Employment & labour

• Ong Teng Koon asked the Minister for Education to specify performance metrics for evaluating the SkillsFuture programme’s impact on productivity and employment.
• Ong Ye Kung noted the lack of universal metrics but cited Singapore’s use of employer and trainee feedback, with over 80% of trainees and 92% of employers reporting improved performance.
• Programme-specific studies show positive outcomes, including wage premiums of up to 6% for WSQ trainees and about 10% for SkillsFuture Earn and Learn Programme graduates compared to peers.
• National data indicates the training participation rate among residents rose from 35% in 2015 to 48% in 2018, reflecting growing engagement with SkillsFuture initiatives.

• From 2017 to 2019, the SAF re-employed a limited number of retired officers in roles that do not require physical rigor, as most retire around age 50, with remuneration packages pegged to civilian jobs to compensate for shorter careers.
• The SAF supports retired personnel through the Career Transition Resource Centre and the Lifelong Employability & Advancement Programme (LEAP), offering career coaching, networking, job referrals, and funded time-off for training and job searches, resulting in 80% securing jobs within six months of retirement.
• SAF personnel receive transferable skills through structured training in leadership, management, HR, finance, operations research, and pedagogy, with programs aligned to Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) standards and collaborations with educational institutions for professional accreditation.

• Ang Hin Kee inquired about the number of private hire car operators employing Permanent Residents (PRs) as drivers and whether companies must advertise vacancies locally before hiring.
• Khaw Boon Wan responded that only Singapore Citizens and PRs are eligible for the Private Hire Car Driver's Vocational Licence, with PRs constituting just over 5% of such licence holders as of August 2019.
• The Ministry of Manpower requires companies to advertise job vacancies on the national Jobs Bank before hiring Employment Pass holders, but PRs do not require a work pass to be employed.

• Jessica Tan inquired about the number and trend of re-employment disputes over the last three years and the main issues involved.
• MOM reported around 60 annual re-employment disputes from 2016 to 2018, with a slight uptick possibly due to the extended re-employment age to 67 and heightened awareness, though the proportion of affected employees remains very small.
• The main dispute issues are over employees meeting performance or medical criteria and dissatisfaction with re-employment terms, with about 70% resolved through mediation and only about four cases yearly proceeding to adjudication.

• The Prime Minister affirmed that building a strong local talent pool is a key priority for the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and is detailed in the financial services Industry Transformation Map, with tripartite partners collaborating to implement strategies.
• Key initiatives include reskilling professionals through the Professional Conversion Programme to redeploy them into growing roles and organizing workshops with partners like NTUC and e2i to support career transitions.
• MAS launched the Technology in Finance Immersion Programme to train locals in areas like cloud computing and data analytics, while also leveraging work-learn pathways and subsidizing training to deepen specialist skills, benefiting about 21,000 individuals annually.
• Efforts are underway to develop the local leadership pipeline, supporting Singaporeans through management associate programmes, overseas postings, and leadership training, with about 700 Singaporeans benefiting from 2016 to 2018.

• Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry proposed expanding SkillsFuture awards for Singaporeans aged 40 and above amid economic slowdown.
• The Ministry explained that award numbers are set by sectoral agencies based on manpower and skills needs in growth sectors.
• Ong Ye Kung stated that if conditions worsen, the government will consider extra measures like training, skills upgrading, and Professional Conversion Programmes to help workers stay employed or transition sectors.

• Member Saktiandi Supaat proposed enhancing TAFEP by introducing company targets for older worker employment and certification for age-inclusive workplaces, while also suggesting stricter enforcement against companies that fail to localise their workforce and expanding the Capability Transfer Programme to support skills transfer from existing foreign employees.
• Member Desmond Choo agreed on tackling age discrimination but cautioned against overly punitive measures, advocating instead for public naming of errant employers, longitudinal studies to detect biased practices, and rewarding companies that promote inclusive hiring through incentives like administrative green lanes.
• Minister of State Zaqy Mohamad affirmed the government's multi-pronged approach through TAFEP and MOM, highlighting current measures like the Fair Consideration Framework and tripartite standards, while noting the importance of balancing anti-discrimination efforts with maintaining Singapore's business competitiveness and reviewing Employment Pass criteria as needed.

The CPF (Amendment) Bill introduces a pilot "Contribute-as-you-Earn" scheme to help self-employed persons make regular MediSave contributions, with the government considering matching contributions for participants. The bill also amends the CPF Act to allow refunds for CPF contributions on repayable conditional wages, such as sign-on bonuses. Additionally, the Retirement Sum Scheme payout duration is shortened from age 95 to 90 to increase monthly payouts, with no reduction for existing recipients.

• Assoc Prof Walter Theseira inquired about the reasons for allowing foreign instructors to conduct classes without a Work Pass if no administrative work is done, why administrative tasks like setting assessments are excluded, and whether this exclusion can be waived to strengthen educational objectives.
• The Ministry of Manpower explained that exemptions apply to short-term activities like workshops or seminars, as participants do not become part of the regular workforce, but not for permanent faculty roles involving administrative duties.
• MOM requires Work Passes for foreign instructors in educational institutions if they perform administrative tasks such as setting and grading assessments, as these indicate more permanent employment.

• The healthcare workforce grew by about 18,000 staff over the last four years, but it is not explicitly confirmed if the 30,000 manpower gap from 2015 to 2020 was fully filled.
• There are currently about 42,000 registered nurses, up from 38,000 in 2014, but no specific figure is given for the current shortfall of nurses.
• Approximately 3% of practising nurses across the healthcare sector work on a part-time basis on average between 2015 and 2018.
• Efforts to optimise manpower include automation, streamlining work processes, and shifting care to the community.
• The government is focusing on initiatives to raise productivity to address workforce gaps in healthcare.

