This document summarizes a mentoring program called Career Rising aimed at helping Malay/Muslim workers in Singapore progress into professional, managerial, and executive roles. The program will identify potential candidates and provide skills training, career coaching, and mentorship support during their transition to higher level jobs. Mentees will participate in activities like career coaching, networking sessions, and industry talks. Mentors will offer guidance to help mentees achieve career goals. The program aims to improve social mobility for the Malay/Muslim community by helping more workers obtain professional level positions. The mentoring program will launch in February 2014.

1. Career Rising
PMEntoring for Aspiring PMEs
Mentees’ Briefing
SENSE College

2. MISSION
To drive excellence by creating alternative pathways
to enhance the competitiveness and confidence of
the students and workers
VISION
A premier social enterprise in championing
lifelong learning

3. STRATEGIC THRUSTS
 Create alternative pathways for better career
opportunities
 Promote the spirit of lifelong learning in the MM
community
 Ensure profitability

4. SENSE SCHOOL OF LEARNING
Target Group
2. Back-towork women
& Single
mothers
3. Contract &
casual worker
4. Aspiring
PMETs
Private N O and A Level College
(January 2013)
School of Soft skills
School of Workplace Literacy
School of Workplace Numeracy
School of ICT Skills
School of Service Excellence
Skills Centre for Logistics, Business
and Aged Care
Job Readiness
Career Progression
1. Low Skilled
Workers
Pre-Test
(Age 4 to 18)
3. Parents
from lowincome
families
Career Preparation
(Age 18 & above)
2. School
drop-outs
School of Maths
School of English
School of Science
School of Parenting Skills
Career Pathway
1. Students
scoring
below 55
Outcomes
1. 10,000
students
2. 50 over
locations
island-wide
3. 1200
qualified
tutors
1. Training
places 12,000
2. Jobseekers
2,000
3. Placement
rate of 50%
4. One-third
move up
after training

5. Target Group
Public Career Fairs
for low skilled workers
Structured program
for contract workers
Programme for
Aspiring PMEs
Back-to-work Women programme

6. @ SENSE Institutes
Institute of Service Excellence
Institute of ICT skills
Foundational Skills @ CET
Institute of Soft skills
Institute of Workplace Literacy

7. @ SENSE Institutes
Partnering other
CET centres to
bring functional
training to workers

8. Strictly Confidential
Background
Two research projects were conducted on Malay/Muslim
(M/M) Professional Managers and Executives led by Dr Tan
Khee Giap:
• 2009 – A report on understanding Employers and Employees
expectations for Tertiary Education M/M Singaporeans
– Key findings related to Skills and Employability:
• Disadvantaged when it comes to information dissemination and
social networks
• Lack of professional networking opportunities
• Lack of career guidance including professional soft skills
• Self-exclusion to jobs in business and engineering sectors

9. Background
• 2011 – 3-year longitudinal study on ‘Comparative
Employability and Career Advancement for Tertiary Educated
M/M and Chinese Singaporeans also led by Dr Tan Khee Giap
– Key Findings related to Skills & Employability (first 2 years of study):
• Lack of preparedness in job search
• Higher % of M/M workers get jobs in sectors not in the field of
their study
• Lower % of M/M workers have mentors for their career planning
• Relationship with superiors/bosses less favorable
• Lack of supervisory and leadership skills

10. SENSE Clients
• SENSE achieves approximately 14,000 training places per year
(approximately 4000 workers per year)
• 10% of these training places are taken up by workers aspiring
PME jobs
• Transition to PME jobs after training is less than one-third
• Transitional challenges through anecdotal evidence shows:
–
–
–
–
Lack of confidence among workers to take up PME jobs
Lack of networks and possible need to enhance networking skills
Anxiety in delegating
Need to improve working relationships with peers and supervisors
11

11. Career Rising
PMEntoring for Aspiring PMEs
Mentees’ Briefing
SENSE College
18 October 2013

12. GOALS
1) Identify Malay/Muslim workers in the workforce who have the
potential for PME (Professional, Managerial, Executive) jobs.
2) Prepare workers to take on PME jobs through skills training
and career coaching.
3) Support workers during the transition to PME jobs through
case work, mentorship & financial assistance.

13. ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES
(MENTEE)
The Mentee’s role is to tap on the expertise and experience of the
mentor in order to maximise the knowledge base presented to him/her.
The Mentee will not impose their own agenda, nor will they intrude
into areas that the mentor wishes to keep off-limits.
The Mentee will actively seek to clarify doubts, and aim to achieve
specific goals set out for him/her at the commencement of the
mentoring process.
At no point shall the mentee request the mentor to complete his/her
work on his/her behalf.

14. ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES
(MENTOR)
The Mentor’s role is to respond in a non-judgmental and primarily nondirective manner to the mentee’s performance and development
needs. The aim is to help the mentee to articulate and achieve goals.
The mentor will not impose their own agenda, nor will they intrude into
areas that the mentee wishes to keep off-limits.
The mentor shall offer an appropriate mix of listening and
questioning, and advice and guidance, in order to help the mentee
clarify and achieve performance, development or career goals.
The mentor will be aware of and operate within the limits of their
experience and expertise.

15. OUTCOMES
More Malay/Muslim workers in the workforce are
able to take on PME jobs. The community is more
able to help workers improve their career
prospects and social mobility.

16. PROGRAMME MODEL

17. PLANNED ACTIVITIES
(FOR MENTEES)
•
•
•
•
Outreaching
Career Coaching
Networking – How To Sessions
Networking Sessions
•
•
•
•
Job Placement Exercise
Industry Based Talks
Mentoring Space
Seminar

18. 24 Hours Fundamental Training
– Leadership and management awareness
workshop
– Process improvement skill
– Project Management
– Managing change
– Effective delegation
– Coaching for an improved work performance

19. PROFILE OF MENTEES
• Age: 28 years & above/working at least 5 years
• Diploma & above and/or WPLN Level 5
• Recently promoted, assumed a bigger role or
received a salary increment
Standard Acceptance Letter be given to Mentees.

20. LAUNCH
•
•
•
•
Date: February 2014
Time: 10am
Venue: SENSE
Guest of Honour: Dr Fatimah Lateef

21. Thank you
Good Luck