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Mar 29, 2011
Clear career path for low-paid S'poreans
THE article ('Good for foreigners, tough on employers'; last Thursday) describes a reality that plagues young Singaporeans whose highest qualification is a diploma, or lower.
I have tried to help such young people who were referred to me by voluntary welfare organisations because these young adults have financial problems and need decent paying jobs.
Retailers or food and beverage (F&B) operators need workers, not managers or supervisors, but Singaporeans are capable of taking on managerial or supervisory roles.
The retail or F&B businesses, which have a bottom-up career advancement path, do not need candidates with high educational qualifications.
However, S-Pass holders, whom businesses are forced to hire because of the acute shortage of takers here, block the career path of the bottom tier of Singaporeans.
Despite training or attending Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) courses, Singaporeans who hold less than a diploma find themselves starting at the lowest pay rung of $1,000 to $1,300 a month. S-Pass holders are paid a basic monthly wage of $1,800.
The Singaporeans at the lowest pay rung have no advancement prospects because businesses hire S-Pass holders to run supervisory roles.
The solution: Remove the S-Pass category.
Allow businesses to hire workers on a quota system: for example, three foreigners for every Singaporean WSQ certificate holder.
In this way, Singaporeans with lower qualifications have a meaningful career path.
Businesses can leverage on the training available to nurture Singaporeans and salaries will increase with advancement in the career.
We can start with Institute of Technical Education (ITE) graduates and WSQ holders as trainee supervisors who can move up the career ladder from this point, instead of at the bottom.
To clear such a path for Singaporeans, the Ministry of Manpower should allow the hiring of Filipinos, Nepalese, Indians andChinese nationals on work permit by businesses in the service industry.
Philip Wong
http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_650460.html
Clear career path for low-paid S'poreans
THE article ('Good for foreigners, tough on employers'; last Thursday) describes a reality that plagues young Singaporeans whose highest qualification is a diploma, or lower.
I have tried to help such young people who were referred to me by voluntary welfare organisations because these young adults have financial problems and need decent paying jobs.
Retailers or food and beverage (F&B) operators need workers, not managers or supervisors, but Singaporeans are capable of taking on managerial or supervisory roles.
The retail or F&B businesses, which have a bottom-up career advancement path, do not need candidates with high educational qualifications.
However, S-Pass holders, whom businesses are forced to hire because of the acute shortage of takers here, block the career path of the bottom tier of Singaporeans.
Despite training or attending Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) courses, Singaporeans who hold less than a diploma find themselves starting at the lowest pay rung of $1,000 to $1,300 a month. S-Pass holders are paid a basic monthly wage of $1,800.
The Singaporeans at the lowest pay rung have no advancement prospects because businesses hire S-Pass holders to run supervisory roles.
The solution: Remove the S-Pass category.
Allow businesses to hire workers on a quota system: for example, three foreigners for every Singaporean WSQ certificate holder.
In this way, Singaporeans with lower qualifications have a meaningful career path.
Businesses can leverage on the training available to nurture Singaporeans and salaries will increase with advancement in the career.
We can start with Institute of Technical Education (ITE) graduates and WSQ holders as trainee supervisors who can move up the career ladder from this point, instead of at the bottom.
To clear such a path for Singaporeans, the Ministry of Manpower should allow the hiring of Filipinos, Nepalese, Indians andChinese nationals on work permit by businesses in the service industry.
Philip Wong
http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_650460.html
