Effectiveness of Support Schemes in Helping PMETs Find New Jobs

9 Ms Foo Mee Har asked the Minister for Manpower in light of job layoffs hitting a seven-year high (a) how successful have current support schemes been in helping Singaporeans, particularly PMEs, secure new jobs; and (b) what additional measures will the Government implement should the unemployment situation deteriorate further.

The Minister for Manpower (Mr Lim Swee Say): Mdm Speaker, redundancies have risen due to weaker global economic conditions and ongoing economic restructuring. In anticipation of this, I announced in April this year the "Adapt and Grow" initiative.

Under "Adapt and Grow", we have enhanced and expanded the package of employment assistance for both the affected professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) and rank-and-file workers. It includes the Professional Conversion Programme, Career Support Programme, P-Max and Reskilling for Jobs Programme. The Workforce Development Agency (WDA) and the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) have also ramped up the number of job fairs and other career support events, such as career workshops and learning journeys, to hiring firms.

Ms Foo Mee Har asked how effective our current support schemes are. Mdm Speaker, in the first half of this year, WDA and e2i have assisted about 15,000 jobseekers through its Career Centres and the Adapt and Grow support programmes. With WDA and e2i assistance, about 4,000 PMETs and 6,000 rank-and-file jobseekers have secured jobs.

Ms Foo also asked what additional measures we will implement moving forward. Mdm Speaker, the Government will continue to monitor the economic and labour market situation closely and expand employment support to our workers proactively as we go through this period of not just cyclical uncertainty but structural transition as well.

Moving forward, with the restructuring of WDA into the Workforce Singapore (WSG), we will go beyond helping the unemployed find jobs. WSG will do more and help more Singaporeans manage their career transitions throughout life. This is to maximise matching between the aspiration of workers and the manpower needs of businesses. WSG will also support tripartite efforts to transform our industries and strengthen the Singaporean Core in all major sectors. We believe this is the best way to position Singapore for growth and to create better jobs for our people. Later on, we will be doing the Second Reading of the WSG Bill and I will be happy to elaborate further.

Mdm Speaker: Ms Foo Mee Har. Keep your question short. Yes, Mr Low Thia Khiang.

Mr Low Thia Khiang (Aljunied): Mdm Speaker, earlier on, I had a supplementary question to ask from Minister Shanmugam's answer.

Mdm Speaker: Mr Low, we have already past that question.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Mdm Speaker, I regret that. I should have been allowed to ask more supplementary questions.

Mdm Speaker: You should have put your hand up very quickly, Mr Low. Unfortunately, I have already called the next question. Ms Foo, make it very short and snappy.

The Minister for Home Affairs (Mr K Shanmugam): Mdm Speaker, if there is any process for allowing Mr Low to ask a question, I am happy to take the question. But I leave that entirely to you.

Mdm Speaker: Minister, we have already past the Parliamentary Question (PQ) and we have already moved on to the next PQ. So, Ms Foo, please make it fast.

Ms Foo Mee Har (West Coast): Yes, Madam. I would like to ask the Minister with respect to the double weak companies – those with weak Singaporean Core and a weak commitment to nurture a Singaporean Core – would the Minister please give an update on how these companies have strengthened their Singaporean Core as a result of the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) interventions and some of the things the Minister said they would do during the Committee of Supply speech?

Mr Lim Swee Say: Mdm Speaker, indeed, we have taken action against not just the double weak but triple weak companies as well. These are companies that are weak in Singaporean Core today, weak in their commitment to strengthen the Singaporean Core in the future, as well as weak in their economic linkage to our economy. The programme is ongoing. In fact, the list of companies is growing. If Members are interested, feel free to file a PQ. I will give Members a comprehensive reply.

1.30 pm

Mdm Speaker: Order. End of Question Time.

[Pursuant to Standing Order No 22(3), provided that Members had not asked for questions standing in their names to be postponed to a later Sitting day or withdrawn, written answers to questions not reached by the end of Question Time are reproduced in the Appendix.]