Accelerating Career Opportunities & Employability in Singapore’s Dynamic Startup Ecosystem

Media Release
for Immediate Distribution

Startup Career Fair 2019

Accelerating Career Opportunities & Employability in Singapore’s Dynamic Startup Ecosystem

Singapore, 7 March 2019 The third edition of the Startup Career Fair returned to LaunchPad @ one-north today following the enthusiastic response from job-seekers and employers alike since it was first held in 2017. Presented by the Action Community for Entrepreneurship (ACE), Singapore’s largest startup career fair opened its doors to welcome job seekers and as well as those who are seeking to gain knowledge and insights on the dynamic landscape of Singapore’s startup ecosystem.

At the Startup Career Fair, job seekers found an array of career opportunities in roles like business development, sales & marketing, finance and technology development with some of Singapore’s well-known startup companies and organisations such as ShopBack, 99.co, Reactor and Jaga-Me. More than 60 startups within and outside the LaunchPad @ one-north took part at the fair which offered over 250 full-time, part-time, and internship positions. These positions hailed from sectors such as information technologies, media, education technology, and in roles such as business development, marketing, sales, engineering, etc.

The startup career fair attracted students, fresh graduates, and experienced hires who are aspiring for a mid-career switch. They had the chance to interact directly with startup founders and participated in interviews on-site. Some of the job-seekers also took part in guided tours of the offices of startups which are located within the LaunchPad @ onenorth complex which gave them a peek into the vibrant world of the startup community
in Singapore.

The startup landscape in Singapore continues to be vibrant owing to the strong support from the government, a robust infrastructure, investment growth, and the willingness for key players to explore and take up new and bold idea. The meeting and interaction of key players and decision-makers in the startup scene such as entrepreneurs, investors, incubators and business & corporate executives also continue to spur growth in terms of opportunities and innovation.

Recently, the startup scene in Singapore received a special focus during the Singapore Budget 2019 Speech in Parliament by Minister Heng Swee Keat, Ministry of Finance. Enterprise Singapore, the government agency championing enterprise development, is looking to launch a Scale-up SG programme that partners both the private and public sectors to help startups and smaller companies scale up. The programme is expected to
pave the way for work with aspiring, high-growth local firms to identify and build new capabilities to innovate, and expand into international markets. Such an initiative in turn may spur startups which are seeking to boost their capabilities and business opportunities to look for fresh talents and professionals with business expansion and internationalisation experience to join them.

Edmas Neo, CEO of ACE, said, “We are delighted by the encouraging turn-out today at this year’s edition of the Startup Career Fair. The healthy participation by both employers and job-seekers is a clear indication of the dynamism and the enterprising nature of the startup sector in Singapore. It was an excellent opportunity for employers to present their companies as they interacted directly with job-seekers, as much as it was also an
opportunity for job-seekers and experienced hires who are looking for career growth in the startup sector.”

Startup Career Fair 2019 also presented a line-up of programmes for job-seekers to gain knowledge and boost their employability factor such as workshops to assist them in identifying their area of interests, career & skills development planning, as well as the sharing of the latest techniques to help them better prepare for job interviews. Startup founders and movers & shakers of the community also shared tips with attendees in sharing panels pertaining to the upcoming skillsets that are sought after by employees.

According to Gilbert Tan, CEO of e21, one of the Official Supporters of Startup Career Fair 2019, “e2i works closely with ACE to drive opportunities to connect startups with talents to build a dynamic and sustainable startup ecosystem. There will be career development tools such as employability workshops and ULeap (Learning Enabled through Active Participation) learning platform, for both individuals and enterprises to leverage. The fair
will cater to both professionals looking to ignite their startup journey, and the adventurous entrepreneurs who are ready to be industry trailblazers.”

The career fair is one of the many initiatives by ACE’s in its continuous effort to engage and support promising businesses and entrepreneurs in all aspects of their organisational needs. By providing the right resources, networks, partnerships, and opportunities, ACE continues to forge strong ties with members of the startup community. The Startup Career Fair 2019 was organised by the Action Community for Entrepreneurship (ACE), and was supported by the Employment and Employability Institute | e2i Singapore and JTC.

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About Action Community for Entrepreneurship (ACE)

The Action Community for Entrepreneurship (ACE) is a national private sector-led organisation to drive entrepreneurship and innovation in Singapore.

Launched in 2003 by the Ministry of Trade & Industry and restructured as a private entity in 2014, ACE is supported by the government, under the patronage of Senior Minister of State for Ministry of National Development and Ministry of Trade & Industry, Dr Koh Poh Koon. ACE’s Board of Directors also comprises of experienced entrepreneurs and professionals immersed in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Today, ACE plays a key role in building a dynamic and sustainable startup ecosystem in Singapore. ACE supports startups across all stages and focuses on three strategic areas:

1. driving co-innovation between startups and enterprises;
2. helping startups to scale and internationalise;
3. building an access hub of connected ecosystems across countries.

For more information on ACE, please visit www.ace.org.sg.

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Released by The Rainmaker Marketing Group Pte Ltd on behalf of Action Community for Entrepreneurship Ltd.