预算辩论 · 2026-03-03 · 第 15 届国会
2026人力部供给委员会辩论：AI时代的劳动力与职业韧性
MOM Committee of Supply 2026 — AI, Workforce & Career Resilience
人力部供给委员会辩论是预算案中AI与劳动力议题的核心战场。部长陈诗龙指出AI正在改变工作本质——不仅是做什么工作，还包括工作如何组织、技能如何构建、职业如何演进。核心关切：(1)AI是颠覆者(gamechanger)——可增强也可替代工人，取决于工作和岗位如何重新设计；(2)SkillsFuture参与已超60万人，458,000+新加坡人使用了SkillsFuture学分；(3)要求将"岗位重新设计"升级为"人+AI岗位重新设计"，运用设计思维整合AI与人类判断力、同理心和创造力；(4)中年PME面临更高风险，需要将职业健康(career health)主流化、预防化和个性化；(5)生成式AI对白领职业的风险高于手工技能型岗位。
关键要点
- • AI可增强也可替代工人，取决于岗位设计
- • SkillsFuture参与超60万人
- • 岗位重新设计升级为人+AI模式
- • 中年PME面临AI冲击风险最高
- • 生成式AI威胁白领多于蓝领
- • 职业健康需主流化与预防化
积极推动AI与劳动力融合，强调岗位重设计而非简单自动化
质疑ITM更新速度是否跟上AI重塑产业的速度
劳动力政策从技能培训转向AI时代的职业韧性体系
"AI is a gamechanger. It can augment workers or displace them, depending on how work and jobs are redesigned."
参与人员（1）
完整译文（中文）
Hansard 英文原文译文 · 翻译日期：2026-05-02
主席：人力部（MOM）S项下。杨婉玲女士。
下午1时47分
获取熟练外籍劳工
杨婉玲女士（榜鹅）：主席先生，我动议，“将估算表S项下的总拨款减少100元。”
新加坡正经历深刻的劳动力变革。我们看到人口老龄化的影响，总生育率处于历史低点。如今更多的劳工也是照顾者，而传统上承担照顾角色的女性，仍需在工作与照顾之间平衡。同时，我们的企业正应对成本上升和贸易壁垒增加所带来的不确定全球环境。在这些变化之中，越来越多的新加坡人选择平台工作作为谋生方式，无论是为了灵活性、自主性还是收入稳定。叠加于此的是人工智能（AI）的出现，它已经开始改变工作的本质。
不仅是我们所做的工作，还有工作的组织方式、技能的培养以及职业发展的演变。在此背景下，新加坡的人力政策不仅要平衡全球人才吸引与本地劳动力保护，更要积极促进新加坡人在职场演变中茁壮成长。
在上一届政府任期内，人力部及三方伙伴携手引导劳动力走出新冠疫情危机，使工人受益于经济复苏。我们为低薪工人及平台工人争取了更好待遇，改善了照顾者获得灵活工作安排（FWA）的机会，并提前为超级老龄社会做准备。但随着新任期开始，我们的劳动力及产业转型政策面临更复杂的任务。
人工智能是游戏规则改变者。它可以增强工人能力，也可能取代他们，这取决于工作和职位如何重新设计。关键问题不是转型是否会发生，而是转型是否能带来更高工资、更深技能和更好职业路径给新加坡人。
我们的首批产业转型地图（ITMs）于2016年推出，当时具有前瞻性。但人工智能正以更快速度重塑产业，要求更敏锐、更动态的应对。虽然部分ITMs已更新并辅以职位转型地图，我们现在必须确保它们明确指引：基于AI的业务流程重设计、劳动力转型时间表以及现有职位淘汰时进入新角色的可信路径。
同样重要的是，我们必须确保雇主带领劳动力共同前行。取代应是最后手段。随着产业转型，职场必须更具包容性和支持性，尤其是对中年转职者和有照顾责任者。
虽然我们在保障平台工人的生计稳定和近期职场保护方面取得实质进展，平台工作本质上仍不稳定。近期平台退出提醒我们，工人仍易受突发商业决策影响。同时，道路安全日益令人担忧。2025年平台工人死亡和受伤人数上升，凸显他们每日面临的风险。
我们需要超越基本保护。随着更多新加坡人依赖平台工作为主要生计，我们必须防范平台整合导致支付和激励的恶性竞争。平台退出时，工人不应面临延迟或未支付报酬的风险。需要更强保障确保及时通知、履行支付义务和清晰记录，无论违约发生与否，同时加强道路安全保护。三方合作必须继续作为此项工作的基石。2025年平台工人三方小组展示了有效合作如何解决复杂挑战，如非法平台工作。
未来，平台工人协会应且必须继续作为核心支柱，加强合作，提升平台工人的生计韧性和安全成果。今天，我的政府议会委员会（GPC）同事及劳工议员将分享我们对人力政策如何继续保障新加坡人核心优质就业，同时在我们小红点的土地和基础设施限制下推动经济进步的看法。因为这仍是一项微妙但必要的平衡。
我们必须帮助时间紧张的中年转职者提升技能；同时不对紧张劳动力市场中的雇主施加不可持续压力。我们必须为进入职场的高等教育学院学生提供保障，因入门职位正在演变。我们必须确保本地与外籍劳动力互补性保持灵活响应，且不损害企业敏捷性。我们必须加强收入保障，因为劳动力流动加剧、技能半衰期缩短、照顾负担加重及成本压力持续。
鉴于基础设施限制和社会承载能力，我们扩充外籍劳动力的空间有限。因此，我们的人力策略必须聚焦转型，而非替代。企业必须在提高生产力的同时减少对劳动力的依赖。本地劳动力必须随着产业转型提升技能层级。
在这一新阶段的劳动力转型中，我提出三项预算优先事项。
第一，我们必须继续吸引顶尖全球人才，方式应强化而非替代新加坡人核心。这需要更强的互补框架、更明确的技能转移期望及本地领导力路径。
第二，面对企业利润空间收紧，我们必须支持转型，而非依赖劳动力扩张。外籍劳动力应与更深层次的产业升级同步调整，使竞争力由生产力驱动，而非压低劳动力成本。
第三，生产力提升必须转化为实际工资增长，尤其是对低薪及风险工人。职位重设计和AI采用必须直接关联工资提升，使转型缩小而非扩大不平等，因为最终，每位工人都重要。
[(程序文本) 提出议案。 (程序文本)]
主席：杨婉玲女士。
外籍劳动力的质量与生产力
杨婉玲女士：主席先生，我们对外籍劳动力的态度必须超越单纯获取。他们的部署必须推动生产力，并转化为更好的工作和更强的工资成果给新加坡人。
我注意到人力部计划于2026年将社会服务、餐饮服务和运输行业的八个职业纳入非传统来源职业名单（NTS-OL）。NTS-OL是解决关键岗位人力短缺的重要工具。但在扩展时，我们必须确保外籍劳动力的获取不仅仅是缓解短期劳动力缺口。
它必须积极支持随着AI和技术转型而升级和重新定义的职位，成为对新加坡人有吸引力的工作。因此，我呼吁人力部在扩展的同时附加明确的生产力挂钩条件。
使用NTS-OL劳动力的企业也应承诺为本地员工提供结构化培训，实现技能转移，并通过职位重设计改善工作流程。在适当情况下，NTS-OL劳动力的获取应与可证明的劳动力升级计划挂钩，包括为新加坡人设计的职业路径和可衡量的生产力提升。
第二，我们应确保扩展不会抑制脆弱本地工人的工资增长。预算应支持企业在劳动力多元化的同时重设计职位，使生产力提升转化为更高工资，而非单纯替代劳动力成本。
最后，我们必须确保劳动力多元化强化新加坡人核心。这意味着在NTS-OL扩展的行业中，嵌入本地员工的晋升路径、领导力管道和技能提升。外籍劳动力必须是转型的补充，而非替代。若执行得当，此扩展可提升全体劳动力的生产力，支持可持续增长，带来更好工资和优质工作给所有新加坡人。
《雇佣法》审查
黄祈添先生（亚逸）：《雇佣法》上次审查是在2018年，恰逢该法50周年。
其中一项深远修订是将法案保护范围扩大至43万名经理及执行人员。因此，覆盖范围的扩大使得本次审查比以往更为重要。去年预算委员会（COS）会议上，人力部宣布了审查计划。
几乎同时，新加坡全国雇主联合会迅速表态，审查不应“无意中强制推行可能减少雇主灵活性并削弱企业竞争力的渐进式雇佣做法”。除三方工作组去年8月首次会议宣布的广泛目标外，关于审查领域的进一步消息甚少。有传言称可能会提高法定最低年假天数。
据人力部2022年数据，25至64岁全职本地员工中超过90%已享有超过法定最低7天的年假。如果拟议修订实质上符合市场普遍做法，增加年假将是顺理成章。
部长能否分享迄今为止的审议情况？人力部、工会及雇主组织如新加坡全国雇主联合会（SNEF）之间是否存在重大分歧？因立场差异，哪些修订领域被搁置或推迟？鉴于《雇佣法》覆盖工人数量显著增加，部方是否考虑在三方谈判同时进行公众咨询？
展望未来，政府应调整三方立场，更倾向于支持工人，尤其是在当前就业环境下。正如总理今年预算演讲所言，我们必须始终关照自己。
法案中长期存在的一个异常是工人与非工人的区分，在AI技能升级和职位融合的当下环境中，这一区分已变得模糊。是否有计划实现工人与非工人在薪资门槛上的平等？
此外，法案及三方指引均设想支付裁员补偿。人力部先前调查显示，约90%的公司已按三方指引支付裁员补偿。
在新加坡这样先进经济体中，立法将这些指引作为常规已是时候，体现对所有工人的基本标准。规模较大的公司（超过25名员工）应至少支付每服务年一个月的补偿，这也是工会企业的常态。
根据人力部自身裁员数据，立法规定合理的裁员补偿金额并非重大立法变革，但符合“每位工人都重要”和“我们优先”的承诺目标。人力部能否确认裁员补偿是否为本次法案审查讨论议题？
主席：黄祈添先生，您可将三项发言合并。
郑德源先生（先锋）：上次《雇佣法》修订于2018年，2019年4月生效。我知悉审查仍在进行，声明本人为审查三方工作组成员。
因此，我请求人力部向议会更新修订计划的时间表及主要领域，回应我过去几年在议会的游说。
同样，《劳资关系法》上次修订是在2015年。为避免利益冲突及保障管理效能，拥有高级管理职能的执行人员被排除在集体谈判范围外。
随后几年，工会尝试扩大代表范围涵盖执行人员，但遇到困难，因第17(3)条款措辞过宽，雇主可主张低至中层执行人员亦属排除对象，而法律本意仅排除高级管理层及其职能确实存在利益冲突者。
我请求人力部通过修订指引或《劳资关系法》以法定明确性，提供更清晰坚定的阐述。
下午2时
限制竞争条款指引
我还想请部方更新关于限制竞争条款三方指引的进展。
两年多前，人力部宣布正与三方伙伴协商制定该指引，旨在为雇主提供更明确指导，为员工提供更好保护。当时预计2024年底发布。
现已2026年，许多员工，尤其是专业人士、经理及执行人员（PMEs），仍面临广泛且限制性强的限制竞争条款，限制其流动性、议价能力及职业发展，即使无正当商业利益需保护。
部长能否向议会通报当前状态，并说明雇主和员工何时可望获得明确实用的指引？在此期间，人力部对受过度限制或不合理限制竞争条款影响的员工有何建议？
失业支持及强制裁员通知
几十年来，我在劳工运动工作，陪伴成千上万失业工人，有时提前通知，有时一夜之间，常常对未来缺乏清晰认识。裁员不仅是经济事件，更是影响生计、家庭和尊严的人性事件。
我想请部方更新两项直接影响失业工人的关键保障：技能未来求职者支持计划和强制裁员通知框架。
首先，关于技能未来求职者支持计划。自计划启动以来，人力部能否提供最新情况？如今，更多PMEs遭遇非自愿失业，且生成式AI加剧此趋势。我强烈建议人力部考虑将求职者支持计划上限从现有的5,000元提高至7,600元，即专业人士、经理、执行人员及技术人员（PMETs）的中位薪资，我指的是PMETs，甚至高于PMEs，以确保计划保持有意义、充足且反映当前劳动力市场现实。
其次，关于强制裁员通知。现行通知多在裁员决定确定后发出，届时选择有限，干预被动。我建议裁员通知应提前发出，以便启动早期支持，如职业辅导、职位匹配、再部署及可能的裁员替代方案。早通知促成早干预，早干预可保住工作。
优质AI工具的获取
何德仁副教授（提名议员）：主席先生，我建议部方考虑向更广泛的新加坡人群体，如所有中年工人，提供限时免费或补贴的优质AI工具访问权限。
许多优质工具月费不超过20美元，约30新元。提供六个月全额或部分补贴访问，可显著帮助人们熟悉并尝试AI。尤其是害怕错过的心理，可能促使人们首次尝试这些工具，尽管已有免费版本。许多工具直观易用，无需特别培训即可采用。
鉴于可能出现富裕与低收入群体在优质AI工具访问上的差距，另一个建议是为低收入新加坡人长期补贴优质AI工具访问，确保AI采用包容性，不扩大现有不平等。
AI时代的在职培训
林志明副教授（盛港）：我一位从13岁起就认识的密友是银行家。金融业占我们劳动力的16分之一，这本身并不特别。但特别之处在于他如何进入该行业。我的朋友受训于建筑学，获得学士和硕士学位，毕业后却申请并获得投资银行的第一份工作。银行为何要面试他？
据他说，他们对他的敏锐和胆识印象深刻。无论如何，他们都有理由教他工作中所需的一切知识。如今，他是一位极为成功的金融家，领导着一家顶级资产管理公司在亚太地区的业务。
这个故事说明了我们都熟悉的一个现实。尽管像我这样的教育者尽了最大努力，但我们工作所需的大多数技能并不是在课堂上学到的，而是在生活环境中的在职培训（OJT）中获得的。
事实上，在职培训（OJT）可能包括正式组织的结构，如学徒制或实习，也可能是更非正式的过程，如指导和导师制，通常传授的专业技能对于实际日常工作表现来说，远比证书本身所赋予的认可更有价值。
如今，澳大利亚、法国、德国、印度、瑞士和土耳其等多样化国家都拥有国家级的学徒制体系。新加坡也有在职培训体系，但存在某些不足。
技能未来（SkillsFuture）旗下的劳动力技能资格（WSQ）框架包括仅评估路径。但由于强调纸面资格，仅评估路径仍受制于对评估而非实际展示的坚持，对证书获取而非经验的偏重。我所接触的人士表示，这已成为技能行业职业晋升的阻碍，而非真正的跳板。
劳动力新加坡（WSG）运营现有的职业转换计划（CCPs），但这些大多与行业转型地图相关。实际上，涵盖的行业有限，主要限于专业和技术岗位，而非广泛基础。
WSG还为雇主提供职业试用计划，企业可在政府支持下试用员工一段时间。这有助于分散雇主的招聘风险。但对于寻求再培训和技能提升的学员如何获得结构化系统性的新技能接触，则不太明确。
最近，WSG推出了面向工艺教育学院（ITE）、理工学院和大学毕业生的产业毕业生实习计划（GRIT）。这是一个重大举措，我全力支持。但快速搜索显示，开放职位不足100个。
劳动力部长黄循财在国庆集会上宣布该计划时提到，如果经济恶化，将扩大该计划。尽管经济表现良好，我相信GRIT的时机已经成熟。
自主型人工智能（Agentic AI）威胁取代入门级职位。然而，若没有培训新员工的渠道，尤其是现场培训，将出现经验丰富的中级工人短缺的难题，而这类人才需求依然旺盛。政府正是可以介入，通过补贴劳动力市场无法满足的缺口。我建议我们制度化国家级的在职培训体系，涵盖学徒制、实习和导师制。
目前，获取GRIT职位主要是分散的，主要依赖招聘单位主动发布或少数私人职位中介。理工学院和部分大学项目确实赞助实习，但仅限于已完成课程部分的学生。大多数接受学徒制的项目集中于技术或专业学科，如金融、技术、医学或法律。
这些事实意味着在职培训的益处往往只惠及劳动力的有限部分，且目前大多数职位面向的是科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）或金融毕业生，他们多数已有能力寻找、识别并申请此类机会。有大量证据表明，实习和学徒制不仅有助于知识转移和更高效的生产，还能在一定程度上减少劳动力市场的两极分化，这在新加坡日益成为关注点。然而，这类体系在更大制度框架内运作时更为成功。
国家级机构将建立各方承诺的标准规则，促进工人与企业的匹配，并鼓励学徒完成正式培训后转移至其他企业。重要的是，通过主导建立全国认可的实习和学徒计划，实现证书的自愿渐进式获取，政府还能规范学习文化，使更多候选人受益。非学术领域，如烹饪艺术、音乐和体育；手工艺实践，如制表、家具制造及其他技艺；以及依赖经验和在职培训而非单纯书本知识的职业。换言之，政府是否愿意成为支持那些有志于贡献于传统上服务不足但能提供有意义中产阶级稳定工作的经济部门的新加坡人的倡导者？
该国家在职培训体系可通过两个方面进一步强化。首先，为鼓励企业参与，我建议允许工人将技能未来积分用于带薪实习项目。其次，按照惯例，此类学徒和实习通常为短期，六个月至一年——
主席：杨业财先生。
提升低薪工人
杨业财先生（拉丁马士选区）：主席先生，提升低薪工人的工资和工作前景是建设真正“我们优先”社会的基础，一个进步共享、没有工人被落下的社会。
渐进工资模式（PWM）在过去十年取得显著成效。低薪工人的收入增长超过中位数。然而，从2024年到2025年，中位数实际收入增长超过低薪工人。
这一虽小但值得警惕的逆转发出警讯。如果我们真心追求包容性增长，低薪工人的工资增长必须持续超过中位数，而非仅仅持平。提高本地合格薪资（LQS）值得欢迎，但仅靠工资规定是不够的。雇主必须推动业务和劳动力转型，将生产力提升融入低薪岗位。
PWM的优势在于将工资与技能、责任和生产力挂钩，而非简单设定工资底线。它维护尊严并鼓励晋升。
三方工作组重申生产力是可持续工资增长的基础。因此，我问人力部，我们是否在PWM行业看到可衡量的部门生产力提升？如果没有，将采取哪些进一步措施？
必须支持工人提升和转型技能以增强职业流动性，尤其在人工智能重塑经济之际。培训获取必须更智能、更有针对性。我敦促人力部利用人工智能个性化技能未来课程推荐，整合入全国职工总会（NTUC）人工智能职业教练，使工人获得明确的技能路径指导。
人工智能将重塑各行业。问题不在于工作是否改变，而在于低薪工人是否能从变化中受益，而非被取代。我呼吁政府与三方伙伴紧密合作，共同开发人工智能增强岗位，更新技能框架，使技术应用转化为可衡量的生产力提升、更优工作质量和更强工资增长，特别是在PWM行业。
主席先生，摆在我们面前的问题很简单。随着新加坡前进，我们的低薪工人能否更快进步？包容性增长不会偶然发生，它需要意图、问责和行动。让我们重新承诺，确保进步阶梯触手可及，没人被落下。
提高工作补贴收入门槛
林志明副教授：先生，2025年，商品及服务税（GST）券的可及收入门槛从34,000美元上调至39,000美元。这并非首次调整。2012年设为24,000美元，之后每隔几年持续上调。历史调整源于生活成本上升及GST提高。自2012年以来，增长约1.6倍。
相比之下，工作补贴收入补助的收入门槛从2013年前的1,700美元，2013年调至1,900美元，2023年为2,500美元，2025年为3,000美元。相当增长约1.75倍。虽看似相当，但最近一轮通胀对最贫困者影响最大。因为价格涨幅最大的类别，如食品、交通和租金，在低收入群体支出中占比过高。
这一结论有大量新加坡及全球研究支持。名义工资增长可能部分抵消购买力下降，但尚不明确是否如此。毕竟，尽管2024年最低百分位实际收入显著提升，但此前多年实际收入增长落后于中位数。我认为应不成比例地将工作补贴收入门槛提高至3,500美元，更好支持那些努力维持生计却受高成本压力困扰的人。
下午2时15分
新加坡的就业不足
郑德源先生：我特别关注新加坡非时间性非自愿就业不足问题，呼吁加强监测这一趋势。
