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Writeup on Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ)

An Update of Our Significant Milestone
NHG College has recently been awarded the status of the Accredited Training Organisation (ATO) for Healthcare training under the Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) framework. The attainment of this accreditation seals the partnership of NHG College and WDA towards enhancing staff competencies in healthcare service delivery within NHG and beyond.

What is Workforce Skills Qualifications
First launched in October 2005, the WSQ (Workforce Skill Qualification) system is a national credentialing system that trains, develops, assesses and recognises adult workers for competencies they need to stay employable. The emphasis on workplace-centric skills helps employees acquire skills needed by employers and also, empower employees to take charge of their own careers.

“All Singaporean workers too must embrace lifelong learning and have a constant desire to improve. It is with this spirit that our founding fathers overcame their challenges. It is the same spirit that will help us progress further. On the Government's part, we will put into place a nationally recognised training and qualifications system, the WSQ. This will help improve greatly the standards of training that adult workers receive.”
~ Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Manpower

What’s in it for you?
For jobseekers/employees:

• A recognised avenue to upgrade throughout working life
• The ability to train to remain relevant to changing economy and employer needs, hence stay employable
• The ability to perform at work better after training, and hence benefit from promotion and increment opportunities
• The ability to facilitate a more visible career path planning

For employers:

• Improving the skill sets and productivity of employees
• Better employees retention, from greater job satisfaction, as well as structured career progression for employees
• Established skill standards for foreign hires - objective benchmark
• Availability of funding for employees training

What NHG College has to Offer
Within the coming months, NHG College will roll out WSQ courses for Healthcare Support, in the Higher certificate, Advanced certificate, and Certificate level. The target participants for the Higher certificate and Advanced certificate are nursing aides and healthcare assistants.

The Certificate level course is targeted at those who do not have any healthcare experience, but wish to work as nursing aides. These courses will be conducted by Nurse Educators in NHG College who are certified WSQ Curriculum Developers and Assessors. All courses will be open to both NHG and non-NHG participants, and will be funded for participants who meet WDA’s criteria.

As WDA’s appointed ATO for NHG, NHG College will also support and provide advisory guidelines to NHG institutions wishing to embark on customised WSQ programmes. Should there be sufficient interest in any areas for WSQ training, NHG College will also be pleased to look into customising such training for any group of healthcare employees or organisations, both within and outside of NHG.