Increasing Numbers of Foreign Domestic, Healthcare and Childcare Workers

12 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for Manpower whether the Government will allow more foreign domestic, healthcare and childcare workers into Singapore to meet the needs of an ageing population and increasing fertility rates.

The Minister of State for Manpower (Mr Sam Tan Chin Siong) (for the Minister for Manpower): Mdm Speaker, to meet the manpower needs in the healthcare and early childhood sectors, our priority is to nurture a pipeline of qualified Singaporeans to take up good jobs in these good sectors. For example, the intakes in local schools for medical, nursing and early childcare-related programmes have been expanded in recent years to attract more Singaporeans to join these sectors. We have also established Adapt and Grow Programmes to facilitate the transition of mid-career professionals who wish to take up these jobs. For example, there are Professional Conversion Programmes (PCPs) for occupations, such as registered nurses and pre-school teachers.

However, we also recognise that time is needed to expand our local manpower pipeline for the healthcare and childcare sectors. Where there are shortfalls, companies will continue to have access to foreign workers to fill in the gaps in numbers, skills and timing.

Apart from institutional care, families that need help with caring for their young children or elderly family members at home can hire foreign domestic workers (FDWs). To provide support to such families, the concessionary FDW levy rate was lowered from $120 to $60 per month since May 2015. The Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) also provides a means-tested monthly grant of $120 to support families who need to hire a FDW to care for a family member who requires permanent assistance with daily living activities.

It is in the interest of employers to ensure that the FDWs they employ have the requisite skills, aptitude and supervision to perform their roles well. The AIC provides a Caregivers Training Grant (CTG) to help offset the cost of attending approved training for caregivers of seniors and persons with disabilities, including FDWs who support families in caring for such persons. Families should consider sending their FDWs for such training so that they can provide better care for the elderly and persons with disabilities in the family.

Mr Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio): I thank the Minister of State for the reply. My question is whether there will be a near future review of the manpower needs in view of the lead time that is required and also because by 2030, that is, in another 13 years' time, in fact, one out of four Singaporeans will be aged 65 and above. I think that is something that we always bear in mind. With that in mind, when will MOM review whether we would need some more manpower or whether the training programmes or the take-up rate will be sufficient to meet the demand?

Mr Sam Tan Chin Siong: Mdm Speaker, I thank the Member for the questions. The short answer to the Member's query is that MOM will constantly review the manpower needs for all the sectors, including the healthcare and childcare sectors. And particularly for the healthcare centre, the need for elderly care, we will also work closely with MOH to estimate and also to do a projection on the number of the elderly who will need such care and the number of workers needed by these institutions so that we will be able to revise and calibrate our manpower policies from time to time.