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Despite the fact that the National Employment Council created 117,500 jobs and training and bonding opportunities at the end of August, only 33,100 jobs, or 28.17 percent, were filled by local job seekers.
Even more sobering, only 6,650, or 15.2 percent, of the 43,750 openings for long-term jobs for professionals, managers, executives and technicians were filled by locals.
Why are these jobs going begging when layoffs are on the rise due to Covid-19? From April to June, layoffs more than doubled to 8,130 compared to the first quarter.
The answer lies mainly in the suitability of the job or, to be more precise, in a mismatch of expectations between the job seeker and the potential employer.
Take on the challenges of local car-sharing platform and technology solutions provider Tribecar to try to hire locals with tech skills.
Its co-founder Adrian Lee told The New Paper: “If the candidates have similar merits, we would want to hire a permanent or Singaporean resident.
“But all local tech graduates want to work for companies like Facebook and Amazon. If they can’t get in there, then they look to well-funded tech firms or the government sector.
“That leaves 99 percent of Singaporean companies facing a tech talent drought.”
The Fair Consideration Framework dictates that companies must post jobs on the MyCareersFuture.sg portal for at least 28 days before applying for a new employment pass or S pass for a foreign candidate. Those who are deemed unfair in the selection process can be charged.
Mr. David Leong, managing director of human resources firm PeopleWorldwide Consulting, said that many of these positions are in areas where locals may lack the necessary skills.
[[nid:491099]]“IT roles generally have higher hurdle requirements and are not easy to locate as skills are key in roles,” he said.
Both laid-off and new job seekers may not be suitable as “such skills cannot be transferable” and are therefore “unlikely to be able to step in and be immediately effective and productive”.
In addition, older, better-trained and more experienced workers can afford to spend more time searching for a job, said Walter Theseira, associate professor of economics at Singapore University of Social Sciences.
“The choice for many laid-off Singaporeans will be … to hope to find a similar job in their last draw or better salary,” he said.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said it is “natural” for mid-career job seekers to consider it carefully before making a change, as they may need to “get out of family comfort zones.”
Earlier this month, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said that matching vacancies with job applicants is not a straightforward process and the system will be improved.
Heng, who is also the Coordinating Minister for Economic Policy and Minister of Finance, said the review includes looking at how the available database systems can best be used for job search.
“And this is what the SGUnited Employment and Skills Centers and other agencies will do,” he added.
SGUnited’s Skills Program allows job seekers to acquire new skills relevant to the industry and ties to the company, while its Middle Career Pathways Program gives employers and job seekers the opportunity to assess first-hand if the job and the person are suitable.
Mr. Leong said that as long as “job seekers are willing to consider a change … and absorb some salary adjustments, there are opportunities for a rebound.”
[[nid:501120]]Gabriel Sim, 49, did just that after losing his sales and events director job in July when his company was restructured. He took a 50 percent cut to take over as a sales manager at a smaller events company last month.
“It is better to have a paid job than to be unemployed,” said the sole breadwinner with three children.
NeXT Career Consulting Group founder Paul Heng said some companies also take their time to perform non-critical functions.
He added: “Some employers are looking for the perfect candidate who meets all the hiring prerequisites.”
MOM has encouraged employers to look beyond hiring the perfect candidate.
Said its spokesperson: “We will need progressive employers who are prepared to give a chance to local job seekers who may not have the full skill set to get the job done from day one, but who can train, rather than looking for candidates.” . that you can ‘plug and play’ immediately. “
This article was first published in The new role. Permission is required for reproduction.
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