全国职工总会（NTUC）已与新加坡科技设计大学合作开展研究，近期将分享更多信息。我们意识到这通常由职位、技能与雇主及求职者（无论年轻或年长）期望不匹配引发。此类不匹配可能导致就业不足。我们应密切监测，并在个人职业生涯各阶段提供适当的职业咨询、辅导和指导，从第一份工作、工作期间、寻找下一份工作乃至退休和再就业。
同理，我建议批准个人及雇主的技能未来积分用于专业职业辅导、指导、导师制和咨询服务，超出目前高等教育机构、劳动力新加坡（WSG）和就业促进机构（e2i）提供的范围。
缩小青年就业差距
严彦松先生（亚历山大选区）：先生，新加坡毕业生面临严峻的就业市场。随着人工智能自动化许多入门级任务，企业越来越优先考虑能立即产出的候选人，而非应届毕业生。2025年9月，30岁以下居民失业率为5.5%，几乎是全国居民失业率的两倍。毕业后若无法尽快获得优质岗位，许多青年将面临长期负面影响，早期失业与终身收入降低、技能退化甚至社会和公民疏离相关。
在继续之前，我声明本人为一家中小企业（SME）的董事及股东。
为支持新加坡青年更顺利进入职场，我提议设立青年工资补贴计划。该计划激励微型和小型企业为工艺教育学院（ITE）、拉萨尔艺术学院、南洋艺术学院、理工学院及大学毕业生提供首个正式职位。前三个月内提供20%工资补贴，涵盖关键的试用期和初期培训。政府可共同承担20%工资，补贴上限为每月1,000美元。此举确保毕业生获得优质岗位和结构化培训，同时政府分担入职初期成本。针对微型和小型企业的工资补贴，助力这些小企业提供更具竞争力的薪酬，帮助其与中大型企业争夺人才。
为应对雇主担忧青年员工培训后迅速离职，政府可额外资助20%的一个月留任奖金，仅在雇佣满一周年时发放。我建议该计划初期实施三年，并进行严格效果评估后再决定是否延长。
该计划将补充GRIT计划。GRIT提供三至六个月的临时岗位，但不保证全职稳定就业。此提案鼓励从第一天起永久聘用。关键是，GRIT仅限800个名额，而该工资补贴可支持每年约53,000名毕业生中的更大比例。
青年工资补贴计划将重点从临时培训转向立即稳定的中小企业就业。通过激励永久聘用，缓冲人工智能驱动的岗位替代，确保新加坡下一代以更大安全感和信心进入职场。
岗位再设计
何德成副教授：主席先生，我声明本人为提供职场学习和岗位再设计咨询服务的教育机构高级管理人员。
我担忧新加坡岗位丰富与本地工人愿意从事岗位之间的不匹配。随着人口老龄化，护理和医疗岗位将持续增长。尽管生成式人工智能（GenAI）可能威胁多种白领职业，但需要手工技能或灵巧度的岗位相对抗自动化。技术工种如技师和机械师不易被自动化取代。
然而，许多新加坡青年不愿从事医疗和技术工种。这将增加我们对外籍劳动力的依赖，同时难以满足青年人的职业期望。现实是，并非所有新加坡人都能成为专业人士或企业高管，在高度竞争和技术驱动的全球经济中，许多人必须在服务业和技术工种中发展职业。工资是重要考量，这些岗位的薪酬必须提升。但岗位吸引力还取决于工作是否有意义及社会认知。
我的问题是，我们是否能更大胆地大规模再设计岗位，如护理、安全和技术工种，使其成为青年人渴望追求的职业，让人工智能和机器人接管繁琐工作，而工人则专注于服务设计、创新和客户互动。应有更多如高级执业护士的岗位，赋予更大专业责任及相应薪酬和认可。目标是开发融合头脑、情感和技能的岗位，使其更抗人工智能和自动化，同时比单一维度岗位更吸引新加坡人。
我还想强调岗位再设计的第二个方面。随着组织审视工作流程以利用人工智能和自动化，我们需要更强的人本岗位再设计能力，确保人工智能增强而非取代人类贡献。
尽管人工智能模型迅速发展，我仍对人类独特价值持乐观态度。因为人工智能模型缺乏意识，没有内在的对错感，且基于过去或现有数据训练。认识这些限制有助于我们识别应塑造岗位再设计的人类独特优势。我希望新加坡能引领人本岗位再设计，并想问人力部是否有计划发展更深专业知识。
让我以一个简短例子结束。去年，我在阿斯塔纳参加会议时，加入了由一位年轻导游带领的一日游。他带我徒步登上一座俯瞰湖泊的山顶，那不是典型旅游景点，而是他祖父母小时候带他去玩的地方。那段个人故事和对地点的人文联系，创造了电子导游或人工智能无法复制的体验。这让我相信，即使在人工智能驱动的未来，人类的洞察力、同理心和讲故事能力仍将是有意义工作的核心。
支持多元技能发展
张佩珊女士（非选区议员）：先生，我们已投资建设技能优先经济的基础设施。2024年11月推出的职业与技能护照体现了这一愿景。截至去年11月，已有超过70万人使用该护照。这是良好开端，但使用量并不代表雇主评估和招聘候选人的方式发生了实质性转变。工具能改变工人展示技能的方式，但单靠工具无法改变招聘行为。如果雇主仍基于学历和过往职位招聘，那么正如我同事安德烈昨天所说，护照可能沦为数字档案柜。
证据显示存在一个真实的差距。由经济合作与发展组织（OECD）和成人学习研究院（Institute for Adult Learning）共同开发的2025年技能优先准备与采纳指数，将新加坡在30个参与国家中排名第12。虽然新加坡在采用技能优先实践方面取得了实质性进展，但关键差距仍然存在，例如企业采用技能优先招聘和更强的生态系统协调。
相关地，在人力资源专业人士协会（IHRP）进行的一项调查中，九成受访者相信技能优先招聘能够扩大其组织的人才库。然而，63%的招聘经理，即负责面试和处于招聘前线的人士表示，他们对技能优先招聘实践不熟悉。
这是能力差距，而非价值观问题。由人力发展新加坡（WSG）和技能未来新加坡（SSG）合并成立的新法定机构被宣布为工人的一站式服务中心。我希望它也能成为雇主的变革伙伴。它应致力于弥合不仅是技能差距，还有那些拥有真实技能组合的工人与尚未识别这些技能的雇主之间的评估差距。
我有两点建议。第一，新机构应开发实用工具包，供雇主用于基于作品集的评估和技能优先招聘。第二，将技能优先招聘能力纳入人力资源行业转型计划，并嵌入所有层级人力资源专业人士的认证路径中。
新加坡核心与人力资本实践
郑德源先生：我想请人力部（MOM）介绍加强新加坡核心工作的现状，以及互补性评估框架（COMPASS）的最新进展。自启动以来，尤其是在取消公平考虑框架（Fair Consideration Framework）三重弱势观察名单后，其效果如何？
一些招聘人员坦言，他们只有在必须满足政府要求，即在MyCareersFuture门户网站上发布职位14天后，才能聘用外国专业人士（PMEs）时才会发布职位。如果情况如此，政府将难以准确掌握新加坡所有可用职位空缺。人力部是否考虑动员和/或要求所有公司在该门户网站上发布其空缺职位，以便于跟踪、分析和理解行业招聘需求？
同样，我听说有些人仅将14天发布要求作为表面功夫。同样，目前非常需要对就业中介机构进行更严格的审查，因为有时违规和表面功夫是由他们实施的。我敦促人力部对此保持密切关注。
关于第二点，人力资本从业者，尤其是他们的实践和流程，对于促进公平包容的工作场所，包括拥有强大新加坡核心的工作场所，至关重要。我知道人力资源专业人士协会（IHRP）正在努力认证人力资本从业者，颁发IHRP认证。我声明本人是人力资本发展工作组的联合主席。
人力部是否可以逐步强制要求人力资源从业者获得认证，既然我们已有IHRP认证？在此期间，或许公司应考虑至少拥有一名获得IHRP认证的人力资源专业人士，方可获准聘用任何外籍劳动力。同样，我建议允许雇主使用其企业技能未来（Enterprise SkillsFuture）积分，类似于工人所拥有的，用于派遣其人力资源员工参加IHRP培训和认证。
校准新加坡核心与竞争力
李显龙先生（提名议员）：主席，企业支持强大新加坡核心的原则。外籍劳动力必须保持互补，而非替代。这一社会契约是根本且必须维护的。然而，我们看到的并非边际调整，而是劳动成本基线的结构性重置。
自2020年以来，雇佣准证（EP）合格薪资将从4500新元提升至明年的6000新元，六年多时间内约增长三分之一。同一时期，S准证合格薪资将从2500新元提升至2027年的3600新元，约增长44%。一级S准证征费现为650新元。低薪准证（LQS）将于7月提升至1800新元。
单独看，每项调整或许合理，但合计起来，代表了成本结构的显著转变，尤其是对于本地劳动力池有限的行业，尽管已尽最大努力。
在高端领域，新加坡竞争以成为区域总部和专业任务的枢纽。新加坡与其他中心之间的选址决策日益边际化。当更高的EP门槛叠加上租金、能源和合规成本的提升时，累积效应显著。搬迁是显而易见的，未实现的投资则不易察觉。错失任务和未能落户的团队可能悄然缩减未来新加坡人的就业机会。
在S准证方面，压力更为迫切。面向国内的行业，如餐饮（F&B）、零售及其他劳动密集型行业，利润微薄。许多企业已实现数字化和流程简化。进一步的成本上升将导致两条路：提高价格，加剧生活成本压力；或压缩运营，降低服务水平和就业规模。
重要的是，这些行业正支持低薪新加坡工人的工资提升。如果企业生存能力减弱，我们希望提升的工人可能面临招聘和晋升放缓。
关于LQS，我要明确：提升低薪新加坡人是国家优先事项，雇主支持这一方向。渐进式工资补贴计划（PWCS）有所帮助。问题不在原则，而在于节奏和校准，尤其是在多重杠杆同时调整时。这里也存在结构性矛盾。企业被鼓励提升外籍劳动力质量，但各技能层级的征费增加意味着升级和留用成本均在上升。当成本差距缩小时，升级动力可能减弱。
因此，问题是如何同时实现三大目标：维护社会契约，保持新加坡竞争力，以及维持新加坡人长期就业机会。
人力部如何评估累计的合格薪资和LQS调整是否强化了新加坡核心而不削弱竞争力？是否存在结构化框架评估行业敏感性，尤其是利润微薄或自动化路径有限的行业？若出现意外经济影响，有无机制进行重新校准？
如果校准得当，新加坡可以保持竞争力与社会凝聚力，成为企业成长、投资落户和新加坡人繁荣的地方。
下午2时30分
亲商即亲工
罗顺先生（惹兰勿刹）：主席，我声明我是联邦资本集团的集团董事总经理，该集团是一家新加坡全球企业，管理着1000多个就业岗位。政府议程的核心之一是就业。除了收入，工作还赋予工人尊严、意义和信心——这是政府补贴无法替代的。
我们应支持就业和工人。我还要补充，政府应采纳这样一种理念：要亲工，政策也必须亲商。我们应视企业为政府实现政策目标的平台和伙伴。让我举三点。
第一，我们希望让长者延长就业时间，理想情况下薪资与年轻时相当，即使生产力有所下降。第二，我们希望通过提升低端工资来缩小收入差距，甚至超过低薪工人的生产力水平。第三，我们希望求职者尽快找到工作，即使这意味着他们必须在工作中学习技能以胜任岗位。
从雇主角度看，招聘很少是短期行为。企业通常提前一年以上规划。因此，我建议人力部的政策纳入两项原则。
第一，正如李显龙先生所说，企业应获得更多时间以适应政策变化。第二，企业应获得更长期的方向指引，而非每年临时延长补助。我建议立即实施。
首先，关于高级就业补贴（Senior Employment Credit），今年再次延长，此前已于2023年和2025年延长。为何不承诺更长期延长，并提前两年通知雇主任何变更？
其次，渐进式工资补贴计划（PWCS）可设为更长期，或纳入永久的工作补贴计划（Workfare）。这尤为重要，若技术变革扩大了生产力差距，低薪工人难以弥补。另建议维持PWCS支持的最低工资门槛为100新元，而非政府拟定的200新元。
第三，整合政府的实习和岗位培训计划，使雇主获得限时薪资支持，聘用任何已积极求职六个月的求职者。政府已有职业转换计划（Career Conversion Programmes）作为现行模式。我的建议是不再对求职超过六个月者设定不同岗位或行业限制。这实际上涵盖了严杰立议员关于青年求职的提议。
这些举措亲商，最终也亲工。它们将有效缓解许多议员提出的就业相关焦虑。
推动劳动力转型
温瑞扎尔博士（惹兰勿刹）：主席，技术不会改变企业，改变企业的是人。如果我们想实现持续增长，企业和工人必须共同转型。不是先AI后人，而是共同转型。这就是企业劳动力转型方案实施的重要性。
首先，将技术采纳与岗位重塑挂钩。许多企业投资于AI和自动化，这是好事。但真正的考验是：我们是在重塑岗位，还是仅仅减少员工？岗位重塑必须成为企业转型的默认预期。
一家物流中小企业采用AI路线优化时，没有裁减司机，而是培训他们进行数字车队协调和客户管理。生产力和工资均提升。在精密工程领域，AI辅助检测减少了人工检查。技术员未被替代，而是转型为机器人维护和数据职能。这是我们想要的模式：采纳技术，重塑岗位，提升技能，分享成果。
第二，使转型对中小企业切实可行。中小企业面临成本、能力和困惑等实际限制。若申请支持需穿越多个计划和机构，将失去他们。人力部能否确保方案简化，提供明确咨询支持，帮助中小企业开展结构化岗位重塑和技能映射？转型必须务实，而非理论。
第三，为工人展示清晰路径。对工人而言，转型必须回答三个问题：我需要哪些技能？谁支持我的培训？我的工资如何提升？尤其是中年和低薪工人必须看到切实的晋升，而不仅是数字化。如果AI提升了生产力，但工资停滞，信心必然受损。
因此，我的问题是：人力部如何衡量企业在采纳技术的同时是否重塑岗位？第二，人力部是否会公布结果指标，如重塑岗位数量和工资提升情况？第三，如何加强对中小企业的咨询支持，确保AI采纳促进岗位升级而非裁员？第四，人力部如何支持因AI影响而失业的零工和自雇人士？
主席，企业转型必要，但劳动力转型不可妥协。增长必须提升工人，否则难以持久。
成熟专业人士的职业与就业能力
陈淑贞女士（东海岸）：主席，专业人士（PMEs）占本地居民劳动力的64.2%，新加坡正迈向超级老龄社会，强化40至60岁初期PMEs的职业健康日益紧迫。我们的劳动力迅速老龄化，工人中位年龄现为45岁，随着产业转型，许多中年专业人士面临更大风险。
我们已有坚实基础。2025年技能未来参与人数超过60万，企业培训委员会（CTCs）持续推动岗位重塑和技能提升，多阶段职业联盟（AfA）提供额外支撑。但为维持就业能力，我们必须使职业健康成为主流、预防性且易于行动。我有三点建议。
一、引入国家职业健康筛查。我建议在MyCareersFuture和劳工总会（NTUC）AI职业教练基础上，增设一项国家标准化、补贴的职业健康筛查，面向35至65岁PMEs。类似预防性健康检查，该诊断将评估技能准备度和数字差距、岗位匹配及流动选项；以及转型风险，特别是需求减弱的行业，如专业服务、制造业和信息通信技术。高风险者将获得简短的人力辅导，直接链接MyCareersFuture以便跟进。标准化筛查配合人工支持，帮助PMEs及早行动，助雇主预见再部署和劳动力转型需求。
二、使中年职业更新成为共同责任。工人正在提升技能，去年超过45.8万新加坡人使用技能未来积分。但雇主，尤其是中小企业，需要更强支持以重塑岗位、再培训员工和招聘中年候选人。共资更新计划可支持岗位重塑、向增长领域再部署及岗位特定、雇主验证的培训。这至关重要，因为退休和再就业年龄今年将分别提升至64岁和69岁。中年职业更新将影响几乎每位PME的职业生涯。我将在稍后COS发言中详细阐述加强人力资源能力。
三、将多阶段职业嵌入职场。现代职业非线性。面对老龄化和寿命延长，借鉴基于证据的框架，包括斯坦福长寿模型，我们可在构建、巩固、再培训和转型阶段推广国家职业分类。这为工人和雇主提供共同语言，促进更好规划、更清晰预期和更主动的职业决策。
主席，支持成熟PMEs的职业健康和就业能力需要建立新的国家契约，基于共同责任。政府必须提供早期信号工具、便捷支持和明确路径。雇主必须重塑工作并投资中年职业更新。工人必须承担终身职业健康的责任。
若能做到，PMEs将拥有清晰、信心和能力，保持就业能力，在更长、更充实的职业生涯中有意义地贡献，确保新加坡劳动力在老龄化中保持韧性。
技能工种应获尊重与支持
彭丽燕女士（海湾-布莱德尔高地）：主席，我发言主题是通过技能工种创造多元成功路径，以及我们作为社会需要的心态转变，即认可动手工作为必要、技能性强且值得尊重的职业。
在辩论中，AI的兴起及其多种用途被广泛讨论。但我们不能忘记，新加坡每天依靠修理电梯、维护社区、保障厨房运转、维修车辆、安装电气系统及应急响应的工作人员。这些不是“低技能”工作，而是需要工艺、纪律、判断力，且通常需多年磨炼的岗位。AI无法替代这些工作。如果我们想要强大的本地劳动力核心，必须重视这些工作和角色，不仅仅是口头上，更要体现在对这些工人的待遇和职业晋升设计上。
主席，我欢迎政府将与雇主、劳工运动、行业协会和高等院校合作，开发技能工人的结构化职业路径，使倾向于动手和“用心”工作的人员看到晋升和职业发展的可能。这是重要信号，因为认可不仅是社会尊重，更是清晰的路径。人们看到掌握技能的前景，才会投入精进。
因此，我提出三点务实呼吁。
第一，积极推广技能工种是必要工作且受尊重的选择，而非备选或次选。这关乎工作中的尊严和自豪感，影响年轻人、家长和雇主对这些路径的看法。
第二，应确保技能掌握转化为良好生活。技能需时间积累，深厚掌握应通过结构化晋升、基于技能的薪酬等级和从学徒到专家再到大师级工匠等可信头衔体现。如果希望新加坡人留在工种领域，实际工资和晋升必须清晰且具竞争力。
第三，企业必须成为解决方案的一部分。我敦促雇主支持并公平报酬技工，并呼吁政府与行业合作，建立一致的培训、指导和评估标准，尤其是在能力参差不齐的中小企业中。强大的本地劳动力不仅仅建立在善意之上，而是建立在使技能发展和晋升成为现实的系统上。
主席，我的问题是：在制定结构化的熟练技工职业路径时，我希望部委能确保这些路径具有可见性、可信度和以结果为导向，使熟练工人能够实现真正的晋升和认可，年轻的新加坡人也能看到技工职业是通往成功的首选路径。
重视熟练技工职业路径
Saktiandi Supaat议员（碧山-大巴窑）：主席，最近我在大巴窑与一名维修我们较老组屋的电梯技师交谈。他分享说，如今的系统比以前复杂得多。他的工作不再只是机械维修，而是需要解读系统数据、排查混合系统故障并确保安全标准得到满足。这不是低技能工作，而是应用技术专长。即使是最先进的人工智能系统，也无法独自维修我们建屋发展局（HDB）组屋的电梯，维护我们的地铁（MRT）列车和轨道，或服务精密制造机械。
随着我们自动化更多流程，我们需要高度胜任的技师来补充人工智能。我们必须充分投资于熟练技工，以免出现高端创新却缺乏足够的运营深度。部委是否追踪关键熟练技工的中长期人力预测，特别是支持数字基础设施和绿色转型的技工？我们是否发现任何新兴缺口？
从工资和生产力角度看，如果技工职业没有明确的晋升和有竞争力的收入，年轻新加坡人将不愿进入这些行业，本地核心力量将随时间削弱。中级技术岗位是否已有工资压缩的迹象？这将如何影响这些职业对新加坡人的吸引力？
真正的技艺精通需要多年学徒、重复操作和积累经验，应当以良好且稳定的生活水平作为回报。政府是否考虑制定国家大师级技工认证框架——类似其他行业的特许专业人士的国家分级认证，认可高级技工精通水平，并为职业转换者和劳动力转型开辟新途径？
人力部如何与高等院校和行业机构合作，制定明确透明的技工职业阶梯及工资参考标准，使从学徒到高级专家的晋升在职责和薪酬上都有清晰结构？
下午2时45分
支持变革中的工人
