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Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (left) said that the masterplan spells out clear goals on this front, identifying sectors that need a push, and is expected to see the setting up of first-class adult training institutions. -- ST PHOTO: EDWIN KOO
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A NATIONAL masterplan has been drawn up to equip more workers with skills to keep pace with economic changes for the next 10 years.
More immediately, it will ramp up the training of workers from 20,000 to 80,000 each year.
The Government will pump in more money for it in this year's Budget, to be announced in two weeks' time, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the opening of a one-stop centre for jobs placement and training on Friday.
'We've have studied this carefully and decided to give a bigger push for continuing education and training in Singapore.'
The masterplan spells out clear goals on this front, identifying sectors that need a push, and is expected to see the setting up of first-class adult training institutions.
While several government agencies are involved in continuing education and training, the Manpower Ministry will coordinate the overall effort with the Education Ministry.
A wider range of training courses spanning more industries will be put up for all levels of workers, from rank and file to professionals, executives and managers.
Mr Lee said: 'If we do this well, we will deepen the skills base of our workforce, help workers to respond quickly to changes in the job market, and sharpen the competitiveness of our economy.'
The last time the Government significantly stepped up efforts in continuing education and training was in the aftermath of the Asian financial crisis 10 years ago.
The immediate priority was to retrain people who had lost their jobs, to clinch new jobs.
But worker training should not be a priority only during an economic downturn, Mr Lee said.
Schooling does not stop once a person starts working, because the skills acquired at school become less relevant with time. The worker should instead keep learning and upgrading his skills all his life.
Other countries have done a lot on this front, Mr Lee noted.
Australia, Canada, Britain and other European countries spend around 0.3 per cent or more of their GDP on worker training, so that mid-career workers, say, in manufacturing, can equip themselves for jobs in IT and finance services.
The Singapore Government currently spends about 0.1 per cent of its GDP, or $200 million a year.
It set up the Lifelong Learning Endowment Fund in 2001 and has built it up to $2.2 billion so far, almost half way to its $5 billion target.
'We've had a good year. I expect the Minister for Finance to be able to make a significant contribution to the Lifelong Learning Endowment Fund in the Budget.'
But it is not just about ploughing in money, he said.
Attitudes matter.
Companies need to see the value of investing in training their employees.
Workers need to keep an open mind to other careers.
Older workers, in particular, may find it harder to keep learning.
'As we grow older it takes more of an effort to study new things and pick up fresh skills. But those who have persevered have reaped the benefits,' he said.
Mr Lee also had words for training providers.
They must tailor training to the needs of adult workers, who have to take time off from work and look after children.
Their courses must be flexible, offered in modules and focus only on those skills that are required for work.
They even have to go beyond skills training.
This means helping people change their attitudes towards new career, reaching out to workers, motivating them to go for training and matching them with suitable jobs upon graduation.
The Government will work with training institutions and the labour movement, he said.
It will mobilise the polytechnics and Institutes of Technical Education to extend their expertise to adult workers. Industry associations can play their part by adopting national skills standards.
The labour movement can mobilise large numbers of workers to go for training and match them to jobs.
Its Employment and Employability Institute (e2i), which Mr Lee opened on Friday, is an example.
Since it began operations last September, it has trained 3,000 workers and helped 230 unemployed people find jobs.
This year, it plans to train more than 10,000 workers and secure 2,000
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