EVEN in a recession, there are many jobs available for Singaporeans, particularly in the sectors of healthcare, education and hospitality, according to Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

Many people either do not know about these jobs or do not realise that they can easily meet the jobs' requirements with some training, he said at the official opening of the Career Development Resource Centre on Saturday.

The centre, a one-stop information and referral centre for low-skilled Indian job seekers, is located within the Umar Pulavar Tamil Language Centre in Jalan Besar.

The job vacancies available ranged from those which require little or no training, such as nursing aides or front-line hotel staff, to those which require specialised diplomas, such as radiographers or therapists, he said.

Citing the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Home Affairs, Mr Shanmugaratnam added that the government will be accelerating its hiring plans over the next few years.

'It is not just the job of schools, polytechnics and tertiary institutions to ensure that Singaporeans are ready for the changing workplace demands. It is a continuous exercise,' said Mr Shanmugaratnam, who also gave out 80 Indian Community Bursary Awards to needy students at a concurrent event.