Ng Chee Meng议员（实龙岗）：主席，过去十年，劳工运动与三方伙伴紧密合作，为工人争取更好工资、福利和工作前景。我们的工人，包括专业、管理及执行人员（PME），持续实现实际工资增长。多元技能提升计划（PWM）使低薪工人的实际收入增长幅度最大。如今收入不平等处于历史最低水平。PME若被裁员，也能通过SkillsFuture求职者支持计划获得更好支持。年轻毕业生通过GRIT计划获得额外就业支持。
展望未来，技术和全球经济变动可能导致工人，尤其是PME，面临更频繁的就业中断。随着社会进入“超级老龄化”时代，工人还将面临更强烈的照护需求。这些变化将影响各年龄层、各职业类别的工人。因此，我们必须更多关注他们的独特需求和挑战。
今天，我将重点争取更多支持给年轻毕业生、PME和照护者。其他议员已涵盖或将涵盖其他工人群体。
首先，我们要从一开始就加强年轻毕业生的职业健康。许多议员也有类似呼吁。年轻毕业生进入职场时，工作性质正在转变。有时他们需要在入门级岗位上胜过人工智能，有时则需迅速补充人工智能技能以保持竞争力。职业生涯中，他们可能多次适应和转型，因为变化速度和技能淘汰加快。
我请求人力部陪伴年轻毕业生应对这些挑战。我们必须大胆重新思考、更新和重塑技能与就业生态系统，使包括PME在内的工人在职业各阶段，从毕业到退休，都能获得更好支持和赋能。
合并技能发展局（SSG）和就业与职业指导局（WSG）是朝正确方向迈出的一步。我们必须努力促进业务转型与劳动力转型的更好整合。
这很重要。根据全国职工总会（NTUC）的经验，当工人，包括PME，看到培训能带来更高工资或更好工作机会时，他们更愿意提升技能。此外，业务转型与劳动力提升同步进行时，能释放真正价值，因为企业能更好地将人工智能融入商业模式，工人也能更好地应用所学并分享实际生产力提升。
我有两个澄清问题。第一，部委能否分享更多关于SSG与WSG合并如何惠及工人（包括PME）从毕业到退休职业发展的细节？第二，部委是否考虑如何更好地整合业务转型与劳动力转型的各项努力，并与三方伙伴合作，作为新机构的一部分？
第二个群体是我们的PME。尤其是中年、中等收入、需要支持子女和年迈父母的PME，他们特别担心裁员对自己和家庭的影响。
因此，NTUC一直呼吁为面临裁员的工人，特别是PME，提供更多支持。我们要求强制提前裁员通知，以便为面临裁员的PME提供更早更好的过渡支持；并审查SkillsFuture求职者支持计划，确保为中等收入PME提供基本支持。
基于此，我想问部委是否考虑提前强制裁员通知，以便更早更好地支持被裁工人；以及是否扩大现有SkillsFuture求职者支持计划的覆盖范围，纳入中等收入PME。
第三个群体是我们的照护者。随着新加坡快速老龄化，越来越多工人，尤其是30至50岁的“夹心一代”，将面临照顾幼儿和年迈父母的双重压力。
照护问题早在2023年我们的“每位工人都重要”对话中就已成为关键关注点。NTUC最近的经济情绪调查显示，近一半受访照护者因照护压力考虑离职。我们必须做更多工作，支持照护者平衡工作与照护。
首先，我们应推动更强有力的制度措施，包括法定带薪照护假，使照护者能继续就业，在快速转型的经济中保持技能更新。其次，为因照护而离职的照护者提供更多支持和更早的退休保障承诺。为50岁及以上新加坡人提供一次性、基于资产测试的中央公积金（CPF）补充，是朝正确方向迈出的一步，尤其惠及照护者。
然而，我特别关注一群约13,000名因照护年迈亲属而退出劳动力市场的人。我注意到人力部数据显示，这群人大多是女性、单身、50岁及以上、非高等教育背景且无近期工作经验。
我们认为还有提升空间。我们请求部委研究为中低收入、因照护离职且缺乏退休保障的照护者提供有针对性的CPF补充。这些措施将为工人提供更大支持和更早保障，确保他们为照护所做的牺牲不会过度影响自身长期需求。因此，我想请部委说明其研究和考虑更好支持照护者就业能力和退休保障的计划。
更多退休保障支持
Sanjeev Kumar Tiwari议员（提名议员）：主席，随着我们成为超级老龄社会且寿命延长，退休资金充足变得至关重要。NTUC和工会一直倡导恢复成熟工人的CPF缴费率，使其与年轻工人相匹配。我很高兴听到总理在2026年预算中宣布加强CPF计划以支持工人退休保障。
我们感谢政府持续提高缴费率，并延长CPF过渡补贴以支持雇主实施缴费提升。然而，面对新加坡劳动力老龄化及激烈竞争环境，部委如何追踪成效并确保55至64岁年龄段的高龄就业率不受影响？
我们也期待新的自愿CPF投资计划推出生命周期投资产品。对许多人来说，CPF特别账户是熟悉且稳定的储蓄增长方式。随着2025年特别账户关闭，一些会员对如何在55岁后继续增长资金以备养老感到不确定。
部长能否说明如何向会员，尤其是不熟悉投资风险且无法承担高风险的人，清晰解释该计划？将提供何种指导，帮助他们做出明智决策，避免无意中承担不完全理解的风险？
最后，我也欢迎为50岁及以上余额较低的新加坡人补充CPF余额。我呼吁政府继续密切监测新加坡人的退休保障成效，特别是对有需要、处于弱势行业、年龄较大且CPF余额较低的人群，鉴于当前的转型。
终身退休储蓄
Shawn Loh议员：主席，终身退休投资计划（LRIS）将成为CPF体系的变革者。今年一月我在议会提出此议题时，得知人力部正处于实施的最后阶段，我感到欣慰。
经过十年研究！在此期间，典型的全球投资组合（65%股票、35%债券）以新加坡元计年均收益约6%。而CPF普通账户的投资收益仅为2.5%。这几个百分点的差异，长期累积，可能决定退休时是焦虑还是安心。这也可能是解决财富不平等的部分方案，因为广大中产阶级在CPF储蓄中持有大量资产。
CPF LRIS并非适合所有人。正如Sanjeev议员所说，个人需根据自身风险承受能力评估。有些人希望普通账户储蓄保持流动性以备未来购房需求，有些人则不愿动用享有4%无风险利率的特别账户储蓄。事实上，鉴于总理上周更新称，四分之三使用特别账户投资CPFIS的投资者表现不及4%无风险利率，部委应考虑在LRIS推出后关闭特别账户的CPFIS计划。
总体而言，我相信LRIS将惠及大多数新加坡人，尤其如果我们能做到以下几点。第一，开展大规模公众教育活动，宣传承担长期投资风险以获得更高预期回报的好处。这不应是例行公关，而应是向新加坡人推介平衡长期非投机性投资风险以实现更高预期回报的“销售”宣传。
第二，尽可能简化LRIS的选择流程，甚至可将LRIS设为某些情况下的默认选项。例如，将普通账户余额超过全额退休金的部分默认投入LRIS，除非会员选择退出。
第三，增加新加坡人用LRIS进行投机的阻力。例如，可设冷静期。想在退休前出售的会员可能需参加金融素养课程，了解短期投机对非专业投资者的风险。
总体而言，通过提升金融素养和明智的行为引导，我们能赋能更多新加坡人优化终身退休储蓄，实现安心退休。
主席：秩序。我们已在议院内讨论五小时，建议现在休息。
【程序文本】议长离开委员会主席席，回到议院主席席。
议长：秩序。我宣布休会，下午3时30分恢复会议。秩序，秩序。
会议休会于下午2时57分，至下午3时30分。
会议于下午3时30分恢复。
【副议长（Christopher de Souza议员）主持】
【程序文本】拨款委员会辩论继续。
【副议长（Christopher de Souza议员）主持】
【程序文本】S项（续）
主席：Saktiandi Supaat议员。
下午3时30分
CPF充足性与负责任选择
Saktiandi Supaat议员：主席，我声明我曾是CPF咨询小组成员。主席，每位新加坡人都应享有安全且充足的退休保障。在2026年预算中，宣布的低成本生命周期投资计划为管理CPF资金提供了新选项。我支持给予会员更多选择，但想强调三项应指导我们设计更新系统的原则——互补性、适宜性和保障措施。
第一，互补性。新计划必须明确定位为附加选项，而非取代CPF的无风险利息框架。对许多新加坡人，尤其是年长工人和优先考虑确定性的群体，CPF的保证利息仍极具吸引力。CPF投资计划（CPFIS）已为希望积极投资的会员提供选择。
新生命周期计划介于两者之间，适合希望部分市场敞口但偏好专业管理、自动再平衡投资组合的会员。我们的沟通必须让所有CPF会员理解三种选项的差异，确保每种选项仍满足大量CPF会员的需求。
即使有了新生命周期计划，我们也应继续完善CPFIS。趋势令人担忧，自2016年我所在的CPF咨询小组研究此问题并首次提出LRIS以来，大多数CPFIS投资者表现不及CPF无风险利率。这是由于CPFIS可投资产品受限，还是其他原因？
第二，适宜性。CPF会员并非同质。30岁、投资期限长的会员与58岁、临近退休的会员风险承受能力截然不同。
虽然随着年龄增长降低风险的滑行路径结构理论上合理，但我们必须确保会员理解：第一，回报无保证；第二，退休临近可能遇到市场下跌；第三，较短的投资期限限制了恢复时间。
对年长会员的沟通必须谨慎、平衡且透明。既然CPF已提供无风险利息基线，CPF局如何确保充分解释各选项的权衡及潜在收益？是否会有清晰的情景示例或简单决策支持工具，如基于年龄、退休年限和风险承受度的提示，引导会员选择三种方案？
第三，保障措施与治理。在产品设计方面，CPF局如何调整增长与资本保全之间的滑行路径？是否会提供多条滑行路径以反映不同风险偏好？
计划提及退休目标日前的分阶段清算。清算将多早开始？在市场波动加剧期间如何管理清算？计划是否允许灵活选择退休目标日期，考虑到工作年限延长及会员可能晚于65岁退休？
关于费用，目标是保持低廉和简单。是否会设定包括管理费、平台费和交易费在内的一揽子费用上限，使会员看到透明的单一数字？供应商如何选拔？会如何权衡长期业绩、风险管理能力和运营韧性？
最后，在总结发言中，首相确实提到生命周期投资选项的推出计划定于2028年。该计划在2028年实施时，财政部将如何衡量参与率、风险调整后的回报率以及公积金成员退休保障改善的成效？鉴于距离2028年还有较长的准备时间，财政部是否考虑过提前试点或分阶段引入生命周期投资方法的部分元素，以便成员能更早受益？
加强我们工人的职业健康
Gho Sze Kee 女士（蒙巴顿选区）：主席先生，在我不到一年前的首次发言中，我指出，在这个由人工智能驱动的变革时代，传统的职业发展假设将不再适用。这一观察变得愈发紧迫。
技术周期越来越短。商业模式和岗位迅速演变。整个职业和行业正在被颠覆。过去的职业稳定模式不再适用。新毕业生更难找到第一份工作。中年职业专业人士面临更大的职业不确定性。
敏捷性和韧性是关键字。我们必须假设没有“安全”的工作。我们的劳动力，无论价值链的哪个环节，都必须预期在整个职业生涯中不断提升技能和重新培训。终身学习不再是一个流行词，而是我们所处新现实的默认状态。我们必须昂首阔步，准备在必要时转型，进入新的职业和行业。
但这只是部分情况。虽然一些工作和行业消失，新的行业也在诞生，许多岗位被重新设计并赋予新职责。雇主现在难以找到具备匹配技能的人力。这是我们今天面临的矛盾。我们看到的不是简单的岗位替代，而是劳动力错配。
为了赋能我们的工人和企业应对快速变化的就业市场，我们迫切需要更新职业和就业服务生态系统。为此，我们需要从整体大局出发，在所有利益相关者之间达成新的共识。我认为这包括三个部分。
首先，我们的劳动力必须主动承担个人职业健康的责任。这是基础，责任最终落在个人身上。
其次，雇主也应更积极地承担员工职业健康的责任。在新现实中，雇主不应仅以数字看待劳动力，而应视其为企业长远发展和福祉的利益相关者。企业只有员工兴旺，才能繁荣。投资员工不是成本，而是对韧性和增长的长期投资。
最后，我认为政府扮演最核心、最全面的角色。我们必须认识到劳动力的职业健康是国家经济健康的基础。这需要全政府的努力。政府必须确保现有生态系统支持这一努力。需要全局视角和协调、前瞻性的策略，连接教育、培训、就业促进和雇主参与。
工会在这方面发挥关键支持作用。三方伙伴关系长期以来是我们劳资关系的基石，这种合作在新的共识中将更加重要。我认为工会是生态系统的收发器，接收和传递信号。它们作为利益相关者之间的重要桥梁，放大反馈并催化行动。
主席先生，职业健康必须从学校开始。我们的教育系统必须跟上快速变化的就业格局。我们今天培养的年轻新加坡人必须为这个勇敢新世界的职业做好准备。他们不仅要具备未来工作的技能，还要为后天的工作做好准备。这意味着拥有正确的心态、适应力、韧性和驾驭不确定性的能力。
除了学校，我们还必须确保系统支持整个职业生涯的持续升级和再培训。政府在这方面做了很多工作。为应届毕业生和中年工人提供岗位匹配实习计划，帮助有意转行者。为劳动力提供再培训和技能提升的支持资源，以及帮助愿意或必须转岗者的项目。还有缓解财政影响的资源。对同样处境艰难的雇主也有支持。
我亲眼见证了这些努力的实际成效。我是新加坡海事官员工会（SMOU）的顾问。去年，SMOU与新加坡海事港务局及人力部合作伙伴机构推出了升级版三方海事培训奖（TMTA）。TMTA支持中年转行进入海事行业的人员。学员在培训期间获得每月津贴的经济支持。我很高兴地看到，首批升级计划下的学员已全部进入航海阶段培训，且很快将有更多第二批学员加入。
这是支持被替代人员并更好地使劳动力与经济需求对接的工作实例。我邀请部长向议员们介绍其他类似支持劳动力的举措，如职业健康新加坡计划。但我必须指出，这些举措大多是被动的。
政府作为最有能力识别未来趋势的利益相关者，能够预见新兴变革，绘制所需技能和能力图谱。政府能洞察更广泛的模式、跨行业转变、系统性风险与机遇，并将其转化为行动。它能帮助系统中其他利益相关者领先一步，弥合不同利益相关者间的脱节，促使他们聚合资源、需求和技能，实现匹配和调整。主席先生，责任最终落在个人，但政府扮演着关键角色，我期待部长的回应。
加强人力资源能力
Jessica Tan Soon Neo 女士：主席先生，随着经济转型和人工智能重塑工作方式，公司和员工感受到压力。年轻员工想知道如何在人工智能驱动的世界中成长，成熟员工希望得到保障，不被淘汰。人力资源专业人士处于帮助两者应对转型的核心位置。
新加坡通过产业转型计划、人力资源技能框架和IHRP认证路径取得了实质进展。这些举措提升了标准，促进了劳动力规划、岗位重塑和数据驱动的人力资源管理。这些是真实的进步，但能力仍不均衡，尤其是人力资源团队精简的中小企业。人力资源领域需要切实且可扩展的支持。
人力资源必须从事务性执行转向人机协作的战略管理。我提出五个优先事项，以进一步加强人力资源能力。
第一，从静态岗位描述和技能转向动态技能分类。38个行业的技能框架虽有用，但静态。我们应试点基于人工智能的分类法，实时持续映射和更新技能，为中小企业提供前瞻性基线，而非基于静态技能列表被动招聘。事实上，已有全球公司开发此类AI解决方案。政府可资助优先行业，先从人力资源行业开始，开发动态技能分类法。
第二，采用基于技能的劳动力规划和情景模拟。我们应支持工具和咨询服务，使人力资源能够模拟多种未来情景，预测岗位变化，主动规划再部署和再培训，而非仅关注人数和预算。
第三，将“岗位重塑”重新定义为人机协作的岗位重塑。这不是对自动化带来的岗位进行增量调整，而是运用设计思维，将人工智能与人类判断、同理心和创造力融合。财政部可资助操作手册和试点，测试新岗位模型并评估效果。
第四，扩大人员分析和预测决策支持。人力资源需要数据素养、分析工具和预测模型，支持人员调岗和内部流动。对分析工具的补贴和针对性培训将帮助人力资源团队做出基于证据的调配和留任决策。
第五，使人力资源成为人工智能伦理、透明度和信任的关键守护者。雇主应披露人工智能在重大决策中的应用，扩大自动化前咨询员工，实施人工复核和公平性审计。人力资源可领导确保这些保障措施的落实。
下午3时45分
主席先生，面对快速变化和人才稀缺的经济，公司难以吸引、培养和留住人才。员工无法独自应对这些变化。加强人力资源能力对于帮助企业繁荣和支持新加坡人多阶段职业发展至关重要。
低薪工人与包容性职场
Yeo Wan Ling 女士：基于绩效的职场必须让工人有信心，在转型经济中拥有未来。渐进式工资信用计划（PWCS）在提高低薪工人工资方面取得了重要进展。PWCS支持了工人和雇主应对调整。我们感谢财政部将PWCS延长两年，并注意到PWCS现行形式本为过渡性措施。
但在人工智能颠覆时代，鉴于我们劳动力扩张的结构性限制，生产力增长必须更多来自岗位升级，而非简单增加人力。这使得低薪工人更易受到转型快于再培训的替代风险。
因此，我们是否可以考虑将PWCS强化为更持续的工人支持机制，帮助中小企业提升低薪工人的技能，推动他们进入更高生产力岗位，设立结构化职业晋升路径和协商的工资阶梯增长？
渐进式工资信用计划
Pritam Singh 先生：PWCS于2022年推出，其重要政策意图是作为过渡支持，帮助企业分担提高低薪工人工资的成本。最初两年，据报道，PWCS帮助了超过9万家雇主，支持了超过50万低薪工人工资增长，支付总额约27亿新元，截止2025年初。
关键的是，PWCS不仅仅是工资支持。人力部期望雇主利用过渡期提升员工技能，转型业务，提高生产力，使工资增长在长期内可持续。
今年预算已将PWCS延长至2028年。鉴于此，关于合资格雇主在技能提升、业务转型和生产力改善方面的表现如何？人力部是否跟进评估PWCS是否在这三方面产生了实质影响？不应没有向议会报告这些补贴的成效。
政策评估还可揭示重要缺口，辅助未来关于人力征费和配额的政策制定，是否应调整，例如识别在当前技术条件下业务转型升级已达实际极限的行业。以组屋环境的保洁为例，该行业生产力提升有限，机器人技术尚未发展到能以商业可行价格独立清扫不同楼层公共走廊并应对楼梯。
PWCS投入数十亿新元，议会理应跟踪该政策的影响，判断是否需进一步延长，以及是否应施加预期业务成果，确保纳税人的补贴惠及企业和工人。
或者，如果政策意图仅是无附加条件支持企业以推动低端工资上涨，应明确传达，而非寻求对某些雇主可能不现实的成果。
支持照顾者
Mariam Jaafar 女士（森巴旺选区）：成年照顾者是社会无形的支柱。他们照顾年迈父母、长期病患配偶、罕见病儿童和需要帮助的家庭成员。他们默默无闻、忠诚奉献，常常付出巨大个人代价。
我在伍德兰居民A女士每天花约12小时照顾年迈的父母和姑妈。她数月未能整夜安睡。她告诉我感到孤立、内疚和被困，但仍坚持，因为家人依赖她。
照顾责任常导致工作时间减少，工资增长放缓，晋升延迟，有时甚至被迫离开职场。责任减轻后，重返职场也不易，尤其是多年离开后。技能过时，自信下降，雇主犹豫，机会减少。
这些牺牲不仅是个人的，还影响代际。当父母精力有限，孩子可能得不到足够关注。低收入家庭的孩子可能缺少丰富机会和社会流动路径。今天的照顾责任悄然塑造明天的不平等。
我欢迎照顾者培训补助和居家照顾补助的增强。但我们还需更多努力，更好理解和缓解代际影响。部长能否分享有关照顾责任代际影响的证据？
我认为我们必须在三个方面更进一步：减负、留任和重返职场。
首先，减负。能否扩大实际的喘息和导航支持？如何减少他们的社会孤立？如何确保他们的孩子不被忽视？其次，留任。能否加强弹性工作安排激励，并在关键转折点提供结构化辅导，使照顾者不必在职业和照顾间做出选择？第三，重返职场。能否建立结构化回归路径，使为家庭挺身而出不意味着职业倒退？
