S’porean, retrenched at age of 35, shares how he reskilled & career-switched

Former maintenance technician Gavin Fong had just completed a major project in May 2024 when he was retrenched by his previous company.

He had been employed by them since November 2017 and had been involved in maintaining and troubleshooting the production lines of printed circuit boards (PCBs).

Eventually, Fong was able to reskill and was hired by electronics company KLA in August 2024 as an associate test engineer testing wafer scanning machines through the Career Conversion Programme (CCP) for Electronics.

The programme helps mid-career new hires or existing employees reskill into new roles with longer-term prospects as well as salary support for employers.

Prepared for outcome, but anxious about how long he would remain jobless

Prior to his retrenchment, Fong recalled how he had begun hearing rumours about it. His project manager also told him there was a chance he would be retrenched after his project.

Though he was mentally prepared, Fong was still anxious about the outcome.

“I was thinking about whether I can find a job, how long do [I] stay jobless,” he said.

Fong’s father was retired and his mother was working part-time only. Both were dependent on Fong to support them.

While Fong received a retrenchment benefit package which could help tide him through this period, he was still troubled by the uncertainty.

Career Conversion Programme for Electronics

While searching for a new job, Fong’s previous company helped him secure a temporary full-time role as a technician through his union. As this was only to tide him over, Fong continued searching for a new, permanent role.

Then, his friend referred him to KLA where he would be involved in building and calibrating wafer-scanning machines as an associate test engineer.

Fong described the job as “totally different” from what he did in maintenance as previously, he mainly fixed machines when they had problems and checked them regularly to keep them running well.

Now, as an associate test engineer, his work requires more technical expertise such as an N3 licence to operate lasers.

The change in job scope therefore meant that Fong needed training to transition into his new job.

Under the CCP for Electronics, he received structured on-the-job training for six months to bridge the gap from his previous role.

This included hazard awareness training to take note of dangers when working with the wafer-scanning equipment.

Fortunately, Fong was supported by his colleagues and supervisors at his new company who gave him notes to study for the N3 licence and tips and advice on how to handle the new equipment.

New job but aligned with interests better

On top of that, Fong also found his job at KLA to be more closely aligned with his interests due to his polytechnic diploma in manufacturing engineering which provided some foundation and basic knowledge.

“It’s much closer to what I studied in polytechnic, and I like building machines. I have to fine-tune the machines to ensure they are ready for use, not just keep them running,” said Fong.

Things can get busy, so time passes quickly at work, Fong described.

Work passes fast also because Fong enjoys what he’s doing now at KLA.

“It’s not like you are dragging time when working,” he said.

For those who are having a hard time finding a job or have been retrenched recently, Fong said, “Don’t be scared to try new things and step out of your comfort zone.”.

This branded article by MOM made this writer want to enrol in career programmes to upskill herself.