A new SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme will focus on helping lower- and middle-income workers. – The Straits Times
SINGAPORE: Workers who lose their jobs will get up to S$6,000 (US$4,574) in temporary financial support to tide them over through an upcoming scheme.
They can benefit from this new SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme for up to six months.
On their part, they should go for training, career coaching and job matching services, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong as he unveiled some details of the scheme in his maiden National Day Rally speech on Sunday (Aug 18).
“These are essential investments that you need to make in yourself to find better jobs,” PM Wong said.
“This is the essence of our renewed social compact. We will have your back, we will stand by you, but you too must take responsibility for your actions, and make an effort to pull yourself up.”
The scheme will focus on helping lower- and middle-income workers, including those who are retrenched or who lose their jobs when their companies fail.
Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng will provide more details about the new scheme in due course, PM Wong said, without giving a date.
In his speech at the ITE College Central, PM Wong also said the Government wanted to find a better alternative to unemployment insurance, which is offered in some countries.
He said the Government has “always been wary” about unemployment insurance as the experience in countries that have the insurance has not always been positive, because someone receiving a generous benefit could find it more attractive to stay unemployed than to return to work.
Still, PM Wong noted that losing a job is a major setback that could seriously destabilise workers and their families, underscoring the need to lessen the strain on those affected.
He added that the Government was ready to introduce the new scheme following discussions with the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and wider labour movement, which have been advocating for such support.
NTUC first mooted financial support for displaced professionals in October 2021 following a year-long consultation exercise it conducted with the Singapore National Employers Federation on the kinds of support professionals, managers and executives need.
Dr Tan confirmed in November 2022 that the Government was studying the feasibility and benefits of such a scheme.
The scheme was announced by then Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the 2023 National Day Rally.
He said at the time that it is intended to enable those who are laid off to attend skills courses, rather than having to seize whatever job is offered out of desperation.
In his May Day message on April 24, Dr Tan indicated that the scheme would be unveiled by the end of 2024.
PM Wong provided some details of the scheme for the first time on Aug 18.
He also announced on the same day that trainees attending part-time courses will be able to tap some of the SkillsFuture Mid-Career Training Allowance.
The allowance of up to S$3,000 a month for up to 24 months over a Singaporean’s lifetime, subject to eligibility conditions, was initially announced in Budget 2024.
Set to launch in early 2025, it was initially limited to those taking up selected full-time courses, to partially offset income loss from taking time off work.
PM Wong said in his Aug 18 speech that the upcoming allowance would let workers space out their training for a fresh injection of skills whenever they need as they progress in their careers.
However, he noted that those taking up part-time courses do not have it easy, even if they continue to receive their salaries.
They have to go for classes after work, for one thing.
“There will also be expenses associated with training, like fees and books,” PM Wong said.
The Ministry of Education is working on the expansion and will share more details when they are ready.
PM Wong also sketched out why the Government needs to do more to equip Singaporeans with the skills to stay competitive.
He said that although Singapore has an excellent workforce, the pace of change across industries and workplaces will accelerate.
Some jobs will become obsolete, but new jobs with better pay will also be created, he added.
“To adapt to this churn, we must all embrace lifelong learning.”
“Some are able to adapt and thrive, but others feel the changes are happening too quickly and find it hard to keep pace,” he added, acknowledging that not everyone finds it easy to learn throughout their lives.
He assured Singaporeans: “Anyone who wants to upgrade their skills – at any point in their lives, no matter how old – will be given the opportunity to do so in Singapore. This is my commitment to each and every one of you.”
The moves to strengthen the SkillsFuture movement are meant to entrench it as a key pillar in Singapore’s social compact, he said.
Summing up, PM Wong said: “As our economic transformation continues, we will do more to enhance Singapore businesses, and to equip and support every Singaporean, including when they encounter setbacks.” – The Straits Times/ANN