支持照顾者不是慈善。如果照顾者茁壮成长，他们的孩子也会受益。
当养老成为挑战
Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik 先生（盛港选区）：先生，我们常谈新加坡人口老龄化是人口挑战。今天，我想重新定义为职场挑战，正在我们职场悄然展开。
许多同事属于夹心一代，一边照顾年迈父母，一边全职工作。数据说明问题。
2024年，有87,100名居民因照顾责任退出劳动力市场，其中86%为女性。近半数年龄在40至59岁黄金工作年纪。这些退出不表现为失业，却代表了大量经验人才流失。这不是暂时现象。新加坡人口老龄化意味着养老责任只会增加。但我们的政策关注仍不平衡。我们在支持职场父母方面取得巨大进展。现在是时候为照顾者提供类似支持。
40至59岁的工人，我们最有经验的专业人士，非自愿退出职场，因缺乏结构化职场支持。我们在最不应失去人才时失去生产力和机构知识。
现有措施帮助离职照顾者通过再培训和重返职场支持。虽有价值，但属被动。我们需要主动的职场支持，防止退出。
工人党建议设立家庭照顾假，参照育儿假。负有照顾责任的员工每年应享有6天假期，其中3天由雇主支付，3天由政府支付。照顾多名对象者额外获2天假。
近期三方弹性工作安排指导是起点，但我们需要雇主框架，使养老支持成为标准做法，而非酌情决定。我们必须使养老话题正常化，就像育儿话题一样。先从数据收集了解规模，试点职场框架，制定跨行业切实可行的最佳实践。
研究显示，兼顾工作和照顾责任的员工压力更大，生产力下降。通过结构化假期支持他们，可提升福祉，同时通过更好留任和生产力回报成本。
是的，我们有重返职场项目。是的，我们有弹性工作指导。但坦率说，当某人需要再培训重返职场时，我们已失去他们多年的贡献。防患于未然胜于事后补救。支持养老不仅是富有同情心的政策，更是明智的经济政策。我们无法承受失去87,000名工人，许多处于最具生产力的年纪，面对我们选择不主动应对的挑战。问题不是我们是否负担得起行动，而是是否负担得起不行动。
资深就业能力
桑吉夫·库马尔·蒂瓦里先生：主席先生，我们年满50岁及以上的资深员工带来了深厚的领域知识和宝贵的经验。然而，随着新加坡进入超级老龄化社会，同时应对重大经济结构调整，我们必须确保我们的政策继续更好地服务于资深员工和雇主双方。
感谢政府回应全国职工总会和工会的呼吁，逐步将法定退休年龄和再就业年龄分别提高至65岁和70岁，目标是在2030年前实现。这提高了55至64岁年龄段的劳动参与率，从2015年的69%提升至2025年的73%。这使得更多员工能够达到基本退休金额，从2016年的六成提升至2022年的七成，我很高兴公积金局预测到2027年将有八成员工达到这一标准。
然而，资深员工发现自己越来越多地在照顾家庭和希望有更多工作选择之间平衡，以便更好地实现工作与生活的平衡。请问劳工部能否提供最新情况，说明正在采取哪些措施以提供更多工作选择并扩大灵活工作安排的可用性？
与此同时，许多距离法定退休年龄还有10至15年的资深员工和求职者担心在工作场所快速技术变革中遭遇年龄歧视和被替代。许多资深员工和求职者告诉我们，职业生涯后期晋升机会和优质工作岗位减少。年轻一代也深信不疑。还有人表示，虽然愿意提升技能和学习，但长时间工作、下班后的照顾责任、不熟悉的学习形式以及将学习成果转化为更好工作前景的不确定性，都是实际障碍。劳工部能否分享如何计划在职业中期阶段介入，提升员工在进入50多岁前的持续就业能力？
因此，我欢迎延长资深就业补贴计划至2027年，以继续支持雇用和/或留用资深员工。这向企业发出重要信号，表明资深员工仍是宝贵贡献者，并提供一定的成本缓解，这对中小企业在激烈竞争的商业环境中尤为重要。劳工部是否考虑在2027年审查结束后继续延长该补贴？
让灵活工作安排发挥作用
钟佩珊女士：主席先生，我们的总生育率（TFR）持续下降，2025年降至0.87的新低，这是迄今为止最明确的信号，表明仅靠财政激励措施无法有效改变现状。财政激励固然重要，但它们未能解决年轻新加坡人（包括我本人）关心的一个关键问题——正如我上周预算辩论中提到的，我们没有足够的时间和精力成为全职父母。对我们许多人来说，新加坡的工作生活结构让为人父母感觉像是一种妥协，而非选择。
上周，印德拉妮部长呼吁全社会重新审视和支持婚姻与为人父母的观念。我希望政府能以身作则，从一个新的杠杆——时间入手，推动灵活工作安排从意图转向实际影响。
现行的三方指导方针赋予员工提出请求的权利和审议流程，但不规范结果。当流程未被遵循时，员工可向三方公平与进步就业实践联盟（TAFEP）投诉。我们不应低估员工向TAFEP投诉所付出的关系成本，这会造成紧张局面，且可能被视为难缠。
我曾提交国会质询，询问自2024年12月指导方针生效以来，TAFEP收到多少关于不当处理此类请求的投诉。答案是1起；且该案涉及拒绝通知的格式，而非拒绝的实质内容。
主席先生，我不认为这意味着指导方针运作完美。我认为这意味着它们未被充分利用。一宗投诉并非成功的标志，而是障碍过高的信号。虽然仅靠立法无法改变职场文化，但它可以设定底线，表明政府严肃对待心态转变，支持新加坡人建立和发展家庭。
作为起点，我有两点建议。
第一，将框架从指导方针提升为具有法定效力的立法。这意味着不合规行为应可被追究。未能妥善处理或无正当商业理由拒绝请求的雇主，应承担相应后果。第二，将灵活工作视为有子女且子女年龄低于三岁的父母的推定权利（在工作性质允许的情况下），这不是绝对或无条件的权利，而是雇主必须证明偏离的起点，而非员工必须请求的福利。
资深就业
玛丽亚姆·贾法尔女士：主席先生，在兀兰，我遇到许多60多岁和70多岁的长者，他们告诉我：“我想继续工作，但需要适合我的工作。”随着健康寿命延长，许多长者希望工作，有些甚至需要工作，但许多人面临困难。我欢迎延长资深就业补贴和公积金过渡补贴，但这还不够。
下午4点
许多长者面临技能不匹配问题。虽然有培训补助，但往往感觉千篇一律。一位72岁的男士告诉我：“他们一直推我去学人工智能课程，但对我来说太难了，实际上帮不到我找到工作。”其他长者则面临体力要求高或工作环境不灵活的问题。办公室、工厂和零售空间通常为年轻且身体健全者设计。真正有意义的兼职或灵活岗位稀缺。许多人做零工，这既没有保障，也无法发挥他们的专业知识和经验。
因此，我请问部长，能否为长者提供量身定制、真正符合其能力的培训，并提供专门支持，帮助他们找到真正适合其生活的工作？能否帮助长者更好地导航技能未来课程选项，使他们能真正利用学分？
能否重新设计工作场所，尤其是零售、物流和服务等中小企业，使其更适合长者？能否重新设计工作本身？如减轻工作负担、灵活工时、辅助工具、导师型职位，使经验与活力同等被重视？能否为实现这些目标的企业提供补助和税收优惠？这些干预措施是对现有工资支持计划的补充，而非替代。如果我们希望长者保持独立，就必须重新设计工作，而不仅仅是补贴。
我也注意到兼职再就业补贴的延长。劳工部能否分享迄今的采用情况和成效？能否推广实用模式，使长者能保持节奏同时保持参与？关于三方资深就业工作组，何时能期待关键建议？如何跟踪成功，超越单纯的岗位安置？
让我们确保长者不仅活得更久，更能茁壮成长。让我们确保他们不仅谋生，更能贡献、指导和领导。让我们确保他们不仅生存，更能成功。因为长者成功，新加坡才能成功。
主席：彭丽燕女士，请您一并发表两项发言。
三方灵活工作安排工作组
彭丽燕女士（海洋坊-布拉德尔高地）：主席先生，关于灵活工作安排请求的三方指导方针非常重要，因为它们明确了员工如何提出灵活工作请求以及雇主如何评估这些请求的规范。这种明确性减少误解，建立信心，促进建设性和成熟的职场对话。
对员工而言，这些指导方针具有实际益处。它们促进工作与生活平衡，提供清晰、结构化的途径，申请在工作地点、工作时间或工作量上的灵活性。这对父母、照顾者及管理健康状况者尤为重要，使他们能在履行家庭和个人责任的同时保持经济活跃。
对雇主而言，指导方针引入了纪律和透明度。雇主应书面回应请求，若拒绝，应基于业务需求明确说明理由。这减少猜测，限制偏见感知，增强信任和职场和谐。
主席先生，我支持这些指导方针的主旨。但我请求劳工部认识到一个简单的现实：并非所有雇主，尤其是中小企业，都有能力、人力和人力资源专业知识有效实施这一正式的灵活工作流程。
虽然TAFEP提供补助、模板、培训和咨询服务，但实际操作挑战依然存在。如果不解决，这些指导方针可能沦为合规问题，而非实质内容，特别是对中小企业而言。
在实际操作中，中小企业面临五大痛点。
第一，人力资源限制，小团队缺乏专职人力资源。第二，管理层压力，主管需同时处理团队的混合和错峰工作安排。第三，绩效和公平问题，包括产出跟踪、滥用担忧和不平等感知。第四，运营成本增加，如信息技术投资和额外人力覆盖轮班。第五，运营和合同限制，尤其是餐饮、零售、安全等需现场工作的行业。
主席先生，如果我们希望建立公平包容的职场，这些安排也必须对雇主可持续。没有雇主就没有员工，反之亦然。在加强员工保护的同时，我们必须同等加强对中小企业的支持，使其以切实、适度且商业可行的方式实施这些指导方针。
支持员工与包容性职场
主席先生，我将谈谈为残疾人士、女性和照顾者营造安全、包容和公平职场的重要性。
首先，我们必须加强防止职场歧视和骚扰的保护，包括常常隐蔽且不易察觉的欺凌行为。所有雇主都希望有安全和受尊重的职场，但许多中小企业在政策设计、投诉处理、文档记录、决定适当应对措施方面存在困难，尤其缺乏内部人力资源专业知识。
欺凌并非总是显而易见。它可能表现为言语恐吓、精神操控、被动攻击、反复贬低、敌对语气、公开羞辱、故意排斥或不断变化的期望。这些行为可能不会留下明显的书面证据，但随着时间推移，会侵蚀信任，破坏心理安全，导致员工流失，这对员工和雇主都是双输。
因此，保护必须是真实、可及且持续执行的，但我们不应假设雇主总是错误方。有时不当行为也来自同事。该体系应帮助雇主及早介入，指导其妥善处理投诉，并为员工提供安全、可信赖的举报渠道。
第二，为残疾人士、女性和照顾者提供包容性就业既是社会善举，也符合经济利益，尤其在劳动力紧缺的情况下。强有力的支持框架能帮助这些群体实现照顾愿望，最大化贡献。
但要实现包容，必须超越员工障碍，也考虑雇主实施能力。对中小企业而言，包容性招聘可能带来突发运营成本、岗位重设计、额外监督、工作流程调整、培训及管理健康和福祉问题。如果希望包容招聘可持续，必须支持雇主，而非让其不堪重负。
最后，公平且基于绩效的职场至关重要。公平意味着更广泛的机会、减少偏见、基于绩效和潜力的晋升，但公平也必须可持续。包容政策、灵活安排和更强保护只有在员工信服且雇主可行的情况下才能成功。许多中小企业老板承受巨大压力，先支付员工工资再支付自己，管理现金流风险，满足合规要求，承担维持企业生存的全部情感负担。
归根结底，公平职场离不开雇主和员工双方的福祉。必须双向兼顾。主席先生，2025年年中，一家沙拉店老板因涉嫌虚假工伤索赔而不幸去世。劳工部正在调查。但即便如此，一起死亡事件也太多了。这提醒我们，雇主的心理健康同样重要。
基于此，我向部长提出四点建议。
第一，劳工部可提供实用指南和支持，帮助中小企业识别和应对隐蔽的职场欺凌，包括提供清晰示例和易于实施的示范政策。
第二，劳工部可制定并发布简单、适度的调查流程和工具，供中小企业处理涉及歧视、欺凌和骚扰的投诉。
第三，劳工部或可协助雇主，尤其是中小企业，将包容性就业方案转化为日常可行流程，使对残疾人士、女性和照顾者的支持变得切实可行。
第四，劳工部可考虑将雇主支持计划和指导方针整合到单一、用户友好的平台，类似于“SupportGoWhere”，使中小企业能快速了解其资格及如何实施支持，减少对顾问甚至中介的依赖。
主席先生，我希望部长能考虑我提出的问题。
促进更安全更健康的工作场所
杨益财先生：主席先生，职场安全不仅是统计数字，它关乎生命、家庭和未来。我欣慰地看到，2025年职场致命伤害率降至每10万人中0.96人，低于2024年的1.2人。这反映了员工、雇主和政府的持续努力。
但每一条因工丧生的生命都是多余的。改进不能导致自满。我们必须采取下一步果断措施。
首先，职场安全与健康（WSH）必须适应我们日益老龄化的劳动力。随着退休和再就业年龄提高，职业生涯更长也必须更安全。跌倒、肌肉骨骼疾病和疲劳等风险贯穿所有行业，而非仅限传统高风险行业。
雇主必须超越合规要求。他们应重新设计岗位，自动化危险任务，从源头消除风险。安全的工作设计应成为常态，而非例外。已证明能减少事故的安全技术，其采用不应仅限自愿。在高风险行业，劳工部应推动强制采用防撞系统、视频分析检测不安全行为和疲劳检测工具等技术。如果这些技术能挽救生命，我们应要求使用。
政府也能做更多推动变革。公共采购政策应奖励拥有良好WSH记录和明确风险消除及岗位重设计投资的企业。
第二，疲劳必须被视为核心安全问题。指导方针是良好开端，但仅靠指导方针不足。劳工部应加强对工作时间和休息时间的保障，要求雇主实施正式的疲劳风险管理系统。
最后，我们必须继续提升外籍劳工福利标准。虽然我欢迎宿舍标准的提升，但宿舍应更好地融入周边社区，提供便捷的医疗、娱乐和基本设施，靠近工人居住地。
主席先生，职场安全和员工福利不是合规演练，而是对尊严、责任和公平的承诺。如果我们知道有效措施，必须强制执行；如果发现有害因素，必须重新设计；如果设定标准，必须严格执行，因为每位员工都应拥有安全健康的工作环境。
杨婉玲女士：虽然职场问题受到密切关注，我们不能忘记勤劳的外籍劳工的居住条件。许多人大部分时间在宿舍和工地之间，休闲、社交或建立社区的机会有限。
长期与家人分离也会影响情绪健康，加剧孤立感。我认可劳工部改善宿舍标准的努力。
劳工部、全国职工总会和我们的外籍劳工中心合作管理娱乐中心，是正确方向。这些中心提供娱乐、社区活动和基本服务，如杂货、汇款和通讯，每周服务数千人。
除此之外，我呼吁劳工部继续投资措施，加强外籍劳工对设施和社区空间的访问，确保他们的居住环境支持福祉、尊严，当然还有社会融合。
主席：陈志荣部长发言。
人力部长（陈志荣博士）：主席先生，我借此机会祝大家中国情人节快乐。感谢支持我们员工和雇主的议员发言。
工作的性质正在迅速变化。正如本周末的地缘政治冲突所示，世界正被颠覆，全球贸易和投资流动正在重塑。人工智能正在改变我们的工作方式，我们的劳动力也在演变。今年，新加坡将成为超级老龄化社会。
即使我们寻求新的增长前沿，也必须确保我们的增长具有包容性，并为所有人创造有意义的职业。我们今天起点相对较好。尽管全球环境充满挑战，新加坡的劳动力市场依然具有韧性。
截至去年12月，自2021年我们走出新冠疫情以来，已经连续17个季度实现就业增长。我们的居民失业率保持在2.9%的低位。2025年劳动力市场依然紧张，职位空缺多于求职者。2020年至2025年间，中位数实际收入增长了8.3%，约合每年1.6%。低收入工人的实际收入从2020年到2025年增长了15%，约合每年2.8%，增速快于中位数工人。这得益于生产力提升和有针对性的工资支持。
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这些成果反映了我们的工人和企业的韧性与贡献，以及对人工智能和先进制造等增长领域的投资，以及与三方伙伴的良好合作。人力部将继续与工人和企业同行，确保每一位工人都重要，每一位工人都能实现潜力，达成职业抱负，每一家公司都能通过发挥员工的最佳表现而繁荣。
人力部今年有三大优先事项。我们将与三方伙伴一起：一，赋能新加坡人建立有意义的职业；二，助力企业转型并提供优质工作岗位；三，建设更具包容性的职场，确保无人被落下。
让我先谈第一优先事项，赋能新加坡人终身建立有意义的职业。对于青年，我们致力于为你们的职业生涯打下坚实基础。学校到职场的转变可能令人畏惧，尤其是在人工智能改变入门级岗位的焦虑和担忧中。
幸运的是，至少目前，毕业生市场依然韧性十足。职位空缺持续多于求职者。超过四成的空缺是适合年轻毕业生的入门级专业、管理、执行和技术（PMET）岗位。到2025年12月，2025届大学毕业生中已有超过八成找到工作，这与2024届相当。
我们将继续优先创造更多全职岗位给应届毕业生。虽然职位空缺存在，但部分毕业生确实面临寻找合适岗位的挑战。为支持他们，我们去年推出了GRIT计划，以及公共部门的GRIT@Gov。
GRIT帮助毕业生获得结构化、行业相关的工作经验。已有400多名毕业生在各行业开始实习。雇主告诉我们，GRIT帮助他们在更谨慎的环境中增加招聘，并计划将表现优异者转为全职。我们通过继续补贴实习期内转正的学员，激励雇主这样做。
以DBS的Jewel Goh女士和Dominic Wong先生为例，两位近期毕业生开始了实习。Jewel拥有应用人工智能与分析文凭，有机会应用所学支持DBS的技术系统和大规模运营。Dominic是传播学毕业生，有机会与DBS利益相关者发展合作关系。我相信他们的GRIT经历让他们对下一步更清晰、更有信心。
GRIT计划对2025届毕业生开放，我们将扩展至2026届。我们也在加快申请者入职速度。如市场情况需要，可能扩大容量。
多位议员提出支持青年建议。Gerald Giam先生建议为中小企业雇用毕业生提供工资支持。Jamus Lim副教授提议设立国家学徒计划，加强在职培训。
这些建议与政府持续努力一致。我们通过人工智能学徒计划和SkillsFuture工学结合计划等方案，增强基于工作场所的学习和在职培训。教育部早前分享，工学结合文凭计划将根据经济策略审查（ESR）建议加强，支持灵活的培训与工作结合路径。GRIT计划补贴70%的实习成本。
我们将继续研究这些建议，探索更多支持应届毕业生的方式，但也要设计支持措施，确保可持续。例如，GRIT从增长领域的领先企业提供实习岗位，确保毕业生获得高质量经验和更强的长期前景。若为中小企业提供广泛工资补贴，若企业缺乏培训能力或补贴结束后无法提供有意义职业，可能无法提供同等质量经验。一般补贴可能导致更多浪费，因为80%的毕业生在没有此类补贴的情况下，毕业数月内已能找到工作。
此外，我们还需防范意外后果，如企业可能裁减年长员工，替换为更便宜的毕业生以节省人力成本。因此，我们目前的做法适合当前形势，许多全职岗位仍然空缺。为帮助毕业生匹配岗位，我们加强了通过WSG、e2i和高等院校的职业指导和就业促进工作。
此外，海外工作经历有助于装备新加坡人应对全球化经济所需的技能和视野。自2024年启动以来，WSG的海外市场沉浸计划已支持120多名本地专业人士获得海外经验。结合其他机构的海外派遣计划，截至2025年，已有超过430名本地工人受益。
我们认识到青年对海外经验兴趣日益增长。因此，将扩大海外市场沉浸计划，支持年轻专业人士更早获得海外历练。提供早期机会有助于强化人才储备和提升企业全球竞争力。详情将适时公布。
除了良好开端，我们还将确保所有工人拥有资源，在整个职业生涯中茁壮成长。我们将通过四个方面实现：建设人工智能准备型劳动力；帮助工人自信地导航劳动力市场；发展本地专业人才储备；支持被裁工人。
首要任务之一是建设人工智能准备型劳动力。麦肯锡、EDB和Tech in Asia最近报告显示，约五成东南亚企业尚未从人工智能中获得显著财务收益，部分原因是缺乏内部专业知识和员工采纳率低。
