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SINGAPORE – Employers should view Singaporeans favorably when hiring and retaining citizens over foreigners if downsizing cannot be avoided, said Minister of State for Manpower and Education Gan Siow Huang.
Having a strong Singaporean presence in a company also enhances the company’s resilience at a time when border controls can impact the supply of foreign workers, he added.
Speaking in Parliament on Monday (Aug 31) during the debate on the President’s speech, Ms Gan said: “In the current crisis, where there are not enough jobs for locals, we must work with employers so that Singapore job seekers are viewed favorably when applying for jobs, especially given government incentives. “
Taking care of Singapore employees also builds trust between them and the employer, he added.
Ms. Gan also provided an update on the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Program. In July, the government and tripartite partners helped 25,000 people connect with new opportunities, he said. Of the rest of the available places, there are more than 47,000 jobs, 16,000 internships and more than 10,000 training places, she added.
Recognizing the increased sense of anxiety among Singaporeans about job security, Ms Gan said: “In circumstances where downsizing is unavoidable and an employer has to choose between a foreigner and a Singaporean, I urge the employer to Let him lean towards keeping the Singaporean.
“In short, if employers must cut back, retain Singaporeans overseas.”
This should be done for jobs such as engineers and IT professionals. This first category of jobs are those that Singaporeans want and can do, but for which foreigners are needed during periods of economic growth to help meet demand, he said.
For a second category of jobs, in essential services like construction and cleaning, which are not as popular with Singaporeans despite efforts to transform them, foreign workers will be needed to supplement the local workforce, Ms. Gan said.
The goal, he added, should be to reduce dependence on foreigners through job redesign and technology adoption.
For example, the construction industry has created new and more skilled jobs through design for manufacturing and assembly, requiring more production managers, quality control personnel, and logistics and supply chain planners, now that construction work has been moved off-site to automated production facilities. Ms. Gan said.
For the third category of jobs, in global and regional companies that require global teams and certain professionals with highly specialized skills, the goal is to have Singaporeans as part of diverse teams, he added.
The government also wants these companies to groom local talent so that Singaporeans have a fair chance in senior and senior management positions, Ms Gan said.
He cited the experience of Ms Tan Chee Wei, vice president of human resources for the Asian region of energy giant Shell, who rose through the ranks of a human resources generalist in the past 18 years.
The 46-year-old Singaporean spent a few years in London as a global human resources advisor and also took on regional roles in organizational development and talent management, before being promoted to vice president this year, Ms Gan said.
With unemployment rising amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Manpower has had to toughen the overseas job pass policy and work more closely with employers and unions to keep up hiring and employees. fair layoffs. This is even as Singapore needs to stay open and give companies access to global expertise and talent, Ms Gan said.
To reduce national dependence on foreigners on a sustained basis, labor productivity must be increased to reduce overall demand for labor as the population ages, he added.
Ms. Gan said that last year, about 63 percent of the citizen population was between 20 and 64 years old, or of working age. In 10 years, this figure is expected to drop to around 56%.
The total fertility rate must also increase in order to maintain a critical mass of Singaporeans in the workforce, he added.
Ms. Gan also touched on the importance of investing in skills development so that the local workforce is adaptable and skilled in diverse fields, and remains highly employable in the face of disruption.
Going for training now could also help displaced Singaporeans have a better chance of landing a new job when the economy recovers, he added.
Gan said that it is necessary for Singaporeans to differentiate themselves from others by identifying with the values of openness, multiculturalism and self-determination.
Ms. Gan concluded her speech with a phrase in Chinese about a government’s duty to protect people from “wind and rain,” and said that the government will do everything possible to ensure fair opportunities for Singaporeans to obtain employment. and help Singaporeans gain skills. .
She said: “We will spare no effort to strengthen the core of Singapore and walk the road with every Singaporean. Because our people are our only asset, and every Singaporean counts.”
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