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SINGAPORE - The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is looking into, among other things, using private sector employment agencies to help unemployed Singaporeans - including older workers - find jobs.
Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who is also Manpower Minister and Finance Minister, revealed this in an interview which was published yesterday by Lianhe Zaobao.
Mr Tharman said: "One of the things that we are now studying at MOM, is what additional ways we can use both to ensure that no one stays unemployed, including matured workers, as well as to help SMEs (small and medium enterprises)."
Reiterating the need to reshape society's attitudes towards the elderly working, Mr Tharman noted that "there's nothing like a tight labour market to change attitudes as well".
"And I hope that one of the consequences of us having a tight labour market is that over the next decade, attitudes towards older workers change," he said.
On the idea of engaging private sector employment agencies, Mr Tharman said that in Australia and the United Kingdom, the governments give a commission to these agencies to place workers.
But he stressed that any similar move here would have to ensure "there is no quick buck to be achieved" and the agencies "do not merely 'cherry-pick' by choosing workers who can be easily placed".
While there are job placement schemes currently available, Mr Tharman stressed the need to "do more for our mature workers and PMETs - to help them get a good job when they lose the present job".
"For the mid-40s and early 50s Singaporean, they still have a long working life ahead of them. We want to try and help them get a job that suits them, which they can stay with," he said.
Mr Tharman also noted that advanced countries have generally higher labour force participation rates, especially for women.
He reiterated that older workers "must be paid well enough, the workplace must be conducive and they must feel valued".
"It's not just the terms of employment, they must feel valued and whatever job they do, no matter how humble, we must look upon them with some respect," Mr Tharman said.
He added: "We have some ways to go as a society in this regard. And we are doing it not just because of economic reasons, not just because we need more manpower in different industries; it's a social objective - allowing people to have dignity through work and stay active. Bearing in mind that we are living much longer than we used to."
Mr Tharman also said he had told companies during his meetings with them that "we have a shared responsibility of ensuring that the foreign share of the workforce does not balloon up".
He noted that, in particular, the SME sector "has difficulty in attracting Singaporeans".
He said: "Unfortunately there is a bias in the labour market against SMEs, particularly among Singaporeans. It's sad."
Mr Tharman added that choosing a large company or multi-national corporation is "a natural inclination for many people".
He said: "If we upgrade the SMEs, they too can be attractive. Look at Hyflux and others - they become employers of choice. We need many more employers of choice among SMEs and we must help them get there."
Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who is also Manpower Minister and Finance Minister, revealed this in an interview which was published yesterday by Lianhe Zaobao.
Mr Tharman said: "One of the things that we are now studying at MOM, is what additional ways we can use both to ensure that no one stays unemployed, including matured workers, as well as to help SMEs (small and medium enterprises)."
Reiterating the need to reshape society's attitudes towards the elderly working, Mr Tharman noted that "there's nothing like a tight labour market to change attitudes as well".
"And I hope that one of the consequences of us having a tight labour market is that over the next decade, attitudes towards older workers change," he said.
On the idea of engaging private sector employment agencies, Mr Tharman said that in Australia and the United Kingdom, the governments give a commission to these agencies to place workers.
But he stressed that any similar move here would have to ensure "there is no quick buck to be achieved" and the agencies "do not merely 'cherry-pick' by choosing workers who can be easily placed".
While there are job placement schemes currently available, Mr Tharman stressed the need to "do more for our mature workers and PMETs - to help them get a good job when they lose the present job".
"For the mid-40s and early 50s Singaporean, they still have a long working life ahead of them. We want to try and help them get a job that suits them, which they can stay with," he said.
Mr Tharman also noted that advanced countries have generally higher labour force participation rates, especially for women.
He reiterated that older workers "must be paid well enough, the workplace must be conducive and they must feel valued".
"It's not just the terms of employment, they must feel valued and whatever job they do, no matter how humble, we must look upon them with some respect," Mr Tharman said.
He added: "We have some ways to go as a society in this regard. And we are doing it not just because of economic reasons, not just because we need more manpower in different industries; it's a social objective - allowing people to have dignity through work and stay active. Bearing in mind that we are living much longer than we used to."
Mr Tharman also said he had told companies during his meetings with them that "we have a shared responsibility of ensuring that the foreign share of the workforce does not balloon up".
He noted that, in particular, the SME sector "has difficulty in attracting Singaporeans".
He said: "Unfortunately there is a bias in the labour market against SMEs, particularly among Singaporeans. It's sad."
Mr Tharman added that choosing a large company or multi-national corporation is "a natural inclination for many people".
He said: "If we upgrade the SMEs, they too can be attractive. Look at Hyflux and others - they become employers of choice. We need many more employers of choice among SMEs and we must help them get there."
