Government Assistance to Small and Micro Businesses on Staff Hire

Mr Thomas Chua Kee Seng asked the Minister for Manpower how can the Government better help SMEs, particularly the small and micro SMEs, to hire the staff they need as they attempt to transform and upgrade their businesses.

Taking a whole-of-Government approach to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) transform and upgrade, Government agencies, including SPRING, Workforce Singapore (WSG), the Infocomm Media Development Authority, Building and Construction Authority, Singapore Tourism Board and Economic Development Board, together with the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i), offer a one-stop service under the Lean Enterprise Development Scheme (LEDS). The main scope of support covers the development of new capability, new capacity and new markets. It also helps SMEs to meet their manpower needs by becoming more manpower-lean and improving human resource practices. SMEs on LEDS may also receive transitional manpower support to keep existing processes running while they transit to new, manpower-lean methods of production or service.

SMEs, particularly the micro and small SMEs, can also receive help from WSG to recruit professionals, managers, executives and technicians through programmes, such as P-Max and Career Support Programme. The e2i has also developed Place-and-Train programmes for various sectors to help SMEs hire, train and retain workers. To attract younger talent, SMEs can tap on the SkillsFuture Earn and Learn programme to recruit local graduates from the polytechnics and Institutes of Technical Education. SPRING's SME Talent Programme further supports SMEs' talent attraction efforts through quality internships.

In addition, WSG helps companies, including SMEs, in their recruitment through career fairs.

As our economy makes the transition to become more manpower-lean, we encourage SMEs to make full use of the support offered by LEDS and various agencies. They may approach any of the 12 SME Centres for assistance.