Upgrading Courses Helped Former Self-Employed Man Step Out Of Comfort Zone

When Francis Pang was unemployed for six months, scary thoughts raced through his mind as he was the sole breadwinner. With only a Secondary Three education, he knew he faced an uphill task to find a job.

“I was unsure where to seek help for my financial problems. I was under pressure to find a job to support my family,” recalled the former self-employed 51-year-old, who previously handled material handling equipment and racking systems for industrial use. “The monthly bills had to be paid for and the daily expenses for the family were the main problems that troubled me. But even in lean times, I constantly reminded myself to adopt a positive mindset.”

“I waded through the Straits Times advertisements many times and sent out scores of applications, which went unanswered until I dropped by the NorthWest CDC in Woodlands Civic Centre, where I met Stephen Lai. He gave me the opportunity that I was looking for but advised me to go for upgrading courses so that I find a better job.”

Encouragement From Wife

Mr Pang, who lives in Woodlands, also credited his wife, Angela, who “encouraged me to upgrade myself and gave me the motivation to attend the courses that Stephen arranged for me. She spurred me on when I was down and out and she was an unwavering pillar of strength for me during the period when I was unemployed”.

To help kick-start his career, Francis attended the Employability Skills (ES WSQ) and Certified Skills Professional (CSP) training under the Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) system. “The courses touched on personal effectiveness, initiative and enterprise, communication and relationship management, problem solving and decision making, learning and personal development and workplace literacy and numeracy,” he said.

“It gave me the confidence to face the everyday challenges in my workplace and it inspired me to be passionate about my career. It also taught me the skills needed to relate well to people. The certificates that I received at the end of my courses also gave me the tenacity to step outside of my comfort zone and be someone who could still contribute to society.”

Importance Of Education

After going through the WSQ courses, which Mr Pang hails as a “timely wakeup call”, he now realises that “education is very important in today’s society to find a better job with better pay”. He added: “My advice to my only son is to do well in his studies so that he can enjoy a brighter future. A good education is very crucial to finding a good job.”

His son, Thaddeus, 20, just completed national service and will be doing economics at the National University of Singapore later this year.

New Job At Cold Storage

Mr Pang, who enjoys collecting antiques, stamps and coins and also travelling overseas, currently works at Cold Storage as an online assistant. “I’m responsible for the picking and packing of the groceries that the customers have ordered online,” he said. “I was feeling pressured for the first month as I was still new to the new working environment. After the second month, I was able to cope with the workload and now I enjoy my work every day.”

Today, Mr Pang smiles a lot more because he has picked up the right re-training skills for a refreshing second career.

Visit our Career Centres for the career guidance you need. These centres provide employment and training assistance for Singaporeans and Permanent Residents. If you are unemployed, our counsellors will also advise you on available jobs and training options.

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