• Over the past five years, nurses who left the public healthcare sector served an average of seven years, including those who moved to private or community care or left nursing entirely.
• The Return to Nursing (RTN) scheme, enhanced to a Place-and-Train model, allows returning nurses to secure employment first, receive a salary during refresher courses, and share course costs between employers and the government.
• Since the RTN programme launched in 2010, about 120 nurses have re-joined through the scheme, with approximately 400 local nurses returning to practice annually over the last decade.

• Minister Gan Kim Yong explained that measures to attract students and healthcare professionals to specialise in geriatric medicine and related fields include early exposure during medical training, increased specialist training positions, and additional allowances for geriatric medicine specialists.
• The number of training positions for geriatric medicine, rehabilitation medicine, and palliative medicine more than doubled from 11 to 23 between 2013 and 2019.
• A local training programme in Geriatric Pharmacy started in 2016, having trained three pharmacists so far and aiming to train another nine in the next three years.
• Hospitals conduct in-house structured courses and offer an Advanced Diploma in Nursing (Gerontology), with 497 nurses having undergone this diploma in the last seven years.
• The effectiveness of these measures is reflected in the increased training capacity and participation numbers, though ongoing efforts are needed to meet the demands of Singapore's ageing population.

• Louis Ng Kok Kwang questioned why childcare leave is not granted on a per child basis, seeking the government's rationale.
• The government explained that childcare leave is provided per parent to balance parental support with employers' manpower needs, citing concerns over increased costs and potential negative effects on parents with more children.
• Alternative support measures include promoting flexible work arrangements, enhancing grants, and launching tripartite standards to aid work-life harmony.

• The Ministry of Education plans tertiary places based on long-term national manpower needs rather than short-term economic changes.
• SkillsFuture Singapore offers modular Continuing Education and Training programmes across sectors to support workers during economic downturns.
• If conditions worsen, the government will increase support for workers through these training programmes to help them gain relevant skills and transition to growth areas.

• Mr Pritam Singh inquired whether Singapore has conducted local or independent studies on workplace bullying in response to the Kantar Inclusion Index.
• Mrs Josephine Teo cited a 2018 MOM survey where 2.4% of workers reported experiencing workplace bullying, noting this aligns with low international figures and criticizing Kantar’s broader definition for inflating statistics.
• The government emphasized its strict legal framework against workplace harassment and announced TAFEP’s role as a resource centre, which has handled 27 cases since its launch.
• Authorities urged individuals facing harassment to contact TAFEP for advice and support, while cautioning against misinterpreting media reports based on skewed indices.

• The Minister noted that while over 90% of employers provide medical benefits to local employees, fewer than 4% offer portable benefits like additional MediSave contributions, with the Tripartite Workgroup recommending a shift to more flexible options like MediSave top-ups.
• The government has incentivized portable benefits through enhanced tax deductions and raised MediSave contribution limits, while noting that the ageing workforce and duplicate coverage under MediShield Life make traditional Group Hospitalisation schemes less sustainable.
• For foreign employees, employers of Work Permit and S Pass holders must cover medical costs and provide insurance of $15,000 annually, whereas Employment Pass holders typically receive healthcare benefits as part of their package but are not legally required to.

• Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang sought clarification on the Ministry of Manpower's website write-up regarding childcare leave, specifically asking for clearer definitions of "matters that cannot be postponed" and whether child sickness is included, as well as clarification on "early notice" and the required notice period for employees.
• Mrs Josephine Teo responded that childcare leave is legislated under the Child Development Co-Savings Act and Employment Act, but employer approval is required and cannot be unreasonably withheld, with early notice being practical for planning but not feasible for sudden, unpostponable matters like child illness.
• The Ministry noted that prescribing specific notice hours or days is impractical due to varying business needs, but employees can report unreasonable denial of leave to MOM, and the website will be reviewed to distinguish between legal provisions and practical advice.

• About 90% of retiring teachers were offered re-employment from 2014 to 2018, with offers based primarily on performance and conduct, not affected by school mergers.
• Teacher workforce numbers have remained stable over the last five years, with improved pupil-to-teacher ratios due to smaller student cohorts.
• No evidence was provided of excess teachers in the system, as teachers are deployed to meaningful work amid falling birth rates.

• Mrs Josephine Teo reported improved employment rates for older Singaporeans, with residents aged 50-59 rising from 70% in 2008 to 76% in 2018, and those aged 60-64 increasing from 47% to 60% over the same period.
• The Government fully accepted the Tripartite Workgroup’s recommendations, including raising the Retirement Age to 63 and Re-employment Age to 68 from July 2022, with further increases to 65 and 70 by 2030.
• Additional measures include voluntary early adoption of higher retirement and re-employment ages, transformative job redesign, structured career planning for older workers, and promoting part-time employment opportunities.
• Both employers and older workers are urged to contribute: employers to redesign workplaces and ensure skills relevance, and workers to upgrade skills and remain adaptable to new roles.
• The Government pledged support for these changes, with more details to be provided in Budget 2020.

• The Central Provident Fund (Amendment) Bill was presented by the Minister of State for Manpower (Mr Zaqy Mohamad) on behalf of the Minister for Manpower to amend the Central Provident Fund Act.
• The Bill was read for the first time and scheduled for a second reading in the next available sitting of Parliament.
• The amendment will be printed, following parliamentary procedure for legislative changes to the CPF system.