NDR 2025: CDCs to spearhead new effort to match job seekers to roles nearer to home, says PM Wong
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The move is part of wider efforts meant to create good jobs for Singaporeans of all ages and career stages to flourish.
PHOTO: SOUTH WEST CDC
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SINGAPORE – Job seekers looking to work nearer to their homes will be matched to suitable vacancies in or around the towns they live in under a new initiative, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced on Aug 17.
The initiative will be led by the community development councils (CDCs), owing to their strong networks with local merchants, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as well as community partners, said PM Wong at the 2025 National Day Rally.
“So they are well placed to match job seekers with vacancies – especially those who prefer to work closer to home,” he added.
The move is part of wider efforts meant to create good jobs for Singaporeans of all ages and career stages to flourish, riding on technological advancements such as in artificial intelligence, PM Wong outlined in his speech.
“Ultimately, our economic strategy is about jobs, jobs and jobs – that’s our No. 1 priority.”
The mayors who chair the five CDCs will share more details on the new job-matching initiative.
To help Singaporeans seize new job opportunities, the Government will also step up job-matching services, as well as bring more career fairs directly into tertiary institutions to help fresh graduates explore career possibilities and connect early with employers, PM Wong said.
He also gave an update on enhancements to the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme
The programme was launched in 2024 to give mid-career Singaporeans aged 40 and above a boost in keeping up with rapidly changing employer needs. It comprises a $4,000 top-up in SkillsFuture credits and a monthly training allowance of up to $3,000 for up to 24 months, initially for select full-time, higher-quality courses.
Moving forward, the Government will allow a portion of the training allowance to be claimed for part-time courses, PM Wong said in his rally speech.
In his Budget 2025 speech in February, he announced that a $300 training allowance would be provided for select part-time studies
More courses will qualify for support under the programme as well.
PM Wong said: “Currently, most of the courses are offered by the institutes of higher learning.
“We will... include more quality courses offered by industry leaders and private training providers.”
PM Wong cited Mr Vinoth Nanda Kumaran, 41, as a positive example of how the Government’s programmes help mid-career workers.
Mr Vinoth, who had previous stints in logistics and as a private-hire driver, is a football fan who started analysing match data to predict how his favourite teams would perform, PM Wong said. “That sparked a deeper interest in the world of data science, and he used his SkillsFuture credits to pursue a diploma in data engineering.”
Mr Vinoth graduated with his diploma in 2024 and is now studying part-time for a business analytics degree at the Singapore University of Social Sciences.
He has also clinched a job at the university as a business intelligence developer, PM Wong noted.
Mr Vinoth Nanda Kumaran used his SkillsFuture credits to pursue a diploma in data engineering.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF VINOTH NANDA KUMARAN
“This is what our economic strategy is all about – helping every worker progress and succeed.”
To do so, Singapore must keep building a dynamic economy that creates good jobs and better lives for all Singaporeans, he said.
“We may not be able to match other countries in size or scale, but we will stay ahead in ideas, in innovation, and in our collective will to move forward – together as one united people.”
Ms Yeo Wan Ling, an MP for Punggol GRC, told The Straits Times that there are residents in her constituency who want to work near their homes, such as mothers or caregivers returning to the workforce.
She said the CDC job-matching initiative can increase the availability of jobs providing flexible work arrangements, including professional, managerial, executive and technical roles.
She urged employers to set up satellite offices in neighbourhood towns, adding: “I hope that more SMEs will be able to do this.”
Additional reporting by Gabrielle Chan
Read more: Key announcements from PM Wong’s first National Day Rally
Watch PM Wong’s National Day Rally speech here:
