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SINGAPORE: With the scale of the COVID-19 crisis, the government may not be able to save all businesses and jobs, but will continue to support all workers, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said in Parliament on Thursday (15 May October).
Concluding the House debate a week after he delivered his ministerial statement on the country’s response to the pandemic, Heng pointed to several recent measures aimed at saving jobs.
For example, the SGUnited Jobs and Skills package, which seeks to create nearly 100,000 jobs, internships and vocational training practices, has selected 117,500 vacancies at the end of August. From July to August, more than 9,000 people obtained training or employment opportunities under the package, bringing the total number of placements to 33,000.
“In this period of restructuring and recovery, I urge both employers and job seekers to keep an open mind and be willing to adapt and adapt,” he said.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has dragged Singapore’s economy into its most severe recession since independence, as the Ministry of Manpower recorded 11,350 layoffs in the first half of the year.
According to the ministry, this is higher than the 10,120 recorded during the SARS period, but still lower than other recessive peaks.
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VULNERABLE GROUPS OF WORKERS
Mr. Heng, who is also the Finance Minister, highlighted several groups of workers who are “at greater risk of loss of income” or “face difficulties in finding a job”, and noted the government’s commitment to support them.
For professionals laid off mid-career, the Government “must intensify” its efforts to help them retrain and find a new job, which is why it introduced the SkillsFuture Mid-Career Support Package and the SkillsFuture Jobs and Skills Package. SGUnited, Heng said.
SkillsFuture’s mid-career support package aims to double the placement of Singaporeans aged 40-50 to approximately 5,500 by 2025.
Since some jobs “may never come back,” Mr. Heng urged mid-career professionals to consider switching industries and accepting pay cuts to be “in a better position” after the crisis.
He also called on companies to be “receptive” to hiring mid-career workers, who come with his “wealth of experience.” With the Job Growth Incentive, the Government will fund eligible businesses up to 80 percent of the salary of each new local employee age 40 and over.
Similarly, employers will receive a 50 percent salary support if they hire people with disabilities, regardless of their age.
Additionally, the Ministry of Human Resources is considering extending the same 50% support to ex-offenders.
Another group requiring attention is the self-employed, Mr. Heng said, which is why the government introduced the Income Relief Plan for the Self Employed (SIRS).
“By the end of this month, more than 195,000 of them would have received three payments in the amount of S $ 9,000,” he said, adding that the payments will cover them until the end of the year.
Meanwhile, many lower-wage workers are in front-line service jobs and have been “disproportionately affected” by the COVID-19 pandemic, Heng said.
Those laid off can draw on SGUnited’s Jobs and Skills Package, which has placed 17,000 non-professional managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) in new jobs, more than 50 percent of the 30,000 placements facilitated at the end of August.
He noted his ministerial statement last week, where he mentioned efforts to expand the Progressive Wage Model for low-wage workers. The earned income supplement also increases the wages of those earning less than S $ 2,300 per month with an income supplement of up to 30 percent of payments.
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“WRITE ANOTHER EXCEPTIONAL CHAPTER”
Despite the difficulties posed by COVID-19, Singapore should “capitalize on the crisis to write another exceptional chapter in Singapore’s history,” Heng said, citing Bukit Panjang Member of Parliament (MP) Liang Eng Hwa.
Singapore’s “dual identity” as a nation and global city has shaped the country’s economic journey, Heng said.
“We have to remain open to the world while forging our own identity. Stay connected globally while remaining independent and embrace diversity while being socially cohesive, ”he said.
“These seemingly conflicting goals are not options, but necessities for us. And they will always define us as a country and guide how we manage our economy and society ”.
Singapore has adopted outward-oriented policies, embraced free trade, and welcomed foreign multinational corporations (MNCs) over the years, Heng said.
These foreign companies bring their knowledge and business networks to Singapore and create “vibrant ecosystems” to nurture local businesses and provide them with opportunities to “become part of a global value chain,” he added.
Partnerships between foreign and local companies, between multinationals and emerging companies “will continue to consolidate Singapore as a true global hub for technology, innovation and business in Asia,” he said.
As technology and innovation change the global economy, it is “even more critical” for Singapore to “put together the best possible team to remain useful and relevant to the world,” he added.
“We want to make sure we have the best players on our team… That is why we must remain open to the best talents from around the world, so that we can present the best team and go on the world stage. ”
WORKERS UP
Workers will need to be “proactive” about upgrading and retraining, as the new economy requires “versatile” workers, Heng said, adding that workers must know how to leverage existing skills, embrace lifelong learning and be able to move. between adjacent industries. bunches.
Companies should also develop training programs, redesign jobs and encourage employees to improve their skills.
He noted the suggestion from East Coast GRC MP Jessica Tan that training should be demand-driven to ensure industry relevance. Mr. Heng also acknowledged the suggestion by West Coast GRC MP Foo Mee Har for an industrial skills training program.
“With these efforts, we hope that Singaporeans, regardless of their age, can continue to learn and improve their skills so that they not only have good jobs but also experience good salary growth.
“These efforts to improve the skills of our workforce will help us stay ahead of the global curve. Together with openness to ideas, innovations and innovators, we ensure a better future. “
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