MPs raise concerns over jobs, AI disruption and support for caregivers during debate

SINGAPORE - Jobs – particularly youth anxieties about getting them – featured strongly in MPs’ speeches on day one of the debate on the

President’s Address

.

Several of the 12 MPs who spoke on Sept 22 raised the issue, which has come to the fore in recent months.

Mr Sharael Taha (Pasir Ris-Changi GRC), who opened the debate, said Singapore faced a paradox with graduates saying they could not find jobs and businesses lamenting that they could not find workers.

“The mismatch lies not in numbers but in alignment – between skills taught and skills and experience demanded, and between expectations and realities,” he said.

He suggested scaling up the

Graduate Industry Traineeship Programme

– a newly launched traineeship programme that supports fresh graduates in getting industry experience as they look for a full-time job.

“We need more businesses to come forward, to invest in our graduates, to mentor them, to give them the business context and prepare them for future roles,” he added.

Mr Sharael also mooted expanding structured apprenticeships to provide technical training, business context and ready trainees for the workplace. The collaboration between the Government, industry and educational institutions can be strengthened to align efforts and set standards, he added.

Community initiatives to form peer-support groups and link job seekers to professional networks should also be encouraged, he said.

Joining the debate, Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash said young Singaporeans feel both optimism and unease.

The first-term East Coast GRC MP, who is also Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth, acknowledged that there are anxieties over job availability and potential displacements arising from technology and global economic shifts.

“My colleagues and I at the Ministry of Manpower will do whatever we can to help to be a bridge for you and to connect you to jobs, access your career, health, highlight industries that are growing, and to help you acquire the skills needed for roles in these sectors,” Mr Dinesh said.

He added that his other areas of focus are seniors and protecting the vulnerable.

“With competing demands, reducing family sizes and Singapore’s economic development, it is not unreasonable for there to be the expectation for the state to do more. Not for the Government to be the sole safety net, but to play a stronger role,” Mr Dinesh said.

Ms Tin Pei Ling (Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC) was among the MPs who touched on artificial intelligence (AI) disruption.

The rise of AI has affected entry-level jobs, and job-search strategies that used to work may not any longer, she said, adding that fragmented career paths could be a permanent trend.

The fourth-term MP added that the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in young Singaporeans missing out on internships and overseas exchange experiences.

“It is thus heartening to observe the Government’s efforts in supporting our youth in their education and employment,” Ms Tin said. “Such efforts to empower and keep them relevant must continue.”

Singapore may not be where foundational technology gets invented, but it can invent new systems and excel in applications, she added.

NTUC secretary-general Ng Chee Meng (Jalan Kayu) said AI must mean better jobs, wages and work prospects for workers.

The labour chief noted that many workers see AI as a threat that will replace them in their jobs.

To help businesses and workers be ready for the new technology, the labour movement wants to work with the Government and tripartite partners to roll out an AI adoption and training initiative, tentatively called AI Ready SG, he said.

He envisioned the initiative as a one-stop platform to integrate existing resources that workers can tap to upskill and navigate career transitions, while employers can tap resources to embark on practical AI transformation.

Mr Ng also called for more support for caregivers, noting that many workers still struggle with the day-to-day reality of balancing a job or tending to the needs of a family member with special needs.

He suggested expanding flexible work arrangements and enshrining caregiving leave.

Efforts must also be redoubled to help caregivers who have left their jobs return to work, he added.

Existing “back to work” programmes can be better designed and improved to bridge skill gaps, find suitable opportunities and give employers incentives to hire returning caregivers, he said.

The ecosystem of care also has to be strengthened to ensure that care support for the elderly and those with disabilities is available, affordable and accessible, Mr Ng added.

To this end, Singapore must be prepared to review policies to better support caregivers, including reviewing limits and subsidies to defray costs and providing Central Provident Fund top-ups for primary caregivers with insufficient retirement adequacy, he said.

Community care services should be enhanced, he added, including for people with special needs, those with mental health conditions, and those with dementia.

Mr Ng also suggested strengthening coordination so that families do not have to struggle to navigate schemes across different agencies.

Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim (Chua Chu Kang GRC) similarly proposed more support for families and caregivers.

He suggested extending schemes such as the

Large Families Scheme’s LifeSG Credits

to support more families, including families with stepchildren.

He also called for more childcare leave and support for families with more children, expanding intergenerational programmes, improving after-school care, and providing more relief for caregivers.

“Just as in chess every piece matters, in Singapore every family – no matter its form – deserves our support,” he said.

Labour MP Melvin Yong (Radin Mas) said Singapore’s success must never be measured by economic growth alone, but by how it supports the vulnerable.

NTUC will ensure that wages keep pace with inflation, and workers are not left behind, he said.

He added that the labour movement intends to expand the Progressive Wage Model into more sectors like pest management, which sees low wages and high attrition.

The model, which sets out sector-specific minimum salary levels tied to a worker’s skills and productivity improvements, currently covers sectors such as cleaning, landscape maintenance and security.

Mr Yong also asked that the local qualifying salary, which is the minimum amount that local employees must be paid by firms that hire foreign workers, be further raised, to ensure that firms hiring foreign manpower also increase the wages of their local workers.