我们不能让这一差距持续。为将人工智能潜力转化为新加坡人的优质工作，我们将采取果断措施建设人工智能准备型劳动力。像学习语言一样，真正掌握人工智能需要持续使用和通过试验建立信心。因此，我们将让新加坡人更容易获得实践经验和最新人工智能工具。
正如预算案宣布，参加指定SkillsFuture人工智能课程者，将免费获得顶级人工智能工具高级版订阅六个月。人力部已与谷歌、Manus、微软和OpenAI等供应商接洽。我们将适时公布具体工具和平台。
Terence Ho副教授建议人工智能访问应更广泛，包括成熟和低收入工人。我同意访问应包容，不论年龄或收入。因此，该计划对所有25岁及以上新加坡人开放，并配备实用且易懂的人工智能培训。
此外，我们将继续探索更多方式，让成熟和低收入工人参与国家人工智能发展。人工智能准备型劳动力有助提升生产力，但我们必须引导人工智能应用，增强工人潜力，而非取代。我稍后将详细说明对雇主的支持。
第二，我们将帮助工人更好地导航劳动力市场，自信抓住新机遇。为此，我们正在根本性审视就业与技能生态系统，正如Gho Sze Kee女士早前所述。
我们有四个目标，即“4V”：数量（volume），希望覆盖更多劳动力；多样性（variety），满足复杂就业市场中更多元需求；速度（velocity），更快匹配人才与机会；价值（value），提升长期职业健康。
为推动这些战略转变，我们将成立新机构。主席先生，获准后，请书记员分发一份支持新加坡人职业发展的工作资料。议员们也可通过MP@SGPARL应用访问。
主席：请继续。[向尊敬的议员分发资料。]
陈秀龙博士：谢谢。我继续。正如总理所述，SSG和WSG将合并为“新加坡劳动力与技能局”（WSSG），这是人力部下属的新法定机构，并与教育部共同监管。该机构将于2026年第三季度成立，由现任WSG首席执行官Dilys Boey领导。使命是赋能新加坡人发展未来技能，获得优质工作机会；助力企业创造优质岗位，发展劳动力；推动终身学习和职业健康文化。
秘书长黄志明先生询问合并如何惠及新加坡工人，如何更好地将培训转化为就业和生产力提升。Eileen Chong女士表示，新机构应不仅支持工人，也支持雇主，推动SSG鼓励技能优先招聘的持续努力。
目前我们的技能和就业促进能力分属不同机构。合并后形成统一强大的人力资本发展引擎。它将与其他机构和利益相关者合作，惠及工人和雇主。
对工人而言，这意味着在快速变化的市场中更简便、更整合的职业支持。意味着通过单一门户访问培训、职业指导和工作机会，无需多头跑。结合职业和技能数据，我们能更清晰展示机会所在，助力更明智的职业和培训决策。
对雇主而言，合并将帮助我们更及时响应人才需求。凭借更及时全面的劳动力市场和技能洞察，WSSG可减少技能错配和招聘时间。单一联络点也简化了我们支持企业招聘、培训和劳动力转型的方式。
WSSG将在拓展职业健康运动中发挥关键作用，超越被动的职位匹配，推动主动的职业规划。正如分发给议员的资料所示，我们有针对工人和雇主的多项举措。
对工人，我们去年推出了Career Health SG，核心信息是——保持主动，预见职业发展。迄今反响良好，近三分之二工人认可提升职业健康的价值。但仍有许多人不知如何开始。
因此，开启职业健康之旅无需感到压力山大。我们开发了实用工具帮助新加坡人。职业与技能护照让你盘点技能，CareersFinder帮助你发现未曾考虑的工作选项。需要更个性化支持者，我们扩大了职业规划项目的覆盖。近九成参与者表示参加后方向更明确，自信提升。
这些工具已带来积极成果。职业与技能护照与JobStreet和FastJobs等招聘平台整合后，合作伙伴发现带有验证资质的求职申请被雇主筛选的概率提高1.5倍。我们将扩展护照合作至MyCareersFuture、Careers@Gov、EASE、FindSGJobs和eFinancialCareers五个招聘平台。也已与人力资源科技公司JobTech平台整合，助雇主基于验证技能数据搜索候选人。
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对雇主而言，TalentTrack和TalentTrack+等工具帮助更好评估劳动力准备度，识别内部人才担任新岗位。
总体而言，我们的工具和举措已帮助超过80万人和3.8万家公司。
通过WSSG，我们还将加强职业和就业服务提供者生态系统，更有效服务不同劳动力群体。随着劳动力演变，需新型职业支持——部分可由专注特定行业、部门或群体的私营服务商提供。
例如，自2017年起，WSG与Ingeus和AKG两家私营招聘公司合作，为专业管理人员（PME）提供更专业支持。我们观察到接受帮助者的再就业率高于一般被裁居民。
为进一步推进，我们成立了职业与就业服务推进联盟（AfA-ACES）。该工作组将与私营部门合作启动九个试点，测试涵盖不同个人和雇主群体的新服务。例如，针对应届毕业生，测试结合职业指导和行业体验的服务，支持学校到职场过渡。针对中层专业人士，试点个性化职业代理，助你晋升更好岗位。针对照顾者、长者及面临较大困难者，探索支持更灵活工作或重返职场的新方式。针对中小企业，测试支持内部流动及建议采用新工作模式。
工作组将在今年下半年发布建议。
这些努力也将帮助解决Patrick Tay先生关心的就业不足问题。人力部研究了过度资格的就业不足，即工人学历高于岗位要求。初步发现，新加坡大多数过度资格工人是自愿接受现岗位，原因包括灵活性或计划中的职业转型。
非自愿过度资格工人比例仍小且稳定。我们加强职业和就业生态系统的努力，将更好支持这些工人找到更符合抱负的工作或发展技能进入此类岗位。详细研究结果将于今年晚些时候公布。
第三，针对有志担任领导职务的新加坡人，我们将助你发展所需技能。过去一年，我们扩大了专业发展项目的容量和参与度。在EDB支持下，人力资本领导学院运营的新加坡领导者网络成员超过4000人，提供新项目和扩展服务，包括已支持约120名专业人士的海外过渡支持计划。
最后，随着经济演变，一些新加坡人不可避免地会发现工作发生变化或结束。但我想向你们保证，新机会也将出现，我们将助你抓住。
去年，我们推出了SkillsFuture求职者支持计划，为非自愿失业者提供临时经济援助和求职支持，帮助他们重新站稳脚跟，自信回归职场。该计划已惠及许多新加坡人，但我们可以做得更多。正如秘书长黄志明先生和Patrick Tay先生建议，扩大计划覆盖范围，超出当前收入上限。求职者支持计划实施不到一年，我们正在根据经验审视计划及参数。请大家耐心支持。高级国务部长许宝琨将提供后续更新。
现在谈谈职业后期阶段。随着新加坡人寿命更长、更健康，我们必须从应对老龄化压力转向释放职业长寿的益处。如先前宣布，退休年龄和再就业年龄将于2026年7月1日分别提高至64岁和69岁，确保2030年前提升至65岁和70岁。这将为长者提供更多灵活性和保障，同时使雇主能留住经验丰富的员工。
除了工作年限，我们还必须转变工作效率，通过创造更多灵活多样的路径，让长者保持参与和生产力。
三方高级就业工作组正在研究一种更综合的方法来支持职业的长期发展，包括帮助个人更早规划晚期职业转型，并使雇主能够设计适合年龄的工作和工作场所。高级国务部长许宝琨将分享更多关于这些举措的信息。
在此期间，我们将把高级就业补贴延长至2027年12月，以继续支持雇主雇用高级员工。
与此同时，我们将继续加强退休保障政策，为我们的长者提供更大的保障。过去几年，我们一直在完善公积金制度，为新加坡人提供更多支持。这一切的实现，得益于我们坚实的社会契约以及个人、家庭、雇主和政府之间的共同责任理念。我们将继续坚持这一方向。
如已宣布，我们将在2027年提高55岁至60岁员工的公积金缴纳率1.5个百分点，提高60岁至65岁员工的缴纳率1个百分点。这将更好地支持希望继续工作的长者的退休保障。
通过此举，我们已达到三方年长员工工作组建议的60岁至65岁高级员工的目标缴纳率。我们将把公积金过渡补贴延长一年，以帮助缓解雇主公积金缴纳增加的一半负担。
今年晚些时候，我们还将公布2027年以后各年龄组的新退休金额，帮助会员更好地提前规划。随着生活水平的提高，新退休金额将更好地反映未来满足基本退休需求所需的储蓄。
对于那些尽管努力仍难以积累足够储蓄的长者，我们承诺给予支持。如已宣布，我们将为符合条件、年龄50岁及以上且公积金余额低于现行基本退休金额的新加坡人提供最高1500元的公积金补充。今年将自动发放该补充款项。
最后，我们将为新加坡人在公积金体系内提供更多选择，以增长他们的退休储蓄。
目前，公积金体系提供最高6%的无风险利息。寻求潜在更高回报的会员可以通过公积金投资计划（CPFIS）投资，该计划约有700种产品可供选择。但这需要具备金融知识和积极的投资管理能力。
正如总理所宣布，公积金局将推出一项新的投资计划，包含生命周期投资产品，随着投资者年龄增长，产品将自动通过滑行路径转向低风险资产。这有助于在不同人生阶段调整投资风险暴露，并在退出时减轻市场下跌风险。
为了简化选择，我们将精选两到三家信誉良好的商业供应商，提供少量选项。针对Saktiandi Supaat议员关于产品供应商选择的问题，申请将由公积金局委任的独立投资顾问严格评估，涵盖投资能力和业绩记录等方面。我们将限制总费用以保持成本低廉，并准备为有兴趣的会员提供有限时支持。
我们同意Saktiandi Supaat议员的观点，对于许多新加坡人，尤其是年长员工和优先考虑确定性的群体，公积金的无风险回报仍极具吸引力。并非所有人都愿意承担投资风险。因此，该新计划将是自愿参与的。
偏好主动管理自己投资的会员可以继续通过公积金投资计划投资其普通账户和特别账户余额。会员也可以选择将储蓄保留在公积金账户中，继续获得无风险回报。
我们同意Shawn Loh议员、Sanjeev Kumar Tiwari议员和Saktiandi Supaat议员的看法，投资者素养至关重要。会员必须了解产品及其风险，并为自己选择最合适的选项。我们将与选定的产品供应商和合作伙伴，包括新加坡金融管理局，共同加强投资者教育。
我还要感谢各位议员对产品设计提出的建议，如冷静期、目标日期和鼓励持有等。我们将在进一步与业界接触时予以考虑。我们计划于2028年上半年推出新计划，当然，如果能更早推出，我们也会尽力。更多细节将适时公布。
接下来谈谈我们的第二个重点，即在变化的环境中支持企业蓬勃发展并为新加坡人创造优质就业机会。Yeo Wan Ling女士请求更新我们如何调整外劳政策，以促进增长和为新加坡人创造优质就业，同时认识到外劳增长的限制。
蓬勃发展的企业是优质就业的引擎。在加入政府之前，我一生都在私营部门工作，因此我理解私营企业家和业主面临的焦虑。蓬勃发展的企业是优质就业、工资增长的引擎，并持续为新加坡创造机会。在快速变化的全球环境和资源更紧张的情况下，企业只有不断转型业务模式和投资员工，才能蓬勃发展。因此，支持企业转型仍是我们外劳策略的核心。
我们将继续保持全球连接，开放引进能够补充本地技术劳动力的人才，同时在有提升生产力空间的领域减少对外劳的依赖。我们将根据这一思路进一步完善外劳政策。
首先，我们将继续在全球范围内争夺顶尖人才。自2023年推出海外网络与专才通行证（ONE Pass）以来，申请人数稳步增长。目前，已有超过8,000人持有ONE Pass，他们中的许多人为我们未来经济关键领域做出贡献。
以A*STAR新加坡基因组研究所助理主任Anders Jacobsen Skanderup博士为例，他开发了Fragle，一种基于人工智能的新方法，通过血液检测监测癌症进展和复发。再如OpenAI董事总经理Oliver Jay先生，他在连接硅谷与亚洲方面的经验支持新加坡成为领先的人工智能中心。Jay先生此前曾花两年时间指导新加坡高速成长企业如Carousell和Glints的领导者。
为了增强我们在人工智能和量子计算等关键新兴技术领域对顶尖人才的吸引力，我们将于2027年1月推出新的ONE Pass人工智能与科技通道，取代Tech.Pass，并提供比Tech.Pass更具吸引力的条件。
第二，我们必须保持开放，欢迎海外技能和专才，同时确保他们继续补充本地劳动力。
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我们的就业准证（EP）和S准证的最低资格薪金定期更新，以跟上本地工资基准的步伐——它们并不领先于本地工资基准——确保来新加坡的外劳不会主要通过接受较低薪金来竞争。
如已宣布，我们将把EP最低资格薪金从5,600元提高至6,000元，符合本地中上三分之一专业、管理、执行及技术人员（PMET）的工资水平。此规定适用于2027年1月1日起的新EP申请及2028年1月1日起的续签，以便雇主有时间调整。
除了满足资格薪金要求外，EP申请者还必须通过COMPASS。Patrick Tay议员请求更新COMPASS框架如何激励企业改善劳动力结构。
自两年半前实施以来，截至2023年，约三分之二现有EP持有人已通过COMPASS。结果显示我们正朝正确方向前进。依赖单一国籍外劳较高的企业比例下降了20%，依赖外劳较高的企业比例下降了37%。
对于S准证，我们将继续提高最低资格薪金，符合本地中上三分之一助理专业人员及技术人员（APT）的工资水平。
第一步，我们将最低资格薪金从3,300元提高至3,600元，适用于2027年1月1日起的新申请和2028年1月1日起的续签。到2030年左右，如果经济持续增长，S准证最低资格薪金预计将达到4,000至4,500元。当然，这取决于当时的本地工资水平和经济状况。
随着本地劳动力老龄化，新加坡需要工作准证持有人来提供关键基础设施、商品和服务。
过去五年，建筑业工作准证人数增长了36%，以赶上疫情后重要项目的进度。所有行业的工作准证人数共增长了186,000人，增幅为27%。因此，我们同意Yeo Wan Ling女士的观点，鉴于基础设施和社会限制，我们的工作准证增长必须可持续。企业必须通过采用技术和重新设计岗位来提高运营效率。我们也有补助金帮助企业实现这一目标。
因此，即使我们管理人数增长，我们仍将支持企业获取更高质量的工作准证持有人，关键是更高质量。为此，我们将对工作准证框架进行两项改进。
首先，我们将简化工作准证征费框架，使企业更易理解，并能规划如何招聘、培训和留住工作准证持有人。几十年来，我们的征费框架发展成包含24个不同费率和等级。我们将从减少费率数量开始，由24个降至20个，并逐步进一步简化。
对于海事造船厂和工艺行业，我们将努力使征费率与建筑业保持一致。首先，我们将把基础技能工人的征费分别提高100元和150元。此举旨在激励企业招聘更高技能工人。我们的呼吁是企业引进更高技能工人，留住他们并进行良好培训。
对于制造业和服务业，我们将合并最低的两个等级。新合并等级中，制造业高技能和基础技能工人的征费分别为300元和470元；服务业分别为400元和600元。请注意，高技能工人的征费将低于相对低技能工人。
我们将保留最高等级的现有征费率，以便依赖工作准证较多的企业继续支付较高费率，因为我们希望他们与我们合作，重新设计、改进和转型工作流程，实现更高生产力。
此修订后的征费表将于2028年生效。我们提前通知，以便企业做好规划。人力部将与行业密切合作，加强识别各行业符合较低征费资格的高技能工人的框架。
第二，我们将于2026年9月新增八个职业至非传统来源职业名单（NTS-OL），涵盖餐饮服务、社会服务和航空运输领域。NTS-OL允许企业从非传统来源国家招聘更高质量的非PMET工人，填补本地人不足的特定岗位。
Mark Lee议员分享了以国内市场为主的行业面临的挑战，这些行业利润微薄，依赖S准证持有人担任前线岗位，如餐饮业。随着NTS-OL扩展至包括四个更多餐饮岗位（包括前线服务员），企业可以留住这些可能不符合更高S准证资格薪金的工人。
Mark Lee议员和Shawn Loh议员提出了一个重要观点。我们需要既支持工人，也支持企业。他们询问人力部在调整政策时如何考虑行业需求和企业成本。
我们的政策调整是在与行业机构和合作伙伴密切协商后制定的。在自动化或本地化空间有限的关键或战略领域，人力部与行业机构合作，提供有针对性的外劳灵活性，避免固化劳动密集型商业模式。我们密切监控企业成本增长，同时考虑新加坡持续吸引投资和人才的能力。
2019年至2025年间，新加坡利润率每年增长4.4%，表明企业在成本增加的同时提升了盈利能力。新加坡还被评为2025年全球人才竞争力指数中最具人才竞争力的经济体。
此外，我们正在通过有针对性的工资补贴计划加大对企业成本的支持，高级国务部长许宝琨和国务部长Dinesh稍后将详细说明。我们理解企业需要时间转向更高生产力的模式，因此我们提前宣布，以稳健和分阶段的方式实施变革。
随着企业转型，岗位也将演变。企业必须投资培养员工，承担新岗位和重新设计的岗位，才能成功。
如去年宣布，政府已预留超过4亿新元用于企业劳动力转型计划。该计划与新加坡工商联合会和新加坡全国雇主联合会合作，旨在加强企业转型与劳动力发展的联系，实现增长并创造就业。
Wan Rizal博士询问企业劳动力转型计划的实施情况。根据该计划，技能未来劳动力发展补助（岗位重设计+）将于2026年3月推出，即本月。这是在生产力解决方案补助计划（PSG-JR）下支持小规模项目的岗位重设计支持基础上发展而来，后者已促进了员工留任和工资增长。
劳动力发展补助（岗位重设计+）将大幅扩大支持力度。企业现在可获得高达项目成本70%、每家公司最高15万新元的补助，高于PSG-JR的3万新元上限，增幅达五倍。这将使企业能够重新设计更多岗位，聘请专家建立内部能力，并实施以人工智能为核心的劳动力解决方案。
重新设计的技能未来企业信贷也将于今年晚些时候推出。企业可利用该信贷进一步抵消劳动力转型的自付费用。
Terence Ho副教授询问新加坡如何建立以人为本的岗位重设计专业知识，确保人工智能是辅助而非替代人类贡献。我们通过企业劳动力转型计划等举措实现这一目标，该计划将生产力支持与劳动力支持结合。我们还与全国职工总会通过公司培训委员会项目密切合作。通过WDG(JR+)，企业可与顾问合作评估人工智能准备度，识别机会并重新设计岗位。企业还可获得支持，实施如人工智能驱动的人力资源工具等劳动力技术解决方案。
我们将继续改善企业劳动力转型计划下的人工智能支持，提供针对特定企业需求的预包装解决方案。详情将随后公布。
为进一步推动劳动力转型，我们还必须培养人力资源领导者和专业人士，因为他们是员工背后的关键人物。为提升人力资本管理标准，我们去年成立了三方人力资本能力发展工作组。
该工作组在制定加强企业人力资源能力的策略方面取得重要进展，如建立明确的人力资本绩效基准，扩大专业人力资源实践覆盖更多组织。高级国务部长许宝琨将分享工作组的建议。
最后，我们的第三个重点是建设更具包容性的职场，确保无人被落下。
经济增长和企业转型必须与公平和包容并行。我们的职场必须继续为每位员工提供安全、机会和尊严。过去，劳动力市场的成功狭义地定义为学术资格、线性职业路径和传统职业。如今，人们越来越意识到成功有多样路径，每个职业都应获得认可和尊重。
