Workers in skilled trades set to receive more career help from MOM, starting with electricians
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A new pilot is in the works to provide a more structured career and skills progression ladder and apprenticeships for electricians.
PHOTO: PIXABAY
SINGAPORE – Electricians, as well as Singaporeans interested in joining the trade, are set to receive more career support as part of efforts to uplift skilled trades in Singapore
A new pilot is in the works to provide a more structured career and skills progression ladder and apprenticeships for electricians, said Manpower Minister Tan See Leng in Parliament on March 3.
The ministry has inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Specialists Trade Alliance of Singapore to develop initiatives in these areas, he added.
The alliance, which represents building specialist contractors and suppliers in the building and construction industry, covers a broad range of trade jobs.
Speaking at the debate on his ministry’s budget, Dr Tan noted that there is greater awareness that there are diverse pathways to success, and “every profession deserves recognition and respect”.
“Electrical work, for example, will remain indispensable in our transition to a green and AI-powered economy,” he said.
“Yet with the workforce ageing in such trades, we need to think harder about workforce renewal and attracting more Singaporeans to join these trades.”
Dr Tan was responding to Ms Diana Pang (Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC) and Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC), who posed questions on skilled trades during the debate.
Ms Pang had asked whether a structured career pathway for skilled trades is being developed, while Mr Saktiandi asked if the ministry tracks medium- to long-term manpower projections for certain critical skilled trades.
Responding, Dr Tan noted that even with the rise of artificial intelligence, such trades will remain essential in Singapore’s future economy.
He gave the example of a young Singaporean who joined the electrical trade, despite having trained in aerospace engineering at the Institute of Technical Education.
Electrical engineer Koh Jia Xing, who works at Syntigro Engineering, once undertook a project to replace a hospital’s main electrical switchboard while it remained fully operational.
“It was high-stakes, challenging work, but one that gave a sense of fulfilment and pride in how tradespeople can keep critical systems running,” said Dr Tan.
In a reply to a follow-up question, he disclosed that the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is also exploring plumbing and air-conditioner maintenance as essential trade areas to grow.
“We have started with the electrical trade, given its essential role in our future economy, deep skills content and the need to build a strong local pipeline. We will learn from this to scale up our efforts to other trades,” he said.
Funding boost for firms to redesign jobs, train workers
The move to uplift skilled trades is part of a wider effort to boost support for the local workforce in terms of training and securing career pathways.
Dr Tan said companies will also get more training help, such as up to $150,000 for job redesign projects under the $400 million Enterprise Workforce Transformation Package (EWTP).
From March, companies with at least three Singaporean and permanent resident employees can receive up to 70 per cent of project costs to redesign job roles, capped at $150,000 per company.
The new EWTP initiative, called the SkillsFuture Workforce Development Grant (Job Redesign+), provides higher support levels for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Companies can also tap the funding to engage experts to build internal capabilities, assess AI readiness, identify opportunities and implement solutions such as AI-powered human resource tools.
This builds on the earlier support for job redesign under the Productivity Solutions Grant, which supported smaller-scale job redesign projects, capped at $30,000 per company.
The redesigned SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit
Initiatives like EWTP, which couples productivity support with workforce support, can ensure that AI augments rather than replaces human contribution, said Dr Tan.
Meanwhile, the Alliance for Action on Advancing Career and Employment Services work group is launching nine pilots with private sector partners to enhance services for workers at every stage, from fresh graduates to seniors to SMEs.
The work group, which was announced in July 2025 by MOM and the Singapore National Employers Federation, aims to bring together private career and employment service providers to strengthen workers’ employability and career mobility.
For example, it will test services combining career guidance and industry exposure to support the school-to-work transition.
Meanwhile, new ways to work flexibly or return to work for seniors and caregivers will be explored. The work group will roll out its recommendations in the second half of 2026.
The Careers and Skills Passport, which consolidates a worker’s career and skills from government-verified sources in one centralised location, expanded its partnerships from two to five job portals.
These are MyCareersFuture, Careers@Gov, EASE, FindSGJobs and eFinancialCareers.
Dr Tan highlighted that job applications with verified credentials are 1½ times more likely to be shortlisted by employers, following the integration of the passport with job portals Jobstreet and FastJobs.
Higher training allowance for lower-wage workers
From July 2026, lower-wage workers who take short training courses will receive a higher training allowance of $10.50 an hour, up from $6 an hour.
This is an enhancement of the basic tier of Workfare Skills Support scheme that aims to encourage workers earning not more than $3,000 monthly to upskill.
Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash said this will help workers meet their Progressive Wage Model training requirements or take up Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) courses.
The scheme will also be streamlined to reduce complexity, he added.
Only trainees who attain full qualifications, such as WSQ qualifications or Academic Continuing Education and Training qualifications, will get the training commitment award of $800 a year.
“These have been found to lead to better outcomes for trainees, compared to modules that do not lead to formal qualifications,” he added.
From the fourth quarter of 2026, the list of courses supported by the Workfare Skills Support Level-Up programme will be expanded to include long-form WSQ full qualifications. Application for the programme has been open since February 2026.
Mr Dinesh said this programme will support lower-wage workers in pursuing more substantive forms of upskilling and reskilling “without needing to worry” about making ends meet. These courses can help position lower-wage workers to take up better and higher-paying jobs as well, he noted.
“Lower-wage workers may face unique constraints in stepping away from work to pursue training,” he said.
Noting that the authorities understand the challenges, he added: “They will not have to choose between earning an income today and equipping themselves with skills for tomorrow.”
