More mid-career professionals consider joining teaching force
By Pearl Forss, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 09 December 2008 2001 hrs
SINGAPORE: The Education Ministry (MOE) is bringing forward manpower hiring plans amidst the economic downturn, in hope of employing more than 2,200 teachers next year.
To raise the proportion of mid-career professionals in the teaching force, MOE held its first large-scale recruitment drive at Raffles Place on Tuesday. With no age limit for applicants, the ministry received over 100 job enquiries.
Anu Rupa, engineer at an oil & gas company, said: "The current situation is uncertain for all the industries. Oil and gas, as you know, is hit. Teaching – I look at it as a very wise and evergreen industry."
Most of the younger applicants told Channel NewsAsia that they would be getting less if they join teaching, but it is a compromise they are willing to make.
Alexandria Senanayake, marketing executive, said: "I will probably be taking a pay cut, but it is not too much of a concern. If you enjoy your job and you love it, and if you get paid a certain amount, I think I will be happy enough."
As for older applicants in managerial positions, they said making all recruits start from the bottom in the teaching force, under-utilises talent and disregards experience.
Foo Chuan Yong, human resource consultant, said: "You have just one model to attract everybody when you need to customise the model to attract more applicants. You don't expect somebody who has 16 years, 18 years experience to come in to be a teacher at S$4,000. There is some unbalance in terms of benchmark in compensation and scope of work."
Gladys Chew, recruitment marketing manager at MOE, said: "As in all careers, you need to prove yourself first. You have to go for training, embark on teaching first and I think the career prospects are really good."
Judging from the numbers who have made a mid-career switch to teaching, many share the same view. As of last year, mid-career switchers made up 22 per cent of the teaching workforce, up from 15 per cent in 2002.
All successful applicants will have a chance to try out teaching in schools for a minimum of four weeks before they commit to a teacher training programme at the National Institute of Education.
- CNA/so