正如总理所说，包容性增长还意味着在国内和基础服务领域创造优质就业，这些领域雇佣了大量员工。
经济战略审查也建议扩大我们经济中的优质就业范围。
Terence Ho副教授指出了几个可以重新设计岗位以吸引更多年轻新加坡人的领域，包括医疗保健和技术工种。总理已阐述我们如何提高教育、医疗和社会服务领域的薪酬和晋升机会。我们正与劳工运动和行业协会合作，在技术工种领域做出类似努力。
我们同意Diana Pang女士和Saktiandi Supaat议员的观点，技术工种可以且应为偏好“动手”工作、需要专注和精通的人提供优质就业机会。
许多此类行业在我们未来的经济中仍将是必不可少的。它们可能对人工智能自动化具有韧性，甚至是互补的。例如，电气工作将在我们向绿色和人工智能驱动的经济转型过程中保持不可或缺。然而，随着这些行业劳动力的老龄化，我们需要更加深入地思考劳动力更新以及吸引更多新加坡人加入这些行业。
有年轻的新加坡人在熟练行业中建立了充实的职业生涯。例如，Syntigro Engineering Ptd Ltd的电气工程师许嘉兴先生。嘉兴曾在工艺教育学院（ITE）接受航空航天工程培训，后来决定投身电气工程职业。
在他的职业生涯中，有一个项目令他印象深刻——在医院仍全面运作的情况下更换医院的主电气配电盘。这是一项非常困难的任务。相信我，我曾管理过医院，任何停电都会严重危及生命安全。因此，这是一项高风险、极具挑战性的工作，但它带来了成就感，也让人自豪于熟练工匠如何保持关键系统的正常运行。
如今，嘉兴正在新加坡科技学院攻读电气与电子工程硕士学位。我们希望支持那些有类似嘉兴抱负的人。
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因此，人力部已与新加坡专业行业联盟签署谅解备忘录，启动提升电气行业的试点项目。作为该试点的一部分，我们将与业界合作，制定针对行业从业者的举措，如更有结构性的职业和技能晋升阶梯，以及学徒制。我们从电气行业开始，鉴于其在未来经济中的关键作用、深厚的技能含量以及建立强大本地人才管道的需求。我们将从中学习经验，扩大到其他行业。稍后会提供更新。
建设不让任何人掉队的职场，也意味着确保我们的增长成果共享。我们将继续支持低薪工人的工资提升，例如通过提高最低工资标准（LQS）。我们收到企业反馈称，人力部的政策增加了成本，许多雇主在利润紧张的情况下感到压力。我听到了你们的声音，不仅听到了，还深表同情。
但同时，我也想分享另一种观点，我们的人力政策也服务于重要的社会目标。正如财政部关于不平等的偶发论文所强调的，诸如工资调整机制（PWM）等政策在实现包容性增长、防止社会裂痕加深方面发挥着关键作用。
政府政策导致的劳动力相关企业成本增加，大部分用于提升低薪工人的工资。若无此类政策，我们的低薪工人将进一步落后，正如新加坡在2012年引入PWM前的基尼系数所显示的那样。
政府仍将继续帮助企业缓解你们所面临的成本压力。我们与你们同在。
如已宣布，我们将把工资补贴计划（PWCS）延长至2028年。我们将其延长两年，以支持企业为提升低薪工人所做的努力。
罗尚恩先生和梁荣华先生建议延长或永久设立PWCS的共同资助机制。与此同时，杨婉玲女士和普里坦·辛格先生询问如何更好地将PWCS与生产力成果挂钩。
我们的政策在这两种观点之间取得平衡。生产力提升是实现可持续工资增长的关键。PWM是这些努力的核心，将工资增长与技能发展、职业晋升和岗位重塑联系起来。
然而，生产力提升在各行业间可能不均衡。在许多低薪工人就业的本地导向行业，重新设计劳动密集型工作流程需要时间，低薪工人提升技能进入新岗位也需要时间。因此，除了广泛的企业转型措施外，我们引入了PWCS，暂时缓冲支持低薪工人的举措带来的短期成本影响。这确保支持成为促进生产力提升的催化剂，而非替代品。
PWCS定期审查，以在企业转型期间提供足够支持。正如杨婉玲女士所强调，这也确保低薪工人有可控的节奏提升技能进入新岗位，限制失业风险。
许多公司已充分利用政府支持，与员工共同创新和发展。自2022年8月以来，已有超过600家公司申请了公司培训委员会补助。同样，自2020年以来，超过600家公司采用了生产力解决方案补助计划-岗位重塑（PSG-JR）。尽管如此，我们必须不断更新努力。回应杨美林先生的提问，我们在PWM涵盖行业提升生产力方面仍有进步空间。
正如新加坡生产力中心的《食品服务生产力报告》所指出，提升生产力对韧性和可持续增长至关重要，尤其是对面临人力短缺、竞争压力和运营成本上升的行业企业。政府全力支持雇主和低薪工人共同前行。
我之前提到过我们将推出的一些举措，包括企业劳动力转型方案。2027年和2028年延长的PWCS支持也将把工资增长的最低资格门槛从100新元提高到200新元，更好地针对投资能力和劳动力发展的企业。这些努力与经济策略审查建议相符，旨在扩大经济中优质工作的范围。人力部国务部长迪内什将介绍我们如何进一步支持低薪工人的技能提升。
最终，提升低薪工人是全社会的共同努力。我们希望雇主利用支持深化转型努力，低薪工人抓住技能提升机会，进入更高价值岗位。
包括全国职工总会秘书长黄志明先生在内的议员们谈到了照顾者面临的挑战，包括“夹心一代”。我们将继续鼓励包容性职场实践，支持可能面临更高就业障碍的工人，如女性、照顾者和残疾人士。高级议员黄尚恩将提供相关工作进展。
随着工作演变，我们的就业框架必须保持适用性。如去年宣布，我们已启动《就业法》审查。三方伙伴正在审查《就业法》如何继续为不同工人群体提供适当保障，包括更新《就业法》第4部分对最脆弱工人的覆盖和保护。
我们还在研究如何为企业提供更大灵活性和效率的职场管理，以及简化关键条款以便更易合规。我们的目标是确保就业框架保持可信和相关，维护和谐公平的劳资契约，使工人和企业均能繁荣发展。
郑国威先生建议在裁员前强制提前通知。黄志明先生也询问是否可以提前实施强制裁员通知。虽然提前通知有其优点，但强制此要求存在不小挑战。
裁员通常是所有相关方都感到困难的过程，且往往是企业的最后手段。许多时候，高层管理层与董事会会进行幕后协商，尽力保住尽可能多的岗位。如果强制提前通知，可能会不可避免或无意中促使企业更快完成裁员，阻碍此类协商。
企业也担心机密和市场敏感信息可能泄露。我们不排除任何选项，正在进行磋商和全面审查，正与三方伙伴就这些问题进行咨询，适时提供更新。
普里坦·辛格先生建议新加坡立法规定裁员补偿，且大企业支付更高金额。我之前在推动《职场公平法》时说过，立法不是万能的。我们采取平衡方法。保护工人，同时给予企业在不同情况下调整的灵活性，因为裁员原因多种多样，且企业规模并非衡量支付裁员补偿能力的唯一指标。
例如，如果强制要求财务困难的大企业支付裁员补偿，可能无意中使更多岗位面临风险。因此，我们在平衡中审视此事，我相信人力部高级国务部长许宝琨将就《就业法》审查提供进一步更新。
接下来，谈谈促进更安全更健康的职场。每位工人都应安全健康地回家。职场安全与健康（WSH）是我们所有人的共同责任——雇主、工人和政府。人力部国务部长迪内什将介绍加强和改善WSH责任感的举措。
最后，外籍劳工在我们经济中扮演重要角色，通过建设基础设施为发展做出贡献。人力部国务部长迪内什也将介绍我们持续保障外籍劳工福祉的努力。主席先生，我现在用普通话发言，请。
（普通话）：[请参阅本地语言发言。] 人工智能（AI）正在迅速改变我们的工作方式，今年新加坡也将成为超级老龄化社会。一些新加坡人可能对未来感到焦虑，这是可以理解的。随着经济转型，政府将确保国家增长包容性，创造优质、有意义的就业机会给新加坡人。
我们采取的重要步骤之一是利用人工智能的潜力，为新加坡人创造长期优质就业机会。人工智能是一种工具，不是竞争对手，绝非年轻人的专属领域。只要我们愿意尝试，敢于使用，都能从中受益，改善工作方式。因此，人力部将普及人工智能工具，使新加坡人更容易接触人工智能。
报名指定或精选课程的新加坡人将获得六个月免费订阅，帮助大家建立使用人工智能工具的信心。
人力部将确保新加坡人在职业生涯的每个阶段都获得所需支持。我们还将帮助高等院校毕业生为职业生涯打下坚实基础。
同时，我们也将为希望继续工作的年长工人提供更灵活的工作安排，增强他们的退休保障。古语有云：“老骥伏枥，志在千里。”年龄带来的是经验，而非退缩。年长工人的经验和智慧是职场最宝贵的资产。
请放心，无论您目前处于职业生涯的哪个阶段，我们都会与您同行。这是人力部对您的承诺。我们将帮助您持续跟上快速变化的就业市场，充满信心地迈向未来。
正如诗人李白所写：“乘风破浪会有时，直挂云帆济沧海。”只要我们保持信心，携手前进，必能克服困难，创造更美好的明天。
（英文）：总结来说，主席先生，前路既不确定也不易。但过去60年我们已证明，只要准备好共同应对挑战，我们就能克服一切——我们曾做到过，也必将再度做到。
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我们强劲的劳动力市场和工资成果，是作为社会、国家和人民有意识选择投资工人技能和发展、支持企业转型、维护职场公平与信任的结果。我们将继续乘势而上，巩固成果。
我们每个人都必须发挥作用。工人需主动管理职业健康，企业需持续转型，政府将继续与大家同行。
三方合作将继续是我们的坚实基石。正是通过信任与伙伴关系，通过我们的三方模式，我们才能应对过去的挑战。我们将共同塑造一个未来职场，让每个人都能自信贡献、有目标成长，面对未来充满信心和保障，无论风雨如何。[掌声]
主席：人力部高级国务部长许宝琨博士。
人力部高级国务部长（许宝琨博士）：主席先生，我们的劳动力一直是新加坡进步的支柱。随着新加坡人寿命更长、健康状况更好，我们有机会将进步延伸到更长久、更有意义的职业生涯。过去，职业生涯往往是线性发展的，毕业后从一份工作开始，在同一家公司逐步晋升。但如今，业务和技术周期加快，商业模式变化，意味着大多数人将在职业生涯中经历多份工作和多种角色。
工人现在对工作与生活的平衡有不同期望，在不同人生阶段有不同需求层次。这种转变对所有人都有影响。对工人而言，职业不再是攀登企业阶梯，而是导航一个动态、多阶段的旅程——向上发展、跨领域转型，甚至有意放缓节奏以平衡生活优先事项，如照顾责任。这也意味着工人需更主动管理职业和技能，并渴望更灵活的工作安排。
对雇主而言，这种转变不仅是调整岗位职责，更是重新思考如何设计岗位，既利用年轻人的活力，也发挥年长者的智慧和经验，如何在各阶段管理和发展人才，以及如何支持日益多元年龄结构的劳动力的转型。雇主需积极营造包容、灵活的职场，支持各人生阶段的工人。
对政府而言，这种转变要求根本改变支持劳动力的方式。我们必须超越支持培训和求职，支持职业生涯的持久性，向工人提供人力资本洞察，赋能他们在职业转型、人生阶段和不同工作形式中采取行动。
这就是为什么人力部聚焦三大关键领域：赋能年长者在更长职业生涯中茁壮成长，支持有意义的参与、职业转型和晚期工作灵活性；建设支持更长工作寿命的繁荣职场，通过更强的人力资源系统和更好管理年龄多样化劳动力；第三，调整就业保护以适应变化的劳动力，确保法律和保障随着工作安排和职业路径演变保持相关性。
首先让我介绍人力部如何通过年长者就业策略应对这一转变，然后谈谈我们如何更广泛地加强人力资源能力和就业保护。
新加坡人寿命更长、健康状况更好。我们的劳动力也在成熟。今天的年长者比前几代受教育程度更高、技能更强。未来的年长者将更是如此，反映出我们人口中大学入学率高。年长者因此拥有日益丰富的人力资本，许多人希望为经济做出有意义的贡献。
支持年长者不再仅是延长工作年限。需要提前规划，实现晚年阶段的可持续职业生涯。我们通过三方年长者就业工作组加强对中年和晚年职业转型的支持。
十多年前，三方伙伴开始消除年长者继续工作的障碍。一个重要举措是逐步提高退休和再就业年龄。这些措施帮助更多年长者保持就业。这些变化意义重大，不仅设定法律界限，还塑造了关于老龄和工作的社会规范，增强年长者继续工作的信心，给予雇主明确规划和留住经验丰富员工的依据。事实上，超过九成符合条件且希望继续工作的员工成功获得再就业机会。
今年，我们迈出下一步。我们将把退休年龄和再就业年龄分别提高到64岁和69岁，保持到2030年达到65岁和70岁的目标。
我想向Sanjeev Kumar Tiwari先生保证，这些变化确实产生了效果。过去五年，60多岁居民的劳动力参与率从约58%上升至近60%。50多岁群体的参与率从79%升至82%。国际上，这使新加坡在60多岁工人劳动力参与率方面位列经合组织国家第五，但在50多岁工人中仅排名第23。
我们赞同陈洁仪女士关于加强对成熟及资深专业人士（PME）职业支持的呼吁。我们需要在更早阶段做更多工作，支持那些可能比他们需要或愿意的时间更早离开劳动力市场的员工。
这就是为什么人力部（MOM）与全国职工总会（NTUC）和新加坡雇主联合会（SNEF）于去年七月召集了三方高级就业工作组。三方高级就业工作组体现了员工、雇主和政府共同承担责任，应对我们资深人士包括专业人士更长、更丰富职业生涯的挑战。
鉴于职业生涯更长，支持不能等到员工临近退休时才开始。如我之前所说，劳动力参与率从50岁开始下降，那么干预措施必须从40岁开始。通过我们的交流，雇主和资深员工都告诉我们，早期培训和职业指导对于保持技能新鲜、开辟新路径以及确保更长工作生涯的每个阶段都具有意义和生产力至关重要。
因此，三方高级就业工作组正在研究资深人士职业生涯旅程中的建议，包括中期职业转型和后期职业阶段，在这些阶段及时干预能产生最大影响。
正如良好的身体健康支持更长更好的身体寿命，良好的职业健康支持更长的工作寿命。职业健康同样需要早期、定期的检查和职业规划，而不仅仅是在出现问题时才进行。这对许多处于40至50岁中期职业阶段的人尤为重要，他们需要适应新角色、新技术或新行业，同时平衡工作与家庭责任。这些关键年份决定了他们能工作多久以及工作质量如何。
然而，职场成年人往往独自面对这一旅程。与学校中结构化的教育和职业指导不同，职场成年人获得的支持较少，难以理清此阶段的选择。这就是为什么正如部长早前强调的，我们正在通过与职业及就业服务部门合作，强化和拓展Career Health SG。我们将发展该部门，提供多样化的优质服务，满足不同资深人士的需求，帮助他们提前规划、顺利过渡并在更长的工作生涯中建立可持续的职业。
在个人层面，职场发展局（WSG）及其合作伙伴已试点针对50至60多岁人士的定向职业指导项目，帮助他们规划后期职业生涯。这些项目包括共和国理工学院于2025年4月推出的“设计你的人生——下一章节”工作坊，以及新加坡科技设计大学于2025年10月推出的“下一步：利用设计·人工智能重新构想你的职业”。这些项目迄今已支持约1000名参与者，其中约五分之四在完成工作坊后六个月内已开始实施其职业规划。
在正确指导下，后期职业转型可以开启新机遇。参与者如61岁的Eddie Sng先生和55岁的Mabel Lee女士展示了这一实践效果。参加WSG支持的职业指导工作坊后，他们开始将职业转型视为成长机会，而非职业终结。
Eddie曾任物流董事总经理，现从事物流咨询工作并创作数字内容。Mabel曾是摄影师及市场营销专业人士，现担任兼职市场经理，同时发展其摄影教学事业。他们的经历表明，战略性职业指导使年长员工能够重新思考选择，自信转型，并持续有意义地贡献。
基于这些早期成功，WSG将与合作伙伴合作，扩大后期职业指导服务的覆盖范围，并将这些项目纳入其常规职业指导服务中。
但第三方的职业指导并不足够，雇主也必须发挥作用。许多已就业的资深员工需要明确了解他们能在岗位上工作多久，工作是否会演变，以及如何调整工作方式。这些信息只有雇主能提供。因此，雇主必须与员工进行有意识的对话，规划岗位重设计，识别未来岗位机会所需技能，并随着时间调整工作安排，作为常规人力资源规划的一部分。
这种结构化职业规划（SCP）不仅应是结构化对话，还应作为公司常规人力资源流程的一部分。在兼职再就业补助计划下，雇主需派管理层和人力资源代表参加SCP工作坊，掌握开展SCP的知识和技能。根据SNEF的调查，约80%的雇主随后与员工进行了SCP对话，员工普遍认为这些会议有助于理解选择并顺利规划下一阶段职业。
我们的经验表明，SCP在更早阶段启动效果最佳，而非等到达到再就业年龄才开始。提前加强职业规划有助于资深员工保持自信和就业能力，同时让雇主更清晰地了解如何在更长职业生涯中发展和部署劳动力。
然而，目前只有不到30%的50岁及以上员工积极规划职业，只有38%的雇主开展结构化职业对话。Sanjeev Kumar Tiwari先生正确地提出，我们如何在中期职业阶段介入，以提升员工在50多岁前的持续就业能力。
因此，基于SCP的积极经验，我们将推动雇主在员工职业生涯更早阶段定期开展SCP对话，并探索如何将SCP更系统地纳入人力资源培训和认证要求。这将使雇主和员工能够主动重设计岗位，调整工作安排，并在更长职业生涯中建立韧性。
随着员工进入职业后期阶段，有些人希望继续全职工作，有些人偏好减少工时或更专注的角色，还有些人随着优先事项、健康状况或身体能力变化需要调整。资深员工能否持续贡献，很大程度上取决于工作场所的适应能力，雇主在其中扮演关键角色。
为支持雇佣和留用资深员工的雇主，我们将延长高级就业津贴至2027年12月，正如总理在预算案中宣布的。Sanjeev Kumar Tiwari先生和Shawn Loh先生曾询问是否会进一步延长该津贴，以及该计划是否会在2027年后继续研究。
在三方高级就业工作组的框架下，我们正全面审视对雇主的支持措施，包括高级就业津贴的评估及是否适合采取更长期措施。我们也已将兼职再就业补助计划延长至2027年12月，支持雇主提供合适的兼职及灵活工作选项，以吸引和留住资深员工。除了这些措施，我们还需重新思考传统岗位设计。
什么是适合年龄的工作实践？没有一套放之四海而皆准的模式适合所有公司，不同行业和岗位可能各异。通过赋能成熟员工多阶段职业联盟（AfA-EMW），我们正与包括中介机构在内的组织合作，测试实用模式，增强雇主的信心。
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例如，在AfA-EMW框架下，QED Changemakers的试点项目让我们看到如何以新方式释放资深专业知识。通过将经验丰富的资深专业人士与需要其专业知识的公司按项目连接，资深专业人士可以持续有意义地贡献，分享数十年经验，保持活跃并获得收入，而公司，尤其是中小企业，则能在需要时获得资深领导力支持。
另一个例子是通过简单的岗位重设计，保持经验丰富的公交车长安全且可持续地上路。Tower Transit正在试点新的工作安排，允许资深公交车长安全自信地继续工作。通过更均衡的班次、岗位轮换和轻松的职责，资深员工能持续贡献，公司则保留经验，维护服务可靠性，并支持下一代公交车长。
这些原型正在开发中，将纳入三方高级就业工作组的建议中，将好点子转化为可推广的实践。
随着资深员工经济活动时间延长，工作也必须保持安全和可持续。为支持行业主导的解决方案，解决包括资深员工面临的常见工作场所安全与健康风险，人力部将启动就业长寿安全与健康行动联盟（AfA-SHEL）。国务部长Dinesh Vasu Dash将分享更多细节。
