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Coffeeshop Chit Chat - PAP allows unemployed FTs to stay in SG!</TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=msgtable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msg vAlign=top><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgbfr1 width="1%"> </TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead vAlign=top><TD class=msgF width="1%" noWrap align=right>From: </TD><TD class=msgFname width="68%" noWrap>kojakbt_89 <NOBR></NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate width="30%" noWrap align=right>7:51 am </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT height=20 width="1%" noWrap align=right>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname width="68%" noWrap>ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> (1 of 5) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft rowSpan=4 width="1%"> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>34975.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt>Jun 22, 2010
More expats took up personalised work pass
They say the pass, valid for five years, provides flexibility and stability amid recession
<!-- by line -->By Melissa Sim
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DURING last year's recession, more foreign professionals chose to take up a Personalised Employment Pass (PEP), said human resource experts.
Human resource firms saw greater numbers of PEP holders seeking new employment last year, and such holders who spoke to The Straits Times said they did it for greater stability and flexibility, especially when the job market here was unstable.
The PEP, introduced in 2007 to attract highly skilled foreigners, allows non-Singaporeans to work here without being tied to a specific employer, unlike the traditional Employment Pass.
The PEP also differs from an employment pass in that it is valid for five years, but is non-renewable.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) declined to specify the number of foreigners on the pass, but said they fall within the 115,000 employment pass holders here as of last December.
The MOM added that PEP holders are employed in industries such as finance, insurance, the scientific and technical fields, and come mainly from Europe, Asia and the United States.
It is granted to foreigners who have graduated from tertiary institutions here and worked here for a period of time, or are professionals coming to Singapore to look for a job.
Mr Adam Bowden, manager of the specialist contracting division at recruitment firm Robert Walters, said he noticed the rise in PEP holders only after the economic downturn.
He said it is an 'added security' for those who may have lost their jobs or were uncertain of their job security, but still wanted to remain in Singapore.
Mr Steven Cresswell, 38, an information technology professional who got his PEP in 2008, said he was not at risk of losing his job, but 'if anything happened, at least I could stay in Singapore'.
An employment pass holder has to leave Singapore within 30 days if he loses his job, but a PEP holder has up to six months to look for a new employer.
Mr Cresswell, who is British, added that the pass gives him more flexibility in his career.
'I work in an industry where people tend to change jobs more frequently than others, so we need the flexibility,' he said.
The rise in contract work here has also led to more people taking up the PEP.
Mr Bowden said PEP holders can move from one contract to another without the need for employers to sponsor a new employment pass each time, thus making it more convenient for employers as well.
But not all employers are aware of the PEP, said those on the scheme.
American Adam Neely, 48, a control systems engineer, said he came to Singapore in October 2008 and was searching for a job while on a social visit pass, and then while on the PEP.
Although the PEP gave him time to search for a job, he said many employers - multinationals, local companies and even schools - would call him to ask about the pass and how it worked.
Companies that spoke to The Straits Times said they are aware of the scheme and welcome job applicants who are on it.
Han's Group deputy general manager Gan Yee Chin said: 'We are aware of it. It's just that we don't have any applicants so far. But we are definitely open to attracting a greater talent pool.'
Ms Christine Loh, director of the international manpower division at the MOM agreed, saying the scheme is an 'integral part of MOM's efforts to attract and retain global talent', and to ensure a 'more flexible working experience'.
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More expats took up personalised work pass
They say the pass, valid for five years, provides flexibility and stability amid recession
<!-- by line -->By Melissa Sim
<!-- end by line -->
<!-- end left side bar --><!-- story content : start -->
DURING last year's recession, more foreign professionals chose to take up a Personalised Employment Pass (PEP), said human resource experts.
Human resource firms saw greater numbers of PEP holders seeking new employment last year, and such holders who spoke to The Straits Times said they did it for greater stability and flexibility, especially when the job market here was unstable.
The PEP, introduced in 2007 to attract highly skilled foreigners, allows non-Singaporeans to work here without being tied to a specific employer, unlike the traditional Employment Pass.
The PEP also differs from an employment pass in that it is valid for five years, but is non-renewable.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) declined to specify the number of foreigners on the pass, but said they fall within the 115,000 employment pass holders here as of last December.
The MOM added that PEP holders are employed in industries such as finance, insurance, the scientific and technical fields, and come mainly from Europe, Asia and the United States.
It is granted to foreigners who have graduated from tertiary institutions here and worked here for a period of time, or are professionals coming to Singapore to look for a job.
Mr Adam Bowden, manager of the specialist contracting division at recruitment firm Robert Walters, said he noticed the rise in PEP holders only after the economic downturn.
He said it is an 'added security' for those who may have lost their jobs or were uncertain of their job security, but still wanted to remain in Singapore.
Mr Steven Cresswell, 38, an information technology professional who got his PEP in 2008, said he was not at risk of losing his job, but 'if anything happened, at least I could stay in Singapore'.
An employment pass holder has to leave Singapore within 30 days if he loses his job, but a PEP holder has up to six months to look for a new employer.
Mr Cresswell, who is British, added that the pass gives him more flexibility in his career.
'I work in an industry where people tend to change jobs more frequently than others, so we need the flexibility,' he said.
The rise in contract work here has also led to more people taking up the PEP.
Mr Bowden said PEP holders can move from one contract to another without the need for employers to sponsor a new employment pass each time, thus making it more convenient for employers as well.
But not all employers are aware of the PEP, said those on the scheme.
American Adam Neely, 48, a control systems engineer, said he came to Singapore in October 2008 and was searching for a job while on a social visit pass, and then while on the PEP.
Although the PEP gave him time to search for a job, he said many employers - multinationals, local companies and even schools - would call him to ask about the pass and how it worked.
Companies that spoke to The Straits Times said they are aware of the scheme and welcome job applicants who are on it.
Han's Group deputy general manager Gan Yee Chin said: 'We are aware of it. It's just that we don't have any applicants so far. But we are definitely open to attracting a greater talent pool.'
Ms Christine Loh, director of the international manpower division at the MOM agreed, saying the scheme is an 'integral part of MOM's efforts to attract and retain global talent', and to ensure a 'more flexible working experience'.
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