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Straits Times
12 hours ago
- Business
- Straits Times
315,000 Singaporeans have used new career and skills planning tool by SkillsFuture Singapore
SkillsFuture said the tool can be used to supplement resumes and enhance online job applications with the provision of verified records. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO 315,000 Singaporeans have used new career and skills planning tool by SkillsFuture Singapore SINGAPORE - An online career and skills planning tool by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) has been used by 315,000 Singaporeans as at April 30. Launched in November 2024, the Careers and Skills Passport consolidates information about an individual's career and skills from government-verified sources in one centralised and secure location, before the information is shared with current and potential employers. The SSG said this tool can be used to supplement resumes and enhance online job applications with verified records. Users can choose which records they wish to share with partnering online job portals, such as Jobstreet and FastJobs. They can also generate a shareable link of their profile and share it directly with potential employers. To date, 4,900 users have shared data from their Careers and Skills Passport. Developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Ministry of Education (MOE) and Government Technology Agency, the passport has four key components. The employment section contains verified data from the Central Provident Fund Board and MOM, such as employer name, employment period and occupation. The skills section contains an overview of verified skills from the user's certifications and from employer validation. Users can also add skills that they acquired on their own. The third section contains academic records from the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board and institutes of higher learning (IHLs) supported by the MOE. These include the Institute of Technical Education, polytechnics, autonomous universities and the arts institutions. The final section contains verified professional training records, such as certifications from the Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications and other SSG-funded courses. Similar to the skills section, users can also add their own certification records. The Careers and Skills Passport is one of the initiatives by SSG, which marks its 10th anniversary in 2025, to encourage Singaporeans to upskill. Held at the Four Seasons Hotel, the anniversary event on May 23 was attended by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Education Minister Chan Chun Sing, Manpower Minister Tan See Leng, and Minister of State for Education and Manpower Gan Siow Huang. About 300 education, enterprise, union and industry partners were also in attendance. The event also featured a panel discussion with individual, employer, union and government representatives about how the SkillsFuture movement provides opportunities to upskill and stay competitive. As part of the 10th anniversary, SSG and Workforce Singapore will roll out a series of initiatives throughout the year. These include the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme, which aims to provide temporary financial support of up to $6,000 over six months to lower- and middle-income job seekers who are still unemployed. The Centre for Skills-First Practices will be launched by SSG and the Institute for Adult Learning in the fourth quarter. Over the years, SkillsFuture initiatives have been expanded to cover over 28,000 courses, ranging from full qualifications to short courses, offered by a training sector that includes IHLs and private providers with close links to industry. More than 500,000 Singaporeans – a fifth of the workforce – undergo training every year. Since the SkillsFuture movement's inception in 2015, employer participation has also doubled from 12,000 companies to 24,000 in 2024. The number of employees supported by their employers for SSG-supported training also increased from 160,000 in 2015 to 241,000 in 2024. Mr Tan Kok Yam, chief executive of SSG, said that in the next 10 years, the SkillsFuture movement will have to 'level up' its support to Singaporeans, and give workers the tools and the confidence to thrive in an increasingly unpredictable world. 'Under SkillsFuture, we will encourage individuals to be mindful of their career health, raise the quality and relevance of learning, and help employers hire by skills and invest in their people,' he said. Elisha Tushara is a correspondent at The Straits Times, specialising in Singapore's education landscape. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
SkillsFuture Singapore: Over 315,000 Singaporeans Utilizing SkillsFuture's Digital Passport for Career Advancement, ETHRWorldSEA
Advt By , Agencies A growing number of Singaporeans are turning to the Careers and Skills Passport , an online tool launched by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) in November 2024, to strengthen their employability and streamline job applications. As of April 30, 315,000 individuals have used the platform to consolidate and verify their career, skills, and training records Designed in collaboration with the Ministry of Manpower, the Ministry of Education and GovTech, the tool offers workers a centralised and secure way to present verified professional credentials , academic qualifications, and skills acquired through SSG-funded or self-initiated training. These verified records can supplement résumés and be selectively shared with employers and job portals such as Jobstreet and FastJobs. So far, 4,900 users have shared their digital profiles with potential tool is part of a wider push by SSG to build a future-ready workforce as it marks its 10th anniversary in 2025. At a commemorative event attended by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and key ministers, SSG also announced new workforce initiatives , including the upcoming SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme. The scheme, launching later this year, will provide up to $6,000 over six months to lower- and middle-income job seekers who remain over 500,000 workers undergoing training annually and employer participation doubling to 24,000 since 2015, SSG is intensifying efforts to embed skills-first hiring and learning across industries. CEO Tan Kok Yam emphasised the need to support individuals in managing career health and enable businesses to hire based on skills rather than credentials alone.
