Forum: SkillsFuture can help more long-term jobless Singaporeans return to work

The Government’s reply to the Forum letter “Do more to raise awareness of support schemes for the unemployed” (April 23) clearly explained why the SkillsFuture Mid-Career Training Allowance is tied to recent employment (Government support in place to help job seekers and the unemployed, May 4).

The scheme is meant for people who leave work to attend full-time training, which is why applicants must have earned income in the past year. Those unemployed for longer periods can still receive subsidies, career coaching and job placement support.

But the exchange also raised a bigger question about Singapore’s workforce system.

Singapore is quite good at helping workers move from one job to another after retrenchment or restructuring. But it may be less prepared to help people return to work after being unemployed for a long time.

This matters because unemployment becomes harder to shake the longer it lasts.

At the start, most people believe they will find another job quickly. But after many months, savings run low, confidence drops, employers start asking about the employment gap, and retraining becomes harder to afford.

This may be when people need the most help to get back on their feet.

This challenge could grow in the years ahead because of artificial intelligence and economic changes. Future job displacement may not always be short-term. Some workers may face repeated job losses, longer job searches, or difficulty re-entering the workforce mid-career.

The bigger national risk is not just unemployment itself, but people slowly giving up on returning to work altogether.

That affects not only the individual, but also Singapore’s long-term workforce strength, productivity and retirement adequacy.

This is not a call for open-ended unemployment benefits. Singapore’s focus on skills and employability remains the right approach.

But perhaps the next phase of SkillsFuture should focus not only on helping people train, but also on helping more long-term unemployed Singaporeans successfully return to work.

As SkillsFuture Singapore and Workforce Singapore move towards closer integration, this may be a good opportunity to strengthen support for workers trying to rebuild their careers after long periods out of employment.

Ives Tay