New programme for promising local enterprises to hire and develop talent: EnterpriseSG - The Straits Times

SINGAPORE - Promising home-grown enterprises will now be able to draw on a new programme to hire talent and strengthen their business capabilities to compete better in global markets.

The Singapore Global Executive Programme (SGEP), launched by Enterprise Singapore on Friday, aims to help local companies that have a global presence to accelerate talent development in line with their ambitions for growth.

Currently, six firms have been chosen to be on the programme. Up to 20 companies will come on board over the next three years.

They will work with EnterpriseSG’s partners such as Heidrick & Struggles, LinkedIn, the Institute for Human Resource Professionals and Procter & Gamble to design and implement a customised plan to attract and groom local talent in line with their growth plans.

Besides having a strong track record, these companies also have a clear long-term business growth strategy and are committed to invest in talent across diverse areas – such as data and analytics, digital transformation, business development and product research – to support their plans to expand globally.

Design and home lifestyle brand Castlery is looking to hire talent in marketing, analytics and data intelligence, merchandising and supply chain.

When shops could not open during the circuit breaker in Singapore in 2020, Castlery took the opportunity to launch its app with augmented reality features. This allowed customers to browse its products from the comfort of home, whether in Singapore or the United States.

The digital-first business reported a six-fold increase in revenue in a short span of two years after it entered the US market. Overseas sales make up a significant portion of its overall sales, with revenue from the US market taking up some 70 per cent of its overall top-line.

Founder Declan Ee, a former investment banker, said: “Being part of this programme will allow us to work alongside EnterpriseSG, and figure out a developmental programme that is not just the right fit for us but also the right fit for the talent that’s coming through.”

In 2022, the firm hired seven personnel for the Singapore office and hopes to hire a similar number in 2023.

“But of course, all this will also depend on the person’s fit with the company. You need someone who doesn’t just have the right background but is also a good culture fit and has a genuine interest in the business,” Mr Ee added.

Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Trade and Industry Tan See Leng was the guest of honour for the launch of the programme at 1 Rochester Park.

He said in his opening address: “We want to grow more enterprises like Castlery – locally grown but globally competitive. This new generation of Singapore global enterprises will become the needle-movers for our economy. Importantly, this means they will create high value local jobs for Singaporeans.”

Local companies can find out more about SGEP at www.enterprisesg.gov.sg/SGEProgramme.

Fresh and recent graduates can also visit www.enterprisesg.gov.sg/SGEP for more information.

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