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Mr Speaker, I stand in support of the motion. In her Address, Madam President spoke about the need to develop a vibrant economy with more opportunities for our workers. Singapore is right in the middle of her next big economic transition. All 23 Industry Transformation Maps (ITMs) have been launched, laying a roadmap to chart the transformation of each industry. Much efforts have gone into developing the ITMs, which form an important part of the government’s strategy to address each industry’s changing needs. But what do these ITMs mean for our workers?
Mr Speaker, as part of my work with the unions, I visit workplaces every week. Many workers tell me they want to be part of the transformation, but are asking how would they be impacted. What can they do? Many are concerned with their job security. Thus, the key imperative now is for the government to work with its tripartite partners, to articulate the roadmaps in a manner that is compelling to our workers. As Minister Ng Chee Meng had spoken before me, we need to make the 23 ITMs real to the workers.
THE THREE FEARS I COMMONLY HEAR
It is no surprise that many are concerned about the security of their job, as the future is filled with inevitable disruptions to the status quo. For instance, drivers face disruption from autonomous vehicles, and workers in a manufacturing plant face disruption from ever increasing automation. My interaction with workers reveals 3 common fears.
First, workers fear losing their jobs today. Process automation and mechanisation have made many manual jobs redundant, and many worry that their jobs would be next to go. Second, some fear losing their jobs in the near future as digitisation and new technologies continue to disrupt traditional industries. And third, even as our workers grapple with the uncertainty of their own future, they fear that their children would not be able to get a good job in the new economy.
Mr Speaker, while the ITMs lay a roadmap for the jobs of the future, they do not touch on the jobs that are at risk right now of becoming obsolete. Companies are aware that they need to transform their business operations and to send their workers for training and upskilling. But while both employers and workers know that they need to go for training, they are asking 2 questions – firstly, train what, and secondly, train for what?
These are key questions that we need to answer as we move to operationalise the ITMs, cluster by cluster, sector by sector, company by company, worker by worker. We need to distil each ITM and articulate what it means to the individual worker. We need every worker to understand where the future lies for him or her. At the same time, we need to excite the next generation of workers.
HAVING A LIFELONG LEARNING ATTITUDE
But it is not all doom and gloom on the ground. In my visits, I have seen many success stories of workers who have not been afraid of new technologies and automation. Rather, they work with the new machines enthusiastically, and take charge of transforming their own jobs before they are made redundant.
Madam Wang Mui Sin is one good example. Mui Sin started as a Machine Operator in 1980 with electrical equipment provider Yokogawa, she performs repetitive tasks along with many others in a production line. Throughout her career, Mui Sin continued to upskill herself, going for training first to become a Store Assistant, and attending IT courses supported by her supervisors. Today, Mui Sin is a Production Planner, managing several vital computer systems to ensure manufacturing schedules in Singapore and Batam are in order. Her work impacts hundreds of production operators, vendors and customers.
Mr Yap Kok Keong is another good example of how one can continue to keep pace with technological advancements through continuous learning. Kok Keong joined Panasonic Appliances Refrigeration Devices Singapore in 1987 as a technician. Throughout his career, Kok Keong attended many training courses to upgrade himself both in technical skills as well as management know-how. Today, Kok Keong is a Factory Manager and supervises 120 workers on the production floor. But he told me his learning cannot stop. Just last month, Kok Keong attended a SkillsFuture course on Computer-Aided Design and Additive Manufacturing to better prepare himself for the Industrial 4.0 transformation.
Today, Mui Sin and Kok Keong are earning better wages because they have taken on higher value jobs. But what we can learn from them is their attitude towards life-long learning. It is always not easy to go for training while having to worry about your work. Therefore, I must also commend their companies for providing the necessary support to help their employees upskill. This spirit is crucial as Singapore transitions towards the future economy.