这些努力体现了对资深就业的整体方法，帮助资深员工以适合他们、雇主及经济的方式持续有意义地贡献。
在中期和后期职业阶段，顺利过渡仍是关键挑战。员工需要更清晰的路径规划下一步，雇主需要年龄友好型劳动力设计的指导。尽管资深员工可利用多种培训、求职或招聘支持计划，但导航这些不同支持渠道仍具挑战。为此，三方高级就业工作组正在研究更整合的支持职业长寿方法，探讨是否通过专门的职业长寿中心来提供服务，将服务提供者聚集一处，提高意识、协作并开发及推广多阶段长职业生涯的解决方案。
这个中心意味着什么？对个人而言，将帮助他们更好地导航和获取符合需求的职业、技能及就业支持，包括允许他们更早规划后期职业转型。对雇主而言，他们可获得实用资源和合作伙伴网络，支持设计年龄友好型工作场所，强化多代际团队。对合作伙伴而言，这将是测试和推广新举措、新创新实践的平台，包括AfA-EMW中涌现的实践。
该中心可与现有职业中心共址，使需要求职协助的个人能获得涵盖职业规划、技能和就业各方面的更全面支持，而非分散导航这些服务。如此，我们将重点从管理退出转向促进更长久、有意义的工作参与。Mariam Jaafar女士询问三方高级就业工作组何时公布建议。三方高级就业工作组将于2026年下半年发布报告，详述拟议措施。主席先生，请允许我用中文说几句话。
（中文）：[请参阅方言发言。]三方高级就业工作组于去年成立。经过与各方沟通交流，工作组得出结论，随着新加坡人职业生涯延长，我们必须更早协助员工进行职业规划，支持雇主重设计岗位，并确保相关制度和激励措施切实可行。
对员工而言，这意味着更早获得职业指导和技能培训支持，实现顺利转型并保有更多选择。
对雇主而言，这意味着获得更明确支持，留住经验丰富员工，重设计岗位，并提供更适合年长员工的灵活工作安排。
对政府而言，这意味着加强整体职业和就业生态系统，通过职业指导、技能培训和就业激励确保更长职业生涯的可行性和可持续性。
工作组目前正在研究资深员工职业旅程各阶段的建议，包括中期职业转型到后期职业调整的需求，并将于2026年下半年公布相关成果。
（英文）：我们的资深就业工作反映了支持工作生涯的更广泛转变：职业生涯更长，进展不再线性，转型更频繁。但这不仅是资深员工面临的挑战。整个劳动力都在经历更多频繁变化，因经济结构调整和技术重塑岗位。这要求更强大的系统，帮助所有员工和雇主更有意识、更负责任地管理转型。
雇主，尤其是人力资源团队，是关键推动者。人力资源处于技能与职业发展、岗位重设计和就业实践的交汇点。企业如何管理职业，直接影响员工能否在更长职业生涯中保持相关性、生产力和投入度。
这就是为什么人力部于2025年2月召集三方人力资本能力发展工作组，加强组织间的劳动力发展能力。
我们正在建立更清晰的“优秀”标准。人力部于去年十月推出新加坡机会指数，并于今年初公布了排名前300的组织。新加坡机会指数为雇主和员工提供数据驱动的标尺，展示最佳工作场所如何塑造薪酬、晋升和留任等结果，帮助雇主做出更精准的人才决策。除了表彰顶尖企业，我们还逐步发布详细报告和咨询支持，帮助所有1500家被覆盖的组织改进。
为将这些洞见转化为员工和企业的实际收益，工作组还将提出提升人力资源专业水平的建议。
首先，我们加强人力资源领导力。SNEF牵头多机构合作，联合NTUC及本地人力资源协会试点国家人力资源领导力项目。该项目旨在通过国际视野、体验式学习、指导和网络建设，强化新加坡本地人力资源领导者能力。
其次，我们为人工智能驱动的变革准备人力资源。随着人工智能加速各行业转型，更强大、更系统的人力资源能力变得尤为关键。人工智能可自动化面试安排、处理常规咨询等重复任务，也能更快揭示劳动力趋势，帮助人力资源更早发现技能缺口，设计更优发展和部署策略。
但我们必须明确：人工智能不是来取代人力资源中的人。人工智能可处理流程，但只有人类能关怀员工。这种人机协作转变为人力资源带来更具战略性、发展性和以人为本的机遇。
陈洁仪女士问我们如何装备人力资源更具人工智能驱动能力。人力部正与数字发展与信息部及信息通信媒体发展局合作，在国家人工智能影响计划下提升人力资源专业人士的人工智能素养。与此同时，NTUC正在制定框架，帮助缺乏人工智能经验的公司，尤其是中小企业，整合现有资源进行人工智能准备评估、培训、适用补助及广泛采用的人力资源人工智能工具。
展望未来，人力部、职场发展局和人力资源专业认证局（IHRP）今年将更新人力资源岗位转型图，明确指导两方面内容：一是人工智能如何转变人力资源岗位，二是其对更广泛劳动力的影响如何改变人力资源需求。三方人力资本能力发展工作组也将把陈女士的建议纳入更广泛审议。
第三，我们必须将专业人力资源实践扩展到更多组织。随着劳动力多样化和就业问题复杂化，组织需要符合高标准、具备未来能力并致力于持续专业发展的专业人力资源。
这一需求早在2020年就被认可，当时NTUC-SNEF专业人士工作组建议对大型企业强制人力资源认证。然而，这样重大变革不可能一蹴而就。因此，我们过去五年一直在为加强人力资源认证价值奠定基础。我很高兴地说，这些努力已取得良好进展。
目前，认证人力资源专业人士社区已超过1万人。约45%的拥有200名以上员工的大型企业配备了认证人力资源，覆盖了新加坡近一半劳动力。成效显著。人力部经济学家最近的研究显示，IHRP认证显著提升了认证专业人士的薪酬和就业前景。这最终转化为企业和员工的双赢，体现在拥有认证人力资源的组织比无认证者实施了更多职业发展举措，如劳动力规划和职业指导。
随着关键规模的建立，我们现在准备迈出下一步。我们需要更广泛覆盖的认证人力资源专业人士，能够嵌入如前述结构化职业规划等最佳实践，强化员工参与度，进而提升企业生产力。我们不能把这留给偶然。
议员Patrick Tay先生询问政府是否会考虑强制要求获得IHRP认证。基于专业管理人员（PME）工作小组的建议，三方人力资本能力发展工作组正在研究一项提案，要求拥有超过200名员工的大型组织必须配备合适的人力资源人员并获得认证。该工作组目前正在研究如何以对企业实际可行的方式实施此要求，并将在今年晚些时候公布详细建议。
对于可能没有专职人力资源的企业，人力部正与合作伙伴共同提升更广泛的职业和就业服务生态系统。正如部长所提，通过推进职业和就业服务行动联盟（AfA ACES），我们正与私营职业和就业服务提供者合作，试点新的举措和服务，以支持不同背景的员工职业发展。
这些努力——从提升人力资源能力到与生态系统参与者合作——是经济战略审查中我共同主持的人力资本委员会长期愿景的一部分，旨在构建一个面向未来的就业和技能生态系统，在该系统中，雇主投资于人才，人力资源成为战略合作伙伴，员工能够在更长的职业生涯中更自信地跨岗位和行业流动。
随着经济的发展，更多员工可能面临职位流失，这并非因为他们能力不足，而是由于企业重组、失败或经济周期。即使人力资源能力更强、职业支持系统更完善，职位转换仍可能困难，尤其是在变化突然发生时。
为帮助员工顺利度过此类转变，我们于去年四月推出了SkillsFuture求职者支持计划。该计划为非自愿失业者提供临时经济援助，帮助他们转入合适的新岗位，而不是仓促接受不匹配的工作。
截至2025年10月底，已有超过3,500人获得该计划支持。据估计，其中超过1,600人已找到新工作。Ng Chee Meng先生和Patrick Tay先生询问是否考虑提高当前的收入资格上限。鉴于该计划去年才推出，我们将在积累更多经验后进行评估，包括对收入资格等关键参数的审查，以确保计划的针对性和可持续性。
基于此，经济战略审查中管理重组影响委员会正在研究如何更积极支持员工，以及如何将有意义的支持扩展至更多群体，包括专业管理人员。例如，正如部长所说，这可能包括要求雇主提前通知裁员，利用行业协会和商会网络在专业管理人员职位较多的行业提供更有针对性的职位匹配，以及扩大职业转换计划的支持范围，帮助更多员工转入增长岗位。
这些努力体现了从被动应对职位流失向主动支持职业转型的转变，依托强有力的三方合作伙伴关系以及技能、岗位和行业需求的更紧密对接。
除了转型支持，我们的就业法律对于确保员工得到充分保护也至关重要。许多新加坡人可能未意识到《雇佣法》深刻影响着我们的日常工作生活。该法规定了基本的雇佣条款和条件，如及时发薪、加班费和病假。由于《雇佣法》涵盖了新加坡几乎所有员工，我们必须在保护员工和给予雇主发展空间之间保持谨慎平衡。
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但工作的性质已经发生变化。我们的劳动力结构不同，工作安排更加多样化，企业面临更激烈的竞争环境。因此，三方合作伙伴于去年八月成立了《雇佣法》审查三方工作组，旨在平衡审查该法的关键部分，保护最需要保护的员工，同时支持企业灵活性。
议员Pritam Singh和Patrick Tay先生询问了《雇佣法》审查的主要领域更新。Pritam Singh先生还询问审查是否可以在三方谈判的同时进行公众咨询。在开展此次审查过程中，三方工作组已共同接触了超过2,000名利益相关者，包括专业管理人员、低收入员工、雇主、人力资源从业者及其他专家，以了解劳动力的多样化需求。员工和雇主的反馈非常明确：不同群体需要不同形式的保护和灵活性。
对于低薪员工，基于时间的保护仍然重要，加班费仍是他们收入的重要组成部分。随着工资上涨和劳动力结构演变，我们将审查《雇佣法》第4部分，确保这些保护仍针对最需要的员工。
对于雇主来说，需要更大的灵活性来管理成本、重新设计岗位并保持竞争力。正确实施时，这也能惠及员工，使雇主和员工能够协商出满足个人需求的互利安排。
Patrick Tay先生询问人力部是否计划发布关于在雇佣合同中包含竞业限制条款的指导方针。我们正在与三方合作伙伴讨论竞业限制条款的使用时机和方式，指导方针将基于法院已阐明的既定原则。认为自己受到不合理或无正当理由条款影响的员工，可以寻求工会、职场公平促进局（TAFEP）或人力部的帮助。我们将在适当时候进一步更新。
最后，许多利益相关者指出该法随着时间推移变得难以理解。我们将研究如何简化和澄清关键条款，使其更易理解和遵守。
《雇佣法》审查三方工作组将在今年下半年公布报告。通过该工作组，我们在加强关键领域的保护的同时，保持劳动框架的实用性和响应性，以适应职业生涯延长和工作场所演变。
综合来看，这些努力体现了一个简单原则：随着工作的变化，我们的保护措施也必须随之演进。无论是支持员工应对重组，还是更新《雇佣法》，我们的目标一致——确保员工和雇主能够自信地适应未来的工作环境。
先生，寿命延长正在重塑我们的工作方式、职业发展和经济增长。关键在于我们的员工、雇主和系统是否准备好自信地适应这些变化。
这就是为什么我们今年的大部分工作都聚焦于建立务实的合作伙伴关系——通过三方工作组、行动联盟和经济战略审查——认真倾听，测试地面上的有效做法，并将理念转化为对员工和雇主乃至新加坡都至关重要的成果。
职业生涯的延长不仅仅是延长就业时间，更是让新加坡人在不同人生阶段保持生产力、适应力和参与度，并使雇主能够继续利用紧缩劳动力中丰富的经验、技能和能力。
这项工作无法由任何单一方独自承担。员工必须保持适应力，主动掌握技能并为更长职业生涯中的转型做好规划。雇主必须继续投资于员工，重新设计岗位，发展技能，营造各年龄段员工都能有意义贡献的工作环境。政府将继续与双方同行，加强职业和就业系统，提升人力资源能力，支持转型，并保持我们的就业保护适应不断变化的劳动力。
这就是我们如何将更长的职业生涯转化为新加坡的优势，同时增强生产力、韧性和包容性。我们对新加坡人的承诺是：随着工作的变化，我们将持续倾听、持续支持、持续调整，使员工有信心前行，企业有支持在变革中成长。
主席：人力部国务部长Dinesh Vasu Dash先生。
人力部国务部长（Dinesh Vasu Dash先生）：Tan See Leng部长已阐述了人力部大胆的议程，旨在装备我们的企业抓住新兴机遇，规划增长路径。在建设未来经济的过程中，我们承诺支持每一位员工，确保没有员工被落下。
这体现了“我们优先”的新加坡精神，每个人都有其位置，能够有尊严地参与。最重要的是，所有贡献，尤其是来自弱势员工的贡献，都必须得到认可和提升。
今天的发言，我将详细介绍三个方面：首先，我们与工会和雇主共同努力提升低薪员工的工作状况，以及我们下一阶段的工作计划；其次，我们推动加强工作场所安全与健康，确保员工安全回家与亲人团聚；第三，我们将继续支持外籍劳工。
首先谈谈我们与工会和雇主共同提升低薪员工的努力。这些努力体现了我们的社会契约核心——我们承诺与低薪员工携手同行。随着你们为新加坡的发展贡献力量，你们也将分享随之而来的回报和机遇。
我们逐步形成了独特的新加坡方式支持低薪员工。首先，我们推动可持续的工资提升。通过生产力工资模型（PWM），我们在不危及就业的前提下提升低薪员工工资。
PWM作为九个行业和职业的工资阶梯，由三方合作伙伴协商，参考生产力和商业状况等因素，确保工资增长不超过行业或职业的承受能力。PWM还规划了明确的培训和晋升路径。因此，工资增长对雇主来说是可持续的，因为它伴随着生产力提升。
未涵盖在PWM中的低薪员工可受益于最低工资标准（LQS）。企业若雇佣外籍劳工，必须至少支付本地员工LQS。
低薪员工还通过工作补贴计划（Workfare Income Supplement）获得额外支持。该计划补充他们的收入，帮助储蓄退休金。自2007年实施以来，工作补贴计划已支持超过110万名员工，发放金额达127亿新元。
副教授Jamus Lim呼吁政府提高工作补贴计划的月收入资格上限。我们去年已将资格上限从2,500新元提高至3,000新元。目前全职本地员工的第20百分位收入约为2,800新元。因此，3,000新元的资格上限仍针对收入处于底层20%的新加坡员工，并对稍高收入者提供一定支持。同时，我们还将把工作补贴计划的年度支付上限提高至4,900新元。[详见《人力部国务部长澄清声明》，官方报告，2026年3月3日，第96卷，第23期，书面更正部分。]
我们将继续定期审查工作补贴计划，确保其有效支持低薪员工，补充PWM和LQS的作用。
其次，我们为企业转型提供多种支持。议员Melvin Yong强调，企业转型至关重要，因为它通过提升生产力实现可持续的工资增长，也为低薪员工提供了从事更高附加值岗位的机会。鉴于转型是一个长期过程，为缓解企业成本压力，政府于2022年预算案中推出了生产力与工资补贴计划（PWCS）。
第三，我们通过支持培训和技能提升促进低薪员工的职业发展。诸如工作补贴技能支持计划（WSS）等项目降低了低薪员工培训的机会成本，为员工职业晋升和PWM岗位阶梯的提升打开了大门。
我们的做法已为低薪员工带来实实在在的成果。目前，约有15万名低薪员工通过PWM享受工资和职业晋升路径，是2020年的五倍多。2022年，LQS要求也扩大，雇佣外籍劳工的企业必须向所有本地员工支付LQS，确保没有新加坡员工被落下。另有约10.4万名未涵盖PWM的低薪员工因此受益。这显著改善了低薪员工的收入。2021年至2025年，第20百分位的实际收入累计增长了10.1%，超过了中位数的7.4%。
PWM行业的员工随着经济增长，工资持续显著提升。例如，2021年以来，入门级办公室及商业清洁工的基本工资要求累计增长约50%。到2028年，该工资将达到2,420新元，几乎是2021年1,274新元的两倍。同样，2021年起，入门级外包保安人员的月薪预计在2026年增长约40%，2028年增长约60%。
这是值得骄傲的进步，体现了工会、雇主和政府共同努力改善低薪员工生活的决心。
但我们承诺将做得更好。我们将基于经济战略审查委员会的建议，在各领域持续努力，进一步提升和技能培训低薪员工，拓宽优质岗位范围。
首先，我们必须保持提升工资的势头。2025年，三方合作伙伴公布了零售、内部保安、行政人员和司机的最新工资表。其余PWM行业将在今年晚些时候协商下一阶段的工资增长。
正如总理在预算案中宣布，政府还将提高LQS，确保低薪员工持续获得工资提升。我们将把全职本地员工的LQS门槛从1,600新元提高至1,800新元，自2026年7月1日起实施。提高LQS以跟上工资增长步伐，确保本地员工获得有意义的就业，而非企业仅为雇佣外籍劳工而设置的象征性岗位。
其次，我们将推动企业转型，提高生产力，创造更好岗位，包括为低薪员工创造岗位。议员Melvin Yong会高兴地知道，人力部将推出多项支持举措。
部长早前已提及这些举措。例如，技能未来劳动力发展补助（岗位重设计+）将于今年三月推出，作为企业劳动力转型方案的一部分，提供增强的岗位重设计和劳动力转型资金支持。今年我们还将推出重新设计的技能未来企业信贷，提供额外的劳动力发展支持。
企业也表达了对近期经济不确定性和人力成本的担忧。我们听到了这些声音。企业在为低薪员工做出贡献时，不会独自承担成本压力。
正如总理在预算案中所述，我们将把PWCS延长至2028年。这是在2025年最近一次增强的基础上，PWCS自2022年推出以来，支持了低薪员工的工资提升，同时企业也在进行长期转型。2022年至2024年间的工资增长，政府向11万多家企业提供了约36亿新元的PWCS资金支持。这些工资增长意义重大，PWCS支持的中位数月增幅约为250新元，覆盖超过71万名员工。
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议员Pritam Singh询问了PWCS的成效，包括其如何与企业转型、行业生产力和员工技能提升挂钩。
提升低薪员工的工资水平，缩小与中位数工资的差距，是本届政府的核心目标。我之前已分享了我们在这些实际收入指标上的良好表现。
但最终，工资的可持续性依赖于生产力的提升。因此，PWM重点关注生产力，将工资增长与技能发展、职业晋升和岗位重设计挂钩。企业转型和岗位重设计的企业补助，以及如工作补贴技能支持计划等技能提升支持，都是对这一目标的补充。
PWCS为低薪员工的工资增长提供过渡性共同资金支持，使企业有空间重组业务流程，实现生产力提升。
许多前瞻性企业已在创新和发展方面取得良好成效。以ISS新加坡设施服务公司为例，
ISS通过PWCS支持为低薪员工提供工资增长，并通过多种技术解决方案提升生产力。例如，ISS的清洁服务现部署了130多台清洁自主机器人，显著提升了生产效率。
ISS在技术和自动化方面的投资也为其员工提供了晋升到更高附加值岗位的机会。例如，PWM下的一名医疗保洁员Arthur Lim先生，已经能够承担更多技术要求更高的复杂职责。
Lim先生利用了包括WSS计划支持的技能提升机会。他现在熟练操作紫外线消毒机等专用设备，还管理加强的医疗保洁协议，并参与感染控制工作流程。Lim先生表示，学习这些新技能让他重新找到了工作的意义和对工作场所的贡献感。
同样，新加坡生产力中心最近发布的《食品服务生产力报告》指出，一些餐饮企业正在适应变化，提升能力并促进业务表现。例如，Sushi Express利用寿司机器人，将制作一块寿司的时间缩短至15秒以内，同时提高了生产一致性。随着PWCS的延长，我们将继续支持企业实现这些目标。
在决定这些增强措施时，我们考虑了当前经济和地缘政治形势的不确定性、商业状况以及与三方伙伴的磋商等因素。
