SINGAPORE - Both white-collar job seekers and blue-collar workers can approach satellite career centres to access the full variety of vacancies available, Manpower Minister Josephine Teo said on Wednesday (Oct 14).

"At the satellite career centres, as is the case for all the other touch points we have with job seekers, all these jobs can be made available," Mrs Teo told Parliament, referring to vacancies on offer by companies amid the Covid-19 outbreak.

Mrs Teo was responding to Workers' Party MP Gerald Giam (Aljunied GRC), who asked whether unskilled job seekers can get help through other channels besides SGUnited Jobs and Skills centres.

The SGUnited Jobs and Skills package, of which the career centres form a part, was announced by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat in the fourth Budget this year aimed at creating opportunities for workers hit by the economic fallout due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr Giam said that such centres seem to focus on placing professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs). Mrs Teo responded that the majority of matches made under the SGUnited Jobs and Skills package have been for non-PMET positions.

"Our experience is that matching people into PMET jobs takes longer. It has actually been easier to match people in non-PMET roles.

"Right now, the focus has to be on the companies making these opportunities available to job seekers, letting the job seekers know that they are interested to take in people as trainees or as mid-career attachments," said Mrs Teo.

She added that the ministry is working not only with the Singapore Business Federation that is maintaining the list of approved host organisations but also with trade associations and chambers.

The ministry is also following up closely with companies that have offered traineeships to understand their concerns about converting attachments to permanent jobs, Mrs Teo said in response to MPs Carrie Tan (Nee Soon GRC) and Liang Eng Hwa (Bukit Panjang).

She added: "A lot of companies are looking ahead to the future and seeing that this is a good time to expose more jobseekers to their industries or to the jobs that were previously less well sought-after."

Companies assess the business outlook when deciding to fill a permanent position and also whether the trainee has "exhibited good ability to gel with the team as well as to contribute to the organisation", Mrs Teo said.

One way that the Government is nudging employers to hire local workers is through the Jobs Growth Initiative (JGI).

Mrs Teo said that payouts aimed at speeding up the hiring of local workers are reduced in proportion to the number of existing employees that left the company after the scheme started last month.

"This gives the firms assurance of funding support while signalling early that they should make efforts to retain existing employees even as they bring in new hires," she added.

From August onward, firms have had to increase the number of local workers to qualify for the JGI payouts.

Mrs Teo said: "A firm that initially increased its local headcount but subsequently reduced... below its original level would also stop receiving future JGI payouts."

Companies must also increase the number of local employees in jobs that pay at least $1,400 in gross monthly wages, she added.

"We view any attempt to abuse grant schemes very seriously and will not hesitate to report any malpractices or abuse to the police for investigation and possible prosecution," said Mrs Teo.