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Sitecore Context Id: 78610fe9-f2ce-455c-9199-f52f06d54faa;
Our Singapore. Our Future
Last two week, the Labour Movement celebrated Labour Day 2018 with the annual May Day Rally and May Day Awards, paying tribute to those who have worked hard to make Singapore a successful nation. It is poignant that 58 years ago, in his inaugural May Day Rally speech in 1960 , the same year that Labour Day was gazetted as a public holiday, the then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew announced that the Government was committed to the welfare of the workers in forging ahead on industrial expansion and nation building. I am heartened that the Government of today is committed to do the same for Singapore and our working people.
In the 1960s, Singapore was a young nation facing mounting internal and external challenges on various fronts while trying to find our footing to be economically viable and provide for our people. The immediate economic tasks facing the government then were to (1) restructure the economy; and (2) to alleviate the unemployment problem. The industrialisation programme was put in place to create employment opportunities and to provide a new diversified economic base to replace entrepot trade. The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) also undertook efforts to modernise the Labour Movement and build strong tripartite ties to arrive at win-win outcomes for employers and workers.
The hard work of our pioneer leaders and pioneer generation have paid off and has brought Singapore to where we are today. As the generations who have come after and have had the good fortune of sitting under the peaceful shade of our pioneer generation’s tree of labour and enjoying the fruits borne of their grit and determination, we must be prepared to do the same for the next generations of Singaporeans to come.
Today, we are facing the headwinds of a rapidly changing economy and changing global order. While we are no longer a nation in our infancy, our Government of today must possess the same pioneering spirit of those who have come before to enable Singapore to advance to the next plane of growth, breakthrough new ground and conquer new frontiers. As a nation, Singaporeans must also draw on the pioneering spirit in their blood to chart new courses and embark on new opportunities in this Brave New World.
Transforming Our Economy for the Future
With all Industry Transformation Maps of 23 industries launched, the collective vision of transformation for our economy has been drawn up. We, as stakeholders of our future, now need to take collective action to co-create our future economy together.
Of pressing concern to me is the need to raise the urgency to future-proof our businesses and our workforce. As stakeholders, the Government, employers and workers need to talk about how job roles will be transforming and raise awareness of the job roles and skills which are likely to be at risk of displacement due to technological advancements and global competition.
This is not about scaring the people. These potentially at-risk jobs will not be gone tomorrow just because of these conversations. As stakeholders, we need to use this time, while our workers are still employed, to upskill and prepare our workforce for the higher value jobs of the future so that when their current jobs are eliminated, they can still remain employed and employable. We can use this time to discuss and influence the adoption of progressive employment practices in times of change. While no one can definitively predict the future, we can and should do what we can today to prepare ourselves for what is foreseeable in the horizon. We also need to assure the working people that there are jobs which they can prepare themselves for and that the Government and Labour Movement will walk with them through this journey of transformation. This has been the central tenet behind the work undertaken by the Future Jobs, Skills & Training capability at NTUC which was set up last year in January 2017. In order to raise awareness and urge people to take action, our leaders must have the moral courage to talk about such issues and be open to sharing information and co-creating solutions with partners to ensure speed to market.
With the advent of the use of artificial intelligence and autonomous machines, I have previously asked the Government whether new laws and regulations should be promulgated to ensure that we address the issues arising from the development and use of these technologies. I have also asked if the Government would consider conducting a national study on the potential impact of artificial intelligence and technology on jobs and on our people to get conversations going and pave the way for ethical development of technology against growing concerns on issues such as liability, privacy, consent, safety, security, diversity and transparency. I believe that there is value in providing such frameworks of understanding for our people and to strengthen Singapore’s brand as a trusted economy and I continue to call on this Government to look into these suggestions.
While inertia has often times been attributed to the mindset of employers and employees in preparing for change, in the design of our policies and interventions, we must be cognisant of underlying concerns and address them in a targeted manner to move the needle in transformation. There is no one-size-fit-all solution and nuanced collective action has to be designed thoughtfully for the intended audience. The Future Jobs, Skills & Training capability at NTUC has developed a framework for collaborative action to change mindsets toward future-skilling. Stakeholders can work together at each stage of the framework to leverage on respective strengths for greater reach and effectiveness. These include efforts to address information asymmetry, raise awareness, inspire action, provide holistic support, create positive feedback loops and encourage the flourishing of change-agent mentality.
In 2017, NTUC shared infographics highlighting the in-demand jobs and skills in the Financial Services, Infocomm & Technology, Healthcare, Engineering (in manufacturing) and Wholesale Trade sectors with the working people with a call to action to take up available upskilling programmes to enable them to be equipped with the skills for these in-demand jobs. NTUC also held the inaugural Future Jobs, Skills & Training Forum in January 2018 to vision the future and inspire action among stakeholders through the sharing of opportunities in the horizon for Singapore’s economy, identification of driving forces impacting jobs, uncovering of specific action plans to transit workers from current at-risk jobs to future in-demand jobs and exploring issues concerning skills acquisition and how our learning models have to evolve so that we are able to prepare our workforce for jobs which do not yet exist. Participants at the Forum also participated in a dialogue with the NTUC Secretary-General on topics concerning future jobs, skills and training. Leveraging on the findings from foregoing, NTUC is working on the identification of jobs at risk of displacement in identified sectors and stands ready to co-create relevant programmes and interventions with tripartite partners and partners in our expanded Labour Movement network for the progression of our workforce.
Making Singapore Our Singapore
Besides ensuring that our people have the means to fill their bellies, we must not forget about our people’s desire to fill their hearts and pursue their aspirations. This is the additional challenge in nation building that our Government faces today. While our pioneer generation leaders were focused on ensuring Singapore’s survival, today, it is also about the flourishing and continued sustainable growth of Singapore. Concerted efforts need to be taken to integrate diversity, encourage inclusiveness, mitigate effects of social stratification and improve social mobility and “liveability” for our people.
In Mandarin.
Against a rapidly changing landscape, evolving needs and limited resources, we must ask ourselves what guides and orientates us in a spinning world – what is Singapore’s True North? What core values do we hold steadfast to in this new era?
What makes Singapore our home in a highly globalised and migratory world?
What ignites the fire in our people’s bellies to take Singapore to greater heights?
In spite of all the uncertainties, I am optimistic about Singapore’s future and I believe that we can stand strong together against adversity and find the answers to these questions together. Through the sharing of the Government’s agenda in the President’s Address, I am heartened that this Government is committed to refining our vision for the future and in leading us to build Our Singapore, Our Future as one united people.
I support the motion.