Straits Times
22-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Over 1,000 job seekers can start earning points to qualify for payouts
More than 1,000 applicants have already been approved, noted WSG, without revealing the total number of applications. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO FILE Over 1,000 job seekers can start earning points to qualify for payouts SINGAPORE – There has been a solid take-up rate for the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support (JS) scheme launched on April 15. More than 1,000 applicants have already been approved, noted Workforce Singapore (WSG), without revealing the total number of applications. The resident unemployment rate came in at 2.9 per cent in the first quarter, up slightly from 2.8 per cent in December 2024. Successful applicants in the scheme can receive up to $1,500 in the first month, $1,250 in the second, $1,000 in the third and then $750 a month for the remaining three months. The payouts are capped at a job seeker's past average gross monthly income. So if the person earned an average of $900 a month, the monthly payout under the scheme will not exceed that amount. Applicants must earn at least 10 points a month for the first three months and five points a month for the next three months to remain in the scheme, which is open to lower- and middle-income adult Singaporeans who have lost jobs their due to retrenchment, business closure, illness or other reasons beyond their control. Points can be earned by completing some of these activities: Plan a career path using WSG's CareersFinder tool Browse or subscribe to career-related content Update resume online Attend a career coaching session or a career-related event, workshop or seminar Network with an industry professional Complete a skills and training advisory or attend the SkillsFuture Advice workshop Points for each activity differ, with those requiring more time and commitment worth more. Proper documents needed Applicants must submit documentation showing they were involuntarily unemployed by their previous company, said WSG. Job seekers from age 21 who have been unemployed for at least one month from the last day of employment can apply. They must also have been employed in Singapore for at least six months in the past 12 months, but a one-off concession is given to those who lost their jobs on or after April 1, 2024 – if they meet all other criteria and submit their applications by June 15. They must also have earned $5,000 or less a month on average for the duration of their previous employment within the last 12 months. They cannot live in a property with an annual value of more than $31,000. The annual value of a property is the estimated gross annual rent if it were to be rented out. 'This could be in the form of formal termination letters or e-mail exchanges (showing) the ending of employment was initiated by the employer,' said a WSG spokesperson. Resignation letters, payslips or a Central Provident Fund transaction history without supporting evidence of involuntary unemployment are 'insufficient' for approval. Employers are encouraged to provide valid correspondence to former employees and to respond promptly to WSG requests for clarifications when receiving applications from job seekers. Ms Syikin (not her real name), is participating in the scheme. She has been undertaking job search activities and racked up 10 points in the first month by attending career events for networking purposes and exploring job opportunities. She is now waiting for a payout of up to $1,500. Ms Dyana Nusantry Jumadi, a successful applicant who had started attending career coaching sessions with a WSG coach, has just secured a job at a built environment company. When she was retrenched in July 2024, she began to apply for a new job, but to no avail. She took on several Workforce Skills Qualifications courses to upgrade herself and was referred to NTUC's e2i's career coach by her social worker in February 2025 before applying to the JS scheme in April. While she has started completing job search activities and clocking points, she was not eligible for the payout as she had already landed a job. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
CNA
30-04-2025
- Business
- CNA
GE2025: PAP's favourite playbook is 'criticise first, copy later', claims SDP chief Chee Soon Juan
