According to the ‘Future of Jobs’ report published by the World Economic Forum in 2016, technological disruptions and an increasingly digital world will significantly alter the job landscape of the future.
Specifically, the report revealed that as many as 5.1 million jobs worldwide could be lost between 2015-2020.
However, the same changes will see the creation of some 2 million new jobs in specialised sectors of the economy. Existing jobs, too, will experience changes with new skills being necessary requisites to do them.
The outlook though, remains positive. Research findings point to a need for working people to prepare themselves through continuous learning and upgrading of skills to adapt to the changes as the world economy transitions into what the report describes as the ‘fourth industrial revolution’.
In a recent closed-door dialogue with union leaders, Prime Minister (PM) Lee Hsien Loong said that this is unlike the financial crisis in 2008. There are still bright spots in the economy with Singapore attracting new overseas investments from companies, contributing to jobs creation.
He highlighted that as the Government introduces Industry Transformation Maps to help businesses and their workers adapt to the evolving economic landscape, there is no quick solution to the challenges.
“What we need to do is to work hard in order to grow, in order to upgrade ourselves, and the secret is upgrading and restructuring,” said PM Lee.
The Labour Movement’s Initiative
Proactively tackling the challenges of tomorrow and to help connect tomorrow’s unemployed with tomorrow’s jobs, NTUC’s new Future Jobs, Skills and Training (FJST) capability started operations on 1 January 2017.
To help working Singaporeans transition into new career opportunities that will become available in the future, FJST’s work will encompass three areas – data collection, data analysis and validation and strategic action – to reduce the mismatch of skills and jobs, as well as help match talent to opportunities. FJST has used the terms ‘Sensing’, ‘Synthesising’ and ‘Shooting’ to describe its approach.
“With the extensive network of the Labour Movement today, we are in a good position to be able to help facilitate the matching of jobs and skills of the future, and ensure that our workforce becomes ready to ride these waves of change,” said NTUC Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) Patrick Tay. He will head the FJST capability.
Strategic Nerve Centre
The intended outcome for FJST is to be able to use the information gathered to identify and predict new job opportunities in growing sectors. It also aims to identify the necessary skills and training needed which will enable Labour Movement entities such as NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute) and NTUC LearningHub to develop specific courses that will help working Singaporeans make the actual transition.
Data Collection
Despite having just commenced work, FJST is already making headway in collecting data and it is particularly on the lookout for information on companies who are hiring, training needs and job losses.
According to FJST, data sourcing can come from public news channels such as media reports, company or business news releases or leads from its own network of partners within the Labour Movement and beyond.
The network includes the Labour Movement’s affiliated unions and associations, U Associates, U SME (small- and medium-sized enterprises) partners,U FSE (freelancers and self-employed), social enterprises, institutes like e2i and tripartite partners such as ministries, statutory boards, and national committees with information and analysis on jobs and skills.
The information gathered by FJST will not only allow it to track growth sectors with in-demand jobs and skills, but also let it monitor diminishing jobs and skills in sectors of the economy that are slowing down.
Concurrently, FJST will validate and analyse the information collected to support training and skills development that can help workers tap the new opportunities.
"With FJST, I am really happy that we are looking at things from the upstream rather than the downstream. Once the trends are spotted more clearly, then we can develop new capabilities to support these new skills and that is the way to do it.” - NTUC LearningHub CEO Kwek Kok Kwong
"ITPU is one of the first lines of intelligence for FJST. To support FJST’s work, ITPU has been working with our network of clusters and unions in gathering information. Harvesting such ground intel then allows FJST to employ targeted training and placement intervention.” - Director of Industry Transformation and Productivity Unit, Desmond Choo
"FJST’s efforts can support e2i’s placement process by incorporating other elements of sensing from various parts of the Labour Movement. This would enable most of the Labour Movement's networks to better leverage e2i's platforms and expertise in career coaching, job matching, and wide network of partners to reach out to more individuals.
"We will also be supporting employers in continuously building capabilities and investing in workers’ upgrading. These aligned efforts would enable the Labour Movement to be prepared to help workers who can potentially be made redundant in the future to be ready for the jobs of tomorrow.” - e2i CEO Gilbert Tan
To facilitate the gathering of sufficient and relevant data, FJST is calling on partners to share information on new job opportunities in companies, job losses occurring in companies, or unmet training needs in specific industries.
The information may be shared via email to ARU-FJST_Dept-Everyone@ntuc.org.sg.
