Job opportunities are like locked doors, while skills and mindset change are the keys that unlock them.
Here’s what the Government is doing to help workers unlock these doors and have better work prospects.
The Readiness of Public Officers
The Government will help public officers approach their work with new mindsets and provide them with new skills, said Minister in Charge of Public Service Chan Chun Sing.
He was responding to NTUC Assistant Director-General (ADG) Ang Hin Kee’s Committee of Supply Debate speech on the readiness of public officers, considering the quickening pace of transformation.
Mr Chan said that the Public Service Division will expand the system of job postings to apply to a broader group of officers. This is so that public officers will gain broader perspectives and be able to better work across agencies and with the private and people sectors.
He also said that public officers need to be able to execute policies well. Hence they need to understand the needs of the citizens and businesses better.
The Government will continue to encourage public officers to train in different countries to better understand the region and develop stronger ties.
Skills Upgrading for NSmen
The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) will launch the SkillFuture@NS this year to help National Service Full-time (NSF) personnel keep pace with skills mastery.
Senior Minister of State for Defence Heng Chee How said this in his response to Labour Nominated Member of Parliament Arasu Duraisamy, who asked how the Government is working with agencies to support skills upgrading of NSFs.
Under the partnerships with both private and public agencies, there will be more resources NSFs can look forward to after their full-time service, added Mr Heng.
Today, NSFs are given $350 in credits to use on any 200 courses upon completion of their full-time service.
With the SkillsFuture@NS initiative, NSFs will be able to use these credits on more than 3,000 selected courses, which include cybersecurity and data analytics.
MINDEF will also partner SkillsFuture Singapore in March 2019 to offer career orientation, supported by community development councils and NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute).
Home Team Manpower Transformation
The Ministry of Home Affairs aims to re-employ as many uniformed officers as it can, given the greater adoption of technology in the Home Team’s operating environment.
Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Health Senior Parliamentary Secretary Amrin Amin said this in response to NTUC Assistant Secretary-General Desmond Choo’s speech regarding re-employing of officers in the Home Team.
According to Mr Amrin, the Home Team re-employed 45 per cent of its retired uniformed officers in the past five years.
Mr Choo also asked about the re-skilling of officers to use technology and if the Ministry will help form training committees.
In reply, Mr Amrin said that the Ministry has formed a Skills Transformation Development Team to identify the training required for officers to meet increasing operational expectations.
Some essential skills identified include data analytics, technology literacy and cybersecurity.
Taking Advantage of Growing Sectors
Senior Minister for Trade and Industry Koh Poh Koon announced that the Government will establish a new 18-hectare Agri-Food Innovation Park, or AFIP, in Sungei Kadut. This is part of the plans to make Singapore a leading urban agriculture and aquaculture technology hub.
The park will bring together high-tech farming and research and development activities, including indoor plant factories, insect farms, and animal feed production facilities.
Dr Koh added that MTI is working with both local and overseas industry players to develop the park, with the first phase expected to be ready within the second quarter of 2021.
In his speech, NTUC Assistant Secretary-General Desmond Choo asked about the plans to attract Singaporeans into growing industries such as urban agriculture and aquaculture technologies.
Dr Koh cited the example of Republic Polytechnic which launched a Diploma in Urban Agricultural Technology earlier in 2019, adding that the Government expects more similar courses from other institutes of higher learning.
Update on “MyCareersFuture” Portal
Since its launch in April last year, the MyCareersFuture.sg received more than 2 million visits and over 1.7 million applications. Additionally, more than 20,000 employers placed job postings on the Jobs Bank last year.
These figures were revealed by Manpower Minister Josephine Teo in response to NTUC Assistant Secretary-General Patrick Tay who asked for an update.
Among the job postings, more than 85 per cent fulfilled the Fair Consideration Framework requirements. Mrs Teo added that the portal will roll-out new features later this year.
Improving the Early Childhood Education Sector
The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) will partner the Health Promotion Board to commission an occupational health and safety assessment.
They will appoint a panel of experts to holistically examine the wellbeing of pre-school staff, as well as recommend job redesign and workplace enhancements.
This was announced by Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim.
He was responding to NTUC Assistant Director-General Ang Hin Kee’s speech on improving the pre-school sector’s work and environment.
The Ministry will also press on to attract, develop and retain capable early childhood educators, added Mr Faishal.
From April this year, the newly set up National Institute for Early Childhood Development will begin training its first batch of students in the full-time Diploma in Early Childhood Development and Education course.
[Read More: The full compilation of Committee of Supply Debates]
