs to be ready to face the latest technologies and stay flexible to adapt to a multi-skilled and dynamic environment."
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