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SINGAPORE – Restrictions on workers returning to offices can be relaxed, Labor Minister Josephine Teo said on Tuesday (December 15).
“The working group of various ministries has been discussing whether the restrictions on returning to the offices can be further loosened,” he told reporters in Chinese after a visit to Singtel.
“Some announcements will be made soon in the near future. We need your patience to wait a little longer.”
Ms Teo’s comments came a day after the government announced that Singapore will move into phase three of its reopening on December 28.
In a televised address to the nation on Monday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that the group size allowed for social gatherings will increase from five to eight, and capacity limits for public places such as shopping malls, attractions and entertainment venues will be increased. worship. .
Vaccinations will also be free for all Singaporeans and long-term residents, and will be voluntary for adults.
Migrant workers in some dormitories will also be allowed to return to the community once a month in a pilot scheme that will begin in the first quarter of next year.
On Tuesday, Ms Teo also offered an update on SGUnited’s Internship Program, an initiative for recent graduates to gain work experience amid a weaker job market due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
As of early December, more than 4,700 trainees had been assigned to the program, he said.
“We are now discussing with the MOE (Ministry of Education) the future plans for SGUnited’s internship program,” Ms Teo said.
It also said that about 430 mid-career job applicants have been placed in adjuncts with about 170 host organizations under the SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Program in early December.
The program, which lasts up to nine months, enables people in their mid-career to gain industry experience and gain new skills to enhance their employability. It includes a monthly training grant of up to $ 3,000, of which 80% is financed by the government.
Ms. Teo said the program is gaining momentum, “but not as fast as we would like.”
One reason is that some companies have had to adjust their training programs to better suit people in their mid-career who already have years of experience and skills, he said.
Additionally, many mid-career job seekers prefer a job offer over joining a bonding program, Ms Teo said.
“We want more employers and job seekers to take advantage of the SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Program and in doing so explore and make new options available to them,” he said.
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