SINGAPORE: Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) chief Chee Soon Juan on Wednesday (Apr 30) took aim at Health Minister Ong Ye Kung's comments about the party's policies, after the latter said the SDP's proposals don't have "a snowball's chance" of contributing to Singapore. "Four words that I want to use with him: 'Criticise first, copy later'," said Dr Chee, who claimed this was the People's Action Party's (PAP) "favourite playbook". The Sembawang West SMC candidate cited some examples – one of them being the SDP's proposal of an unemployment insurance scheme to provide retrenched workers with financial assistance and support for their re-employment. In 2016, Dr Chee proposed a retrenchment insurance scheme where workers would receive three-quarters of their last-drawn salary – capped at the prevailing median wage – for the first six months of unemployment. Workers still unemployed after half a year would receive half of their last-drawn salary for the next six months. This would be further reduced to a quarter of their last-drawn wage if they are subsequently still out of a job, it was reported in 2016. The SDP chief on Wednesday compared it with the recently launched SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme, which provides financial support to lower- and middle-income involuntarily unemployed workers. Under the scheme, those eligible will receive payouts capped at a maximum of S$6,000 (US$4,500) over six months. They will need to complete job search-related activities each month and meet a minimum number of points to qualify for the payouts. Mr Ong is leading a PAP team in Sembawang Group Representation Constituency (GRC) – where the rally site near Sun Plaza is in – in a straight fight against a team from SDP. Dr Chee said: "We can expand social safety nets, provide universal healthcare, reform education to nurture critical thinkers, reduce inequality and open up policies to be more transparent and responsive. "That is the SDP's vision - that is the path to a truly thriving Singapore, one where our people are secure and happy." Seven candidates spoke at the rally – the party's eighth in seven days. Among the speakers on the night was party chairman Paul Tambyah, who detailed how the SDP's policies would work through a person's life - from childhood to schooling and adulthood. "I know that this sounds like a kind of utopia, but it is all eminently achievable," he said. NON-OPEN MARKET HDB SCHEME Several candidates for Sembawang GRC also hit back at Mr Ong over comments that the SDP had "taken a leaf" from another opposition party in its housing policy. SDP has proposed a Non-Open Market (NOM) scheme for Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats, where land costs are excluded from flat prices. During a rally on Monday, Mr Ong questioned the practicality of the policy, asking how this would impact those who already own flats, if new units are much cheaper. Responding on Wednesday, Ms Surayah Akbar said that the NOM scheme was designed as a "parallel public housing model", made affordable for lower and middle-income Singaporeans, while stabilising long- term housing affordability. Under the SDP's proposal, the price of the non-open market flats would be calculated without the land cost, on the condition that it must be sold back to HDB when the flat owner moves out. "To accuse the SDP of imitation is not only inaccurate, it also distracts from the real housing issues facing Singaporeans today," said Ms Surayah, citing high resale prices. She also asked Mr Ong to "shed some light" on what happens to their flats at the end of the 99-year lease term. "SDP (doesn't) just talk about fairness. We plan for it. Our NOM scheme is backed by policy logic and economic sustainability," she said. 'Our town plans, like in Sembawang and other constituencies, are people first, not party first. "We'll continue to propose bold, compassionate and grounded alternatives without fear and without needing to borrow anyone else's ideas. We invite Ong Ye Kung to debate policies, not play politics. "Let us move the conversation away from the turf wars and back to what truly matters, the people's homes, the people's lives and the people's future." Diving deeper into the party's NOM policy, fellow Sembawang GRC candidate Damanhuri Abas said the SDP is proposing that HDB flat prices be based solely on administrative, material and labour costs. This aims to make flats more affordable, with estimated prices ranging from S$90,000 for two-room flats to S$270,000 for five-room flats. The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) later proposed a "similar concept" through its Affordable Homes Scheme in 2023, said Mr Damanhuri. Under this proposal, buyers would pay a user price, instead of a Build-to-Order (BTO) scheme proposes that flat buyers do not have to pay land cost when they buy a new flat from HDB. The payment of the land cost will be deferred and paid only if the flat is sold