Rekha Kaur was faced with a dilemma: stay in the same job she had been in for decades that no longer challenged her, or take a leap of faith and embrace reskilling for a career in a new industry?

Kaur, now a Station Manager at SBS Transit, shared the journey of her mid-career change from the hospitality industry to her current role, in a panel discussion about reskilling and upskilling alongside Kevin Chan, Assistant Operations Manager at On Cheong Jewellery; Ho Nai Chuen, Managing Director at On Cheong Jewellery; and Kelvin Tan, Principal Career Coach at Workforce Singapore.

The panel discussion, which was hosted and moderated by Munah Bagharib, featured personal anecdotes on upskilling as well as information on the strengthened support that is now available for workers keen on upgrading their skills. This includes increased channels for career guidance, structured programmes and financial schemes. Watch the video to hear what they had to share.

When should I upskill or reskill

For Kaur, the impetus came when she felt she was "falling into her comfort zone" towards the end of her 40s. After a long-spanning career as a hotelier, Kaur wanted to know how she could expand her career options while holding on to key aspects of her job that she found fulfilment in.

It was a toss-up between continuing as a hotelier or approaching a role in land transportation with SBS Transit. While she anticipated facing numerous technical challenges in an unfamiliar industry by switching careers, the opportunity appealed to her, as she could leverage her people skills to serve passengers.

Motivated by her interest in a career at SBS Transit, Kaur decided to take a chance on herself, and signed up for Workforce Singapore's (WSG) Career Conversion Programme (CCP) for Public Transport Professionals.

"I had to ensure I had an open mindset and a positive attitude. That allowed me to fit right into my role," shared Kaur on how she adapted to the role change. With ample training, she was able to make a smooth transition and is now into her sixth year as a Station Manager.

As for Kevin Chan, Assistant Operations Manager at On Cheong Jewellery, the motivation to upskill came from a strong desire to develop his expertise in the field and build credibility within the company he worked at. He first joined On Cheong Jewellery with minimal knowledge of gemology and metals, which are fundamental to a jeweller's work. Nonetheless, he was eager to learn, and his Managing Director, Ho Nai Chuen, shared his enthusiasm for upskilling, which helped foster a supportive learning environment.

Ho shared that he routinely encourages employees to actively pursue learning opportunities regardless of their career stage. He maintains that it helps employees stay relevant, as they can tap into enhanced product knowledge and soft skills to better serve customers.

"There's no right or wrong time... The world is changing very rapidly... Any time you feel like you're lagging behind, go for it," Ho commented about upskilling, encouraging workers to take back control by upgrading themselves whenever they experience a skills gap that might limit their potential.

Taking that advice to heart, Chan has made continuous learning a cornerstone of his career. Over the course of his decade-long tenure, Chan has acquired numerous certifications, ranging from retail management to industry-specific skills, such as being able to identify different grades of diamonds and gemstones.

Financial support and career guidance to upgrade

Kaur and Chan are living proof that career mobility and growth can happen at any age. To facilitate more inspiring mid-career journeys like theirs, Singaporeans aged 40 and above have been provided a SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career) top-up of $4,000, which can be used to offset fees on selected courses that lead to better employability outcomes.

Eligible mid-careerists may also apply for the SkillsFuture Mid-Career Training Allowance, which will grant up to $3,000 a month, up to a total of $72,000 over 24 months, should they need to take time off work to train full-time.

"It's very good for career management," Chan remarked, noting how he appreciated being eligible for subsidies on courses to boost his own professional development.

For those looking for greater certainty in their career direction, Kelvin Tan, Principal Career Coach at Workforce Singapore, suggests looking at resources that can help them identify vocations that would best align with their strengths and aspirations.

For instance, Polaris offers a suite of personalised career guidance programmes for employed individuals, pairing them with a certified career coach to clarify their goals and create tailored career development plans to achieve their aspirations.

Ease of mind amid career transitions

"You can also upgrade in a way that [keeps you] more up to date with the industry," said Tan, who advised individuals to take an intentional approach to skills upgrading by considering both personal and professional goals.

This extends to individuals who have lost their jobs. To support such intentional upskilling efforts, the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme provides temporary financial support of up to $6,000 over six months to lower- and middle-income workers who are involuntarily unemployed.

To qualify for these payouts, eligible individuals should be active in their job search. To do so, they may take steps such as attending career coaching sessions, participating in eligible training courses or actively applying for roles.

"This financial support helps individuals to tide over this transition period. They can make use of this time to focus on upskilling, upgrading and equipping themselves with whatever skills they may have put aside," commented Tan.

Upskilling and reskilling aren't unfamiliar topics among mid-careerists. Understandably, there would be hesitation in learning something new or even switching careers after getting comfortable doing the same thing for years. However, support is out there for those looking to switch industries, take on new courses, or even cope with involuntary unemployment. If you're keen to explore a career pivot or upgrade, discover how Forward Singapore schemes and programmes can help support Singaporeans at every stage of life.

This article is brought to you in partnership with gov.sg