Workforce Singapore certifies 88 HR professionals under pilot programme

88 HR professionals were certified yesterday (25 May) under the pilot run of Singapore’s national HR professional certification (NHPC) framework - administered by Workforce Singapore (WSG) in October and November 2016.

The national HR certification is a key initiative under the HR industry manpower plan to strengthen the HR profession, and aims to enhance the competencies of HR professionals and create developmental and progression pathways for them.

Certified HR professionals can expect to be recognised for their knowledge, skills and attributes, and be more effective in enabling human capital development to deliver positive business impact for their organisations.

The Institute for Human Resource Professionals (IHRP) has been jointly set up by tripartite partners comprising Ministry of Manpower (MOM); National Trades Union Congress (NTUC); and Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF); to implement and drive adoption of Singapore’s national HR certification, which will be known as IHRP Certification.

Tan Choon Shian, chief executive of WSG said: “The IHRP certification recognises the skills required for HR professionals to be future ready and help businesses plan and address manpower challenges ahead.”

“WSG will continue to support and strengthen the professionalisation of HR professionals in Singapore to enable them to transform and grow their organisations to build a productive workforce and a strong Singapore core,” he added.

Officiated by minister of state Teo Ser Luck, he said: “For the IHRP certification to be widely adopted, we need the support of all stakeholders.”

“The IHRP certification will engender greater HR contribution to business owners and build stronger industrial relations with unions,” he further commented.

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The event also saw the announcement of some new initiatives that aim to support the HR profession in developing and deepening their skills. They are:

• Professional Conversion Programme (PCP) for HR Professionals This programme aims to help mid-career executives who are transiting into the HR arena, to develop well-rounded, future-ready HR skills and competencies, and take up HR management roles. PCPs are part of the Adapt & Grow initiative to help Singaporeans adapt to the changing demands of the employment market and grow skills to support career development.
• SkillsFuture Earn and Learn Programme (ELP) for HR This initiative is a work-study programme designed in collaboration with the HR industry to give fresh graduates from polytechnics and the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) a headstart in HR related careers.Through ELP, fresh graduates have more opportunities to build on the HR skills and knowledge they acquired in school, while participating employers can recruit local fresh talent and prepare them to take up suitable HR job roles within their organisations.
• SkillsFuture Study Awards for HR The SkillsFuture Study Award for HR is a bond-free study award that supports Singaporean HR professionals to deepen their skills in the sector and helps nurture a strong pipeline of HR professionals that are well-equipped to enable human capital development in their organisations.