after the minimum occupation period. SDP's Sembawang GRC candidate Alfred Tan said the NOM proposal had been in SDP's policy papers "long, long" before the PSP was set up. "So it befuddles me (and) my colleagues in the SDP, how Mr Ong Ye Kung could publicly accuse the SDP of taking this fantastic idea from the PSP when the PSP had not even been born?" he added. SEMBAWANG PLAN The Sembawang GRC candidates also touted their Sembawang town plan, which they had launched at their rally four days ago. Some specifics of the plan that they highlighted on Wednesday included lifts at all major overhead bridges, wellness centres for youths and working adults, and co-working spaces for residents. Dr Gomez, who is also the party's deputy head of policy, told the rally crowd that the town plan is a 'people-centred blueprint' shaped by Sembawang residents. He reiterated that the SDP also plans to hold regular town halls in areas under the party's northern strategy to 'ensure ongoing public input and alignment'. SDP has previously said that if its candidates are elected, it would hold town halls with residents to gather ideas. Representatives from relevant government agencies would also be there. 'But when we mention town halls, the PAP Sembawang West SMC candidate Poh Li San mocks our town halls. She calls them political theatre,' Dr Gomez said. 'What this really means is how far removed the PAP is from the basic idea of democracy. To them, public participation sounds alien, something unnecessary or even threatening to them.' The SDP has fielded 11 candidates in four constituencies this General Election – Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC, Sembawang GRC, Bukit Panjang SMC and Sembawang West SMC.
Time of India
30-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Singapore adds just 2,300 jobs in Q1 2025 amid economic uncertainty, unemployment rises to 2.9%: MoM, ET CIO SEA
Advt Advt By , Agencies Employment growth in Singapore slowed in the first quarter of 2025, according to the Ministry of Manpower's (MOM) latest Labour Market Advance Release. Total employment rose by just 2,300 in Q1, a marked decline from the 7,700 jobs added in the previous quarter and 3,200 jobs in the same period last year. This slowdown is primarily driven by weaker growth in resident and non-resident employment in key outward-facing sectors like professional services, manufacturing, and information & unemployment rate increased slightly in Q1, with the resident unemployment rate rising from 2.8% in December 2024 to 2.9% in March 2025. The citizen unemployment rate also edged up to 3.1% from 2.9%. Despite this, the overall labour market remains within non-recessionary bounds, with retrenchment numbers falling to 3,300, down from 3,680 in the previous quarter. This reflects the resilience of Singapore's business sector, where retrenchments remain low and are largely attributed to business restructuring rather than industry Pickering, APAC Senior Economist at Indeed, commented on the softer employment growth, noting, 'Singapore's job market remains tight, but employment growth is showing signs of softening. Geopolitical and economic uncertainty, including a potential US-led trade war, could weigh upon Singapore's economy over the remainder of the year, affecting job creation."Pickering highlighted that Q1 2025 saw the weakest employment gains since the post-pandemic recovery began, with key sectors such as professional services, manufacturing, and information & communications experiencing declines. However, the continued strength in healthcare and financial services helped offset some of the ahead, Pickering expects that businesses will remain cautious in their hiring decisions due to the uncertain global and regional economic climate. 'While Singapore's labour market remains tight compared to other countries, we expect it to loosen as the year progresses,' he added. Despite these concerns, forward-looking indicators like job vacancies and job advertisements remain elevated, suggesting that employment growth could continue in the short response to the economic uncertainty, the Singapore government has introduced several measures in Budget 2025 to support both employers and workers. These include the SkillsFuture Workforce Development Grant, which simplifies workforce transformation schemes, and the newly launched SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme, providing temporary financial support to unemployed individuals as they seek new employment Singapore navigates a period of global economic uncertainty, the focus remains on upskilling and workforce transformation to ensure resilience in the labour market.
