National strategy proposed to help workers navigate AI impact on jobs

SINGAPORE – A national workforce strategy that aims to build artificial intelligence (AI) literacy among Singapore workers, as well as a review of how the Government supports upskilling and reskilling, could help workers remain competitive in a changing economy.

Committees assembled under

Singapore’s Economic Strategy Review (ESR)

said on Jan 29 that the world is now increasingly shaped by technological and AI advancements, so workers here need to be prepared to identify and seize new opportunities.

Instead of seeking training only between jobs or during disruptions, workers should adopt a mindset of continuous learning to stay relevant, the committees said.

The ESR, launched in August 2025, comprises five committees tasked with developing a long-term economic blueprint to

help Singapore navigate a changing global landscape.

Its seven recommendations announced on Jan 29 are aimed at ensuring growth and good jobs for Singaporeans in future.

Speaking at a Jan 29 press conference, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong said it is no longer safe to assume that growth will automatically generate jobs, as automation and AI may reduce companies’ demand for workers.

“There is anxiety around this transition, this change – how is it going to affect our workforce. Whether it is AI, geopolitics or competition, these forces will cause our industries to change, our business and our economy to transform and restructure,” DPM Gan said.

“What is important is to make sure that in this journey, we do not leave out our workers. The way to help them to adapt to this new environment is through skills upgrading and education. We will double down on our efforts to support them... so that they will be AI-ready, job-ready and future-ready.”

Keeping workers relevant through continued training

One way to ensure Singaporeans secure good jobs is to make lifelong learning a practical reality for workers and empower them to take charge of their careers. This means more flexible pathways that blend training with work.

DPM Gan said it is about a mindset shift, where training while working becomes part of life and not just something workers do during a crisis or when out of a job.

“When you’re working, you think about, how can I upgrade myself? When I have a good job, I still think about, what are the new skills (I need)? That’s something that’s quite different, and in order to do that, we need to think about how we can get better at organising ourselves,” he said.

He added that it should not just be about having programmes available and workers signing up if they wish. 

Instead, workers need to recognise that feeling unfamiliar with something at work, such as AI, is simply a signal to upskill.

But this shift also requires reviewing how the Government organises itself to provide job and training support for Singaporeans.

Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo, who was also at the press conference, said: “There’s SkillsFuture and there’s Workforce Singapore, and they all play very important roles. But we want to see if there’s room for these to be a little more integrated, a little better organised so that Singaporeans and businesses find it easier to navigate.”

Fresh graduates and mid-career workers, too, must continue gaining new skills while they work, he added.

“We should also strengthen the involvement of employers in this whole effort, so that the skills that they learn can be quite quickly and quite directly translated into good business and good productivity outcomes.”

He noted that the Government will look into how it can structure and provide end-to-end connections from skills training to jobs.

Career transition support for displaced workers should also be strengthened, he said, adding that trade associations and chambers can work together to aggregate jobs and help workers find placements.

Building AI literacy

Another recommendation to help workers stay relevant is to build AI literacy and fluency across the workforce through a national AI workforce strategy.

Mr Neo said AI’s impact will be pervasive and affect all workers.

“We need to help every Singaporean become comfortable and confident with AI so that they can use it to increase their productivity,” he said.

Schools need to refresh the core curriculum so students can learn to use AI and go beyond it. Meanwhile, workers need to be able to use the technology and experiment with it in meaningful ways so they can be more productive, he said.

Businesses also can use AI to transform their processes.

“We expect the pace of change to be faster, (which) means that skills get obsolete quicker. This is where we need to double down on SkillsFuture efforts to work and learn together,” Mr Neo added.

Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow added that the goal is for people to associate Singapore with global AI leadership.

He noted that Singapore has already invested in AI for many years and companies have their centres of excellence here, but said that it can do more to invest in AI research and strengthen the talent pipeline.

DPM Gan added that companies should not remain at the basic level of using AI tools, but should leverage AI to completely transform their businesses and become more competitive globally.

He cited chip giant Micron as an example, noting that it uses AI to empower its facilities.

“This is something we hope our businesses can embrace – so it’s not that we just use AI, but that we become part of the developers of AI solutions, and a site for these solutions to be tested, piloted, deployed and scaled... all over the world.”

Broaden range of good jobs

The committees also recommended boosting efforts to uplift and transform jobs in sectors that may be more domestic-facing and on which households and businesses depend, such as skilled trades and roles in care and social services.

Mr Neo said there should be a broader range of good jobs that reflect Singaporeans’ aspirations and talents.

He noted that growth should not be limited to new roles brought about by AI, but that better success pathways can be developed for a broader set of jobs, like those in essential services.

Mr Neo cited electricians as an example, noting that their work can lead to new roles in power production and electric vehicles. New skills and certification pathways for this trade could help Singaporeans in the sector upskill and transform the traditional idea of an electrician.

This can also apply to care services, which are becoming increasingly vital as society ages. Mr Neo said technology can also augment the work of healthcare workers, helping them become more effective, productive and achieve better healthcare outcomes.