SG Chan: Advice for Workers

NTUC Secretary-General (SG) Chan Chun Sing gives his views on a variety of worker issues on Capital 95.8FM and Channel 8 Hello Singapore’s “On Air with Minister” segment. Here are all the highlights from the sessions aired in Mandarin earlier this month.

Finding Jobs

• SG Chan said it is worrying to see students going after expensive degrees they believe are ‘trending’ in the job market as these may no longer be relevant by the time the students graduate due to how fast the industry changes. He felt they should think about where their interests and future demands lie.
• For workers to remain gainfully employed as they prepare for retirement, SG Chan said they should to look five years ahead and ask themselves if their skills will still be relevant at every life stage.
• SG Chan also stressed that what is important is not the quantity but quality of jobs. He urged workers to be agile and embrace lifelong learning to find tomorrow’s jobs, pointing out that some of the sunrise industries are healthcare, early childhood, logistics, cybersecurity and transport engineering.

Smart Learning

• SG Chan highlighted that the common method of learning is to sign up for classes and complete them before looking for jobs, but many have found this unfruitful. He added that in order to make sure the skills workers are learning are relevant and aligned to market needs, NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute) has a place-and-train initiative where workers can get a job first, then train themselves to fit the role.

Contract Workers

• Due to employers’ fears to commit financially amid economic uncertainties, SG Chan said there has been a rise in contract-based positions. While the take-home salary may be higher without CPF contribution, he advised signees to evaluate if the terms are favourable towards long-term needs such as medical expenses, insurance coverages and savings for retirement or property purchase.
• For individuals relying on driving as their sole income and renting cars from private hire companies, he reminded them that their incomes are subjected to market demand despite the fixed outlay.

Mindset Change

• SG Chan pointed to a need for a paradigm shift in the society to look beyond paper qualifications and recognise wealth of experience as a strength.
• In lieu of this, he urged mature workers to be more positive and proactive as there are opportunities for everyone. For example, with the rise of technology, there are surveillance positions in security command centres that do not require patrolling and are not physically demanding.