Debated in Parliament on 9 Jul 2018.
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what is the resident employment rate for those aged 25 to 64 with education qualifications below secondary school level; and (b) what are the initiatives to help those in this category who are currently unemployed to find a job.
The employment rate for residents4 aged 25 to 64 with below secondary qualifications was 67% in 20175, higher than most Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. Of the remaining 33% who were not in employment, 30 percentage points were outside the labour force, that is, not looking for a job mainly due to family responsibilities and health-related reasons; and the remaining were unemployed, that is, looking for a job. In 2017, the annual average unemployment rate of 2.6% for residents with below secondary qualifications was lower than the overall resident annual average unemployment rate of 3.1%.
There is a wide range of support under the Government’s Adapt and Grow initiative to assist unemployed jobseekers, including those with below secondary qualifications.
To address "missed matches", Workforce Singapore’s (WSG's) Careers Connect and the National Trades Union Congress' Employment and Employability Institute centres provide a suite of career matching services that caters to the different needs of each jobseeker.
To address mismatches in skills or expectations, there are programmes, such as Place and Train and Career Trial, to help jobseekers secure a job.
Through the Adapt and Grow initiative, the Government placed about 2,500 jobseekers with below secondary qualifications into new jobs and careers in 2017.
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