Korn Ferry and SkillsFuture Singapore today launched a new six-month full-time course to reskill job-seekers as HR professionals. The course specifically targets mid-career job-seekers who have been impacted by COVID-19—fresh graduates are not eligible to apply—and is intended to equip them with HR skills and job placement opportunities.

The course, titled “Company Training for Business-Ready Human Resource Professionals”, is designed and delivered by Korn Ferry Academy and is the first such professional program available in Singapore. The curriculum includes four months of 15 modules to gain certifications from Korn Ferry Academy and partner institutions, and two months of working on an Action Learning Project for a partner organization to qualify for the IHRP Certified Associate (IHRP-CA) certification, awarded by the Institute for Human Resource Professionals (IHRP).

Korn Ferry Academy will also assist participants who complete the course to access job placement opportunities with Korn Ferry’s customer and partner companies.

The course is offered at a time when HR has taken on increased importance in the management of COVID-19's impact on the workforce and workplace. Tonny Loh, Head of Korn Ferry Academy and Senior Client Partner, Korn Ferry, said: “In times of profound change, there has never been any doubt that human capital is the most valuable resource in any organization. The flywheel of business transformation rests on HR professionals to marshal this resource effectively.”

Ong Tze-Ch’in, Chief Executive of SkillsFuture Singapore, said: “HR functions are critical in every organization, particularly in an era where we see radical shifts in the workplace. This partnership with Korn Ferry will equip mid-career jobseekers with industry-relevant HR skillsets, enhance their employability as HR professionals.”

Applications are now open for 200 places, and the course will run in seven cohorts progressively starting from 25 January 2021.