LinkedIn is launching a pilot programme in Singapore in partnership with the National Jobs Council that will encouraging employers to hire new talent based on their skills rather than their past experience or traditional qualifications.
The programme, named Skills Path, is set to help workers strengthen their skills through LinkedIn Learning courses, take assessments to showcase their new skills to recruiters, and help companies evaluate candidates “in a more equitable way”.
Hiring managers can identify core skills for a role through Skills Path. Candidates can then get a "fairer shot” at a new role by closing any skill gaps with LinkedIn Learning courses, demonstrating their skills by passing a multiple-choice LinkedIn Skill Assessment and a video or written assessment, and then secure a “recruiter conversation” if they pass.
There are currently six types of roles available through the programme which are in customer service, data analyst, project manager, recruiter, supply chain coordinator, and sales development.
“Taking this skills-based approach to opportunity will not only allow displaced workers new opportunities in different industries - regardless of past experience or education - but also help employers to expand their talent pool and find the best candidates for open roles,” said Feon Ang, LinkedIn’s APAC managing director.
She added that an overall workforce transformation towards a skills-based future “is not a task that can be solely undertaken by a single entity” underlining that cooperation is needed between governments, educational institutions, companies, “and job seekers themselves” to make this happen.
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LinkedIn will also be offering a series of virtual workshops between August and October where attendees can learn how to set up a LinkedIn profile, “leverage their professional community through LinkedIn”, and “glean insights” on how companies hire.
In July, Singapore pledged to add 20,000 digital roles to its Infocomm media sector following committed investments from the Economic Development Board that were secured in 2019 and 2020. Josephine Tao, minister for Communications and Information, said that the economy-wide demand for digital tech talent was “set to increase significantly”.
