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SINGAPORE – Despite the green light from the National Wage Council (NWC) for employers to cut wages to save jobs, at least six companies The Straits Times spoke to at a career fair on Saturday (October 17) ) did not feel the need to do so then.
Instead, these companies, from various industries such as food and beverage, transportation and logistics, said they are looking to hire amid the weak job market due to the pandemic.
“On the contrary, the Covid-19 crisis has provided us with opportunities,” said Andrew Sim, CEO of logistics company J&T Express.
This is because the company relies on the e-commerce sector, which is still growing rapidly, Sim added.
Ray Law, a recruiting officer for security services provider Certis, said the company is hiring because security services are still in demand.
“Even for the Covid-19 (crisis), (although many) stores may be closed … but their products are still inside stores,” he said.
Approximately 800 job seekers attended the two-day career fair held at Our Tampines Hub, either online or in person. Those who attended the fair waited in line for interviews while others consulted professional trainers or sought guidance from organizations such as SkillsFuture Singapore.
Entitled Career Discovery @ North East, the job fair that ended on Saturday, was organized by the North East Community Development Council (CDC), in collaboration with the NTUC Employment and Employability Institute.
12 participating companies and 27 Our Tampines Hub retail tenants offered a total of 1,400 jobs.
Among the vacant positions, 280 were for professional, managerial, executive and technical (PMET) positions, including positions in customer services and sales.
The other jobs available are for assistant police officers, dental assistants, bakers, and drivers.
In addition to participating employers, social agencies and organizations like Mendaki also had booths at Our Tampines Hub.
Representatives of the Social Services Office of the Ministry of Social and Family Development located in Tampines were also present.
These are part of efforts to provide integrated support to residents seeking work, Minister of Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli said at the career fair on Saturday.
“While looking for work, they are also shown how they can get support for their financial needs and career guidance, including for their families,” she said.
Representative Desmond Choo, who is the mayor of the northeast district, said such an integrated approach would be the way to go for future career shows.
“It will be very focused on residents, helping them not only tackle jobs, but also provide support as they look for work,” he said.
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