GETTING READY FOR TOMORROW’S JOBS
Next, let me touch on the need to get our workers ready for tomorrow’s jobs. Today, we have many programmes and initiatives to match today’s unemployed to today’s jobs. More needs to be done to prepare our current and future workforce to take on tomorrow’s jobs. To do so, I propose a strategy centred around 3Rs.
First, workers, companies and the government must Re-imagine the future of work. This is especially important as automation, artificial intelligence and robotics become more mainstream and threaten to displace the jobs of today. A study by the McKinsey Global Institute found that up to 800 million workers globally are at risk of losing their jobs and replaced by automation by the year 2030. How would jobs look like in the next 10 to 20 years, with AI possibly at the centre of most industries? We will have to reimagine the future in order to disrupt ourselves before we get disrupted.
Next, we need to Re-design our jobs, our work processes and our business models to be future ready. The ITMs provide a strategic plan for the industry but they do not tell the individual company and the individual worker what they need to do specifically. This may be why not many workers are excited by the ITMs right now. Some tell me the ITMs are too “cheem”, too stratospheric. But not Mr Fang Chin Poh who works for SBS Transit.
Chin Poh started his career as a bus conductor 37 years ago. When the bus company adopted the one-man operation bus service in the 1980s, his job disappeared but he went for training to become a bus captain. Today, Chin Poh is a Chief Bus Captain. As the General Secretary of the National Transport Workers’ Union, he was involved in the development of the Land Transport ITM. He tells me that when autonomous buses ply our streets, he wants to become a fleet commander, overseeing the buses remotely from a central command. He can articulate so because we have started to re-imagine the future of work in the public transport industry and to re-design today’s jobs for tomorrow.
But Chin Poh, and many others, would need to Re-skill to take on new and future jobs. A recent study by HR firm, Korn Ferry, found that Singapore will lack 1 million skilled workers by 2030, which could result in unrealised revenue and losses of billions of dollars annually. The study also found that Singapore is among the top 5 countries where the risks of a talent crunch are the highest. Reskilling and upskilling our existing workforce is therefore, extremely critical.
Technology can help play a part in making learning easy and convenient. The NTUC has launched a new mobile learning platform called U-Leap. Now we can learn while on the go. When I take the public transport, I notice many commuters looking at their mobile phones throughout the journey. With the U-Leap app, you can now access useful training contents on your mobile phones. Spend 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week in the bus, on the train or during the lunch break – that would work out to a substantial 130 training hours a year, all done on the palm of your hand!
Optimising current infrastructure can also make learning convenient for our citizens. Can we open the computer labs in our neighbourhood schools for night classes on digital skills? At the same time, we can also open the school’s sports facilities for use by the community. This way, we can keep fit and healthy in both mind and body, without having to invest in new infrastructures!
Mr Speaker, Members would have seen Google’s new Duplex technology, and how the artificial intelligence (AI) in Google Assistant can now interact like a human. In time, AI will be at the core of many industries, and we need to prepare our young for such a future. But our young cannot be contented to grow up to just be consumers of AI products. We must discover and nurture those with the potential to invent and create new products for the rest of the world. It is therefore crucial for schools to expose our children to statistics and coding at an early age, and to do so in a manner that is fun to learn.
TURNING FEAR INTO STRENGTH
Mr Speaker, the fears of our workers are real and valid. But such fears are not unprecedented. Since our independence, Singapore has always managed to overcome the economic challenges thrown our way time and again. Much can be attributed to our strong tripartite partnership between the government, the Labour Movement and the employers. 29 months ago, in this Chamber, I devoted my entire maiden speech on the need for us to continue to invest in tripartism – the magic ingredient for Singapore’s enduring competitive economic advantage. I am glad that Madam President too highlighted the importance of tripartism in her maiden address last week.
I am confident that as long as we continue to work together as we have always done, we can turn fear into strength. As long as we work together and stay united, we can ensure that Singapore will continue to remain a land of opportunities for all Singaporeans.
The future is in our own hands.
