Measures to Ensure Skills Transfer from Employment Pass Holders to Local Workers to Build Up Local Capabilities

Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what measures are in place to ensure skills transfer from employment pass holders to local workers to build up local capabilities; (b) how are companies currently committed to such skills transfer; (c) whether there is a timeframe for companies to ensure such skills transfer; and (d) if so, what is the timeframe.

Helping our people acquire skills to access good jobs has been a long-standing priority for the Government. In the 1990s, about three in 10 employed locals were in Professional, Manager, Executive and Technician (PMET) jobs. Today, about six in 10 employed locals are in PMET jobs. This is achieved through creating good jobs, motivating individuals to upskill or reskill, promoting employer commitment to fair hiring and progression, and sustaining Government investments in education and training.

For PMETs, the process of skills transfer is rarely linear or one-to-one. In the course of developing their careers, PMETs learn from a variety of people including their peers, superiors, customers and suppliers. They may also acquire valuable skills through a range of assignments, including overseas postings, and even job changes to gain exposure to different industries or markets. Structured training programmes also play a part. These opportunities for skills acquisition require employers that are supportive and intentional in staff development, as well as individuals who take ownership of their learning and development. The Government commits significant resources to expand such opportunities through the Skillsfuture movement and the many programmes in place to upskill and reskill our workforce.

In regulating the presence of work pass holders in Singapore, our aim is to enable businesses to continually create good jobs while keeping the labour market tight. For the broad majority of PMETs, these conditions provide better benefits than prescriptive micro-measures targeted at specific work pass holders. With more jobs requiring higher skills, there is added impetus to level up skills acquisition through multiple pathways.

Our work pass policies are therefore regularly reviewed and adjusted. For example, we raised the qualifying salary criteria for Employment Pass applicants in 2017 and twice more in 2020. Likewise, for S Pass holders, we reduced the S Pass sub-Dependency Ratio Ceilings for the Services, Construction, Marine Shipyard and Process sectors in the past two years.

We will continue to review and adjust our work pass policies in support of local employment outcomes.