政府将在2026年为符合条件的低薪工人的工资增长提供最高30%的共同资助。这实际上高于最初宣布的20%。2027年和2028年的共同资助比例分别为30%和20%。
2027年和2028年延长的PWCS支持也将提高工资增长的最低资格门槛，从100美元提高到200美元。这更好地鼓励和奖励那些按照PWCS目标投资于转型和劳动力发展的企业。
我们敦促雇主利用政府的各种支持形式，包括作为企业劳动力转型方案一部分推出的举措，如SkillsFuture WDG(JR+)和SkillsFuture企业信贷。雇主可以利用这些资源推进各自的转型之路，并支持低薪工人提升技能，胜任更高价值的工作。
这让我谈谈第三个重点领域——支持低薪工人的技能提升。
正如Yeo Wan Ling女士所观察的，这将使我们的工人能够与业务转型同步前进，而不是被取代，从而承担新角色并在职业生涯中进步。
Tan部长已阐述了Career Health SG如何赋能个人掌控职业生涯，以及我们如何发展SkillsFuture运动以刷新就业和技能生态系统。这些举措将支持所有工人在职业规划和技能提升的旅程中。
然而，低薪工人在离开工作去接受培训时可能面临独特的限制。这形成了一个两难局面，因为抽时间提升技能可能意味着放弃他们可能需要用于即时开支的收入。低薪工人可以放心，政府理解这些挑战。他们不必在今天赚取收入和为明天装备技能之间做出选择。
那些参加长期课程的人现在可以受益于新的Workfare技能支持（WSS）（Level-Up）计划。
正如2025年预算中宣布的，参加长期课程的学员将获得远高于现有WSS短期课程支持的培训津贴。这些长期课程包括Nitec或Higher Nitec资格、文凭、后文凭或本科学位。
我很高兴地分享，我们将扩大WSS（Level-Up）支持的课程清单，纳入长期的劳动力技能资格（WSQ）完整资格，这些课程同样有资格获得SkillsFuture Level-Up计划下的培训津贴。相关变更将于今年第四季度生效。
WSS（Level-Up）将支持低薪工人追求这些更实质性的技能提升和再培训形式，无需担心生计问题。
举几个例子，零售业工人可以获得更高的培训津贴，以获得零售服务Nitec资格或零售（运营）文凭。
同时，我们还将加强WSS（Basic）计划，支持参加短期培训的工人。这将帮助工人满足PWM培训要求或参加WSQ课程。自2026年7月1日起，自费学员的培训津贴将从每小时6美元提高到10.50美元。随着小时培训津贴的增加，工人现在可以积极考虑培训，而不会大幅减少收入。
我们还将简化该计划以减少复杂性。只有获得完整资格的学员才会获得每年800美元的培训承诺奖励。完整资格是指一系列相关课程，最终获得正式资格，如WSQ资格或学术继续教育和培训资格。研究发现，这些资格相比不授予正式资格的模块，能带来更好的学员成果。
Melvin Yong先生建议开发更好的人工智能相关技能路径。他会高兴地知道，WSS支持的课程包括适合低薪工人的行业相关人工智能技能课程，使他们不会在当前的人工智能转型中被落下。
我们的工作尚未完成。雇主必须继续为低薪工人提高工资，并在重新设计工作和业务流程方面付出额外努力。工人应抓住技能提升的机会，开辟新路径，建设职业生涯。政府将与雇主和工人合作，共担转型的短期成本，确保培训和技能提升保持可及。
消费者也有角色可扮演。消费者可以通过支持向低薪工人支付渐进工资的企业，让他们的选择产生影响。他们可以关注并支持可能已获得渐进工资标志的企业。
我们对低薪工人的承诺是：我们与你们团结一致，尽我们所能支持你们。你们可以依靠我们的支持，我们也将在未来多年持续支持你们。
现在让我进入第二部分，谈谈确保工作场所安全。
通过所有利益相关者的共同努力和承诺，我们的职业安全与健康（WSH）表现持续改善。我对朝着2028年WSH目标稳步前进感到欣慰，即将致命伤害率维持在每10万人中低于1.0。2025年新加坡的工作场所致命伤害率为每10万人中0.96%，这是除COVID-19干扰工作期间外的最低纪录。
尽管如此，我们不能自满。每一起工作场所死亡都是悲剧，我们必须继续保持警惕，提高WSH标准，建设强大且可持续的WSH文化。
许多公司响应了这一号召，我举一个例子。
Teambuild（ICPH）私人有限公司，一家制造业中小企业。Teambuild投资技术，重新设计工作流程，为工人创造更安全的工作环境。通过引入钢筋网焊接方法和机器，他们实现了预制、预装配体积建筑单元的自动堆垛，减少了对这些极重材料的人工搬运。这样降低了工人的肌肉骨骼伤害，同时提高了生产力，每年节省约18万美元的生产成本，实现双重效益。Teambuild的努力表明，当企业优先考虑工人的安全与健康时，也会随着时间积累建立更具生产力和可持续性的业务。
随着工作性质演变和劳动力变化，工作场所安全与健康面临新机遇和新挑战。数字技术的更广泛应用和劳动力老龄化是两个例子。
劳工部将与全国职工总会（NTUC）和新加坡全国雇主联合会（SNEF）合作，于2026年下半年启动就业长寿安全与健康行动联盟（AfA-SHEL）。
Melvin Yong先生强调需要超越传统高风险行业，更加关注常见的工作相关伤害和职业病。他还强调了向上游推进以使工作场所更安全的重要性。我们同意他的观点，并将其部分建议纳入AfA-SHEL的三个重点领域。
首先是一般劳动力的伤害预防。其次是支持受伤或健康事件后重返工作岗位的人士。第三是工作场所适应和岗位重新设计，使工作场所对我们日益多样化的劳动力——包括具有各种身体和健康需求的人群——更安全、更可持续。
我们也赞同Yong先生将疲劳视为核心安全问题，并更好利用WSH领域技术的呼吁。AfA-SHEL可以通过针对特定工作场所环境定制的技术解决方案或疲劳管理系统原型，探索这些领域。我们欢迎劳工运动积极参与AfA-SHEL。
Melvin Yong先生还强调政府通过采购政策推动变革的重要性。因此，自2024年4月起，公共部门建筑及相关项目的WSH采购标准已提高。此次增强措施包括要求在招标金额达到或超过300万美元的项目中采用成熟的WSH技术，旨在实现这一目标。
关于平台工人，Yeo Wan Ling女士呼吁劳工部利用平台工人三方工作组，探讨如何加强平台工人安全。我们已考虑该建议，更多细节将于本月晚些时候公布。
让我快速进入第三部分，谈谈支持我们的外来劳工。他们日复一日辛勤工作，确保我们的城镇和家园顺利运转。
多年来，我们与雇主、宿舍运营商和社区伙伴紧密合作，建立了支持外来劳工福祉的韧性生态系统，涵盖住房、医疗和娱乐需求。
这些努力成效显著。2024年外来劳工体验调查显示，超过九成外来劳工表示满意在新加坡的工作和生活条件。这是自2011年首次开展该调查以来的最高水平。
外来劳工住房一直是我们的重点。外来劳工建设了我们的家园，我们有责任确保他们在辛苦工作后也有适宜的休息场所。良好的休息也确保他们能持续良好工作，最重要的是安全工作。因此，近年来我们提高了宿舍标准并加强了疫情防控准备。
为支持现有宿舍在2030年前达到更高标准，劳工部推出了宿舍过渡计划补助，帮助约900个现有宿舍分担改造费用。这些改进包括套间厕所和隔离设施等，以增强公共卫生韧性。到2040年，所有新建和现有宿舍将符合新宿舍标准，提供更宽敞的房间和室内无线网络覆盖。
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改善外来劳工的住房条件不一定意味着更高成本。今年早些时候，劳工部开放了首个政府建造和拥有的宿舍——NESST Tukang宿舍。该宿舍超越监管标准，融入了外来劳工反馈的设计特色，提升了居住舒适度和疫情韧性。尽管有这些创新，NESST Tukang的床位价格仍低于符合新宿舍标准的宿舍，预计财务可持续。
我邀请宿舍运营商与政府一道，重新想象新加坡外来劳工住房的可能性。劳工部致力于与您合作，试点宿舍行业的创新和改进，同时推进位于盛港西的新第二宿舍建设。
同样重要的是为外来劳工提供休息日的空间，建立友谊和联系。为此，劳工部在改造和丰富娱乐中心方面取得了显著进展，访客数量逐渐增加。
Yeo Wan Ling女士和Melvin Yong先生呼吁继续改善外来劳工对关键设施和社区空间的访问。我很高兴地分享，基于现有娱乐中心，我们将推出娱乐枢纽模式，扩大外来劳工的规模和服务范围。首个娱乐枢纽将由Soon Lee娱乐中心改建而成。到2030年，外来劳工可以期待一个规模扩大两到三倍、设施升级、服务更多样的Soon Lee娱乐枢纽。
除了这一模式，劳工部还将试点较小规模的卫星娱乐中心，将社交和娱乐选项更贴近外来劳工居住地。即使我们改善住房和娱乐中心的物理基础设施，真正让外来劳工感到宾至如归的是新加坡人接受他们并认可他们贡献的信心。我们日常生活中如何对待外来劳工，反映了我们作为一个民族和社会的本质。
主席先生，我想总结的是，我们支持弱势工人的努力是对社会凝聚力和韧性的投资——它们将维护我们社会契约的信心，促进持久的信任。
政府坚定承诺这一使命，并将继续与三方伙伴密切合作。我们将携手每一位工人，满怀信心地前行。
主席：人力部长高级议员黄伟中先生。
人力部长高级议员（黄伟中先生）：主席先生，我将先分享我们如何加强工作场所公平框架，确保所有工人都受到公平对待。
感谢Diana Pang女士提出让包容性做法对中小企业更易管理的建议。TAFEP将加强对《工作场所公平法》的公众宣传和教育。TAFEP的资源和指南保持简明易懂，即使没有专职人力资源人员的中小企业也能轻松应用。
Diana Pang女士还谈到加强防止职场骚扰和欺凌的保护。没有工人应在工作场所遭受此类不可接受的行为。《工作场所公平法》通过要求企业建立申诉处理流程，加强了对遭受骚扰工人的保护。除此之外，我们将从源头帮助雇主预防职场骚扰和欺凌。
劳工部和三方伙伴正在审查现有的《管理职场骚扰三方指引》，并制定新的三方标准，以加强对雇主采用最佳实践预防和应对职场骚扰的指导。
现在让我概述针对需要更多支持群体的专项措施，首先是女性和照顾者，这两个群体往往重叠。女性承担照顾责任时，常常感到必须在照顾亲人和追求职业之间做出零和选择。
正如Mariam Jaafar女士指出，离开职场的照顾者往往难以重返职场。新加坡劳动力局的职业转换计划等项目可以帮助她们重新获得有良好前景的工作。但劳工部也希望从源头缓解她们的困境，使工作和照顾责任可持续。这就是灵活工作安排的作用所在。
灵活工作安排不仅仅是居家办公，还包括灵活的工作量安排和弹性工作时间。这些安排为雇主和工人提供更多选择，以可持续和高效的方式组织工作。
Ng Chee Meng先生和Abdul Malik先生强调了夹心照顾者同时照顾子女和长辈的压力。两位议员都呼吁通过财政支持和假期等措施加强对这一群体的支持。
关于财政支持，符合条件的在职照顾者可通过Majulah方案下的工作收入补贴和赚取与储蓄奖金增加收入和公积金储蓄。曾长期休假的非在职照顾者也可受益于其他措施，例如通过配对退休储蓄计划和2026年预算中的公积金补充计划，在晚年增加公积金储蓄。
关于假期，许多雇主已自愿引入与照顾相关的带薪假期，作为吸引和留住人才的策略。2024年约有6100家雇主提供带薪家庭照顾假，占至少有25名员工的私营企业约36%。然而，许多在职照顾者告诉我们，灵活工作安排是她们更倾向的支持方式。
灵活工作安排（FWA）为照顾者提供了他们所需的灵活性，使他们能够继续工作。如果家庭成员需要在服药或用餐等日常生活中得到帮助，照顾者需要在整个工作周内拥有灵活的时间，而不仅仅是一段固定的休息时间。因此，灵活工作安排更有助于照顾者持续就业。通过继续工作，照顾者能够为其长期的财务安全奠定可靠的基础。
阿卜杜勒·马利克先生曾建议政府收集有关照顾者就业的数据。我们已经在做这项工作，数据显示灵活工作安排的提供有所增加。越来越多的女性和照顾者能够继续工作或重返职场。
根据人力部的调查，疫情前有一半的企业提供预定的灵活工作安排。疫情爆发后，工作模式发生变化，远程办公和弹性工作负荷的灵活工作安排有所增加。现在，大约七成企业提供灵活工作安排，即使企业在适应后疫情时代的新常态并调整相关安排。这支持了我们的劳动力参与率。
25至64岁居民中既不工作也不找工作的照顾者比例从2019年的28.2%下降到2025年的17.2%。同样，25至64岁女性的劳动力参与率也从76.1%上升至80.5%。
灵活工作安排不仅惠及员工，也是雇主的竞争优势。它们扩大了人才库，加强了员工留任，并支持生产力。
作为领先的社会服务机构，新加坡失智症协会对此深有体会。该机构已将诸如错峰工作时间等灵活工作安排全面融入其职场文化。例如，所有员工都可以选择自己偏好的工作时间，方便有子女的员工提前开始和结束工作以接送孩子。这带来了员工高度满意和低离职率。
但关于灵活工作安排的讨论可能较为困难。因此，我们于2024年推出了《灵活工作安排申请三方指引》。该指引以明确性取代不确定性，指导有关灵活工作安排申请的结构化对话。
让我举例说明新加坡失智症协会如何运用该指引。一位50多岁的癌症幸存者需要减少工作负荷（弹性工作负荷）以管理健康。她根据三方指引正式提交了灵活工作安排申请。新加坡失智症协会随后权衡运营需求进行考虑。她的工作职责经过审查并与其他团队成员协商重新分配。她的申请获批，目前实行三天工作制。
如果雇主未按照指引考虑申请，员工可向职场公平促进局（TAFEP）寻求协助。TAFEP将与雇主沟通，促使其调整流程，可能包括要求雇主参加有关灵活工作安排实施的教育研讨会。
钟艾琳女士建议将三方指引立法，并将灵活工作安排视为有幼儿工作的父母的推定权利。这些举措较为生硬，因为不同行业和岗位的企业情况不同。例如，前线岗位无法远程办公。全面强制灵活工作安排可能抑制企业运营和竞争力，长期来看可能损害新加坡人的就业机会。相反，我们专注于更可持续的方式，通过岗位重设计支持和为雇主与员工提供公平流程，讨论双方可行且互利的安排，推动企业实施灵活工作安排。
彭迪安女士谈及中小企业实施灵活工作安排面临的挑战。我想向议员保证，相关支持是有的。包括中小企业在内的企业可利用将于三月下旬推出的企业劳动力转型计划。该计划提供资金和咨询支持，帮助企业采用灵活工作安排等新工作模式。
我们也在加强对弹性工作负荷安排的支持。弹性工作负荷安排如兼职、工作分享和分时岗位，适合需要减少工作负荷以履行照顾职责的照顾者。然而，2024年，少于一半需要兼职安排的员工获得了该安排，而超过70%的员工获得了时间相关的灵活工作安排（如错峰工作时间）和地点相关的灵活工作安排（如预定远程办公）。
目前，我们有兼职再就业补助金，向为年长员工提供兼职、灵活工作安排和结构化职业规划的雇主提供最高12.5万新元的资助。
玛丽亚姆·贾法尔女士询问补助金的使用情况和成效，以及如何加强对雇主的激励。雇主对补助金反应积极，已有超过7,600家企业申请，惠及超过66,000名年长员工。正如高级国务部长许文远所述，我们将补助金延长至2027年底，以持续支持雇主。
鉴于补助金的成功，我们正在审视如何加强补助金，鼓励雇主为更多员工提供弹性工作岗位。这可能惠及依赖弹性工作岗位的其他员工群体，如照顾者。
谈及残疾人士，他们同样受益于包容性职场实践。设想丹尼尔，一位轮椅使用者，申请工作。他具备技能和资格，但一些雇主犹豫不决，不确定他的能力或担心额外成本。此时，启用就业津贴（Enabling Employment Credit）发挥作用。该津贴帮助雇主迈出第一步，覆盖丹尼尔工资的20%，减轻成本顾虑。
我们的努力成效显著。2025年，有6,800家雇主因雇佣10,800名新加坡残疾居民获得启用就业津贴，较2022年的6,600家和10,000人有所增长。为保持势头，我们去年将该津贴延长至2028年底。
同时，丹尼尔本人也需要支持。启用就业津贴帮助雇主克服顾虑，而开放之门计划（Open Door Programme）支持雇主和丹尼尔在求职和职场中的适应。通过该计划，丹尼尔被匹配到合适岗位，并获得持续支持，如个性化职场辅导。如果丹尼尔需要职场改造，如轮椅坡道，计划也覆盖高达90%的费用。
该计划成效显著，过去四年支持超过2,400名残疾人士就业，超过80%至少持续就业六个月。这表明有适当支持，残疾人士不仅具备就业能力，更是雇主宝贵的长期贡献者。
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但工作不仅关乎当下收入，也关乎长期财务安全。就业帮助丹尼尔通过定期公积金缴纳积累财富，额外支持则有助缓解其财务忧虑。因此，自今年一月起，我们扩大了配对退休储蓄计划（Matched Retirement Savings Scheme），纳入所有年龄合资格的新加坡残疾人士。此次扩展使约24,000名55岁以下残疾新加坡人今年可受益。
但包容性职场不能仅靠激励措施建立，还需明确规范和实用指导。因此，人力部正与三方伙伴及社会服务机构合作，制定新的《合理便利三方咨询》。该咨询将提供合理便利在职场实施的实用指导，为雇主提供明确指引，也让员工有信心及早提出便利需求。
然而，职场需求不断演变，许多家庭担忧其残疾亲人能否适应。去年12月，黄循财总理宣布成立残疾人士家庭保障工作组，由社会及家庭发展部国务部长吴佩明主持，我及教育部和卫生部同事协助支持。
人力部将与社会及家庭发展部紧密合作，研究如何在不断变化的就业市场中更好支持残疾人士：通过提升技能、再培训、扩大机会、加强雇主支持及构建职业韧性。主席先生，请允许我用中文总结。
（中文）：【请参阅本地语言发言】俗话说，“海纳百川，有容乃大。”在这个快速变化的时代，政府的目标非常明确。我们希望帮助每位员工不断提升，迈向成功。我们坚信包容性职场环境将惠及所有新加坡人。员工能更好地发挥优势，企业也能吸引更多优秀人才。人力部将继续不遗余力加强新加坡劳动力市场。
虽然我们在推动职场包容性方面已取得一定成效，但我们理解部分新加坡人在求职时仍面临挑战。
未来，人力部将进一步完善体系，为他们创造更多就业机会。我们将从三个方面着手：一是提升行业标准。人力部将通过紧密的三方合作，设定更高标准，鼓励更多包容性职场。二是推广灵活工作安排，帮助女性及需照顾家庭的员工更好平衡事业与家庭责任。三是支持残疾人士就业。人力部将积极引导雇主，解决其顾虑，帮助残疾人士找到适合且能发挥优势的好工作。
这些措施不仅务实，还相辅相成，共同营造有利于所有新加坡人的工作环境。让我们携手努力，使每位新加坡人都能贡献力量，共享成功喜悦。
（英文）：主席先生，请允许我用马来语结束发言。
（马来语）：【请参阅本地语言发言】人力部的目标明确——我们希望让所有员工，无论背景或处境如何，都能茁壮成长。我们希望打造包容性职场，让员工实现职业抱负，积极参与劳动力市场。
我们必须共同努力。雇主必须营造一种文化，让每个人——
主席：抱歉，时间到了。截止时间是晚上7点，我们只有大约25分钟时间结束本部分。请保持简短澄清。萨克提安迪·苏帕特先生。
萨克提安迪·苏帕特先生：谢谢主席允许发言。主席，我有三个澄清问题。第一是关于陈部长早前提到的GRIT和海外市场沉浸计划（OMIP）。部长能否分享一下GRIT毕业生的反馈？部长提到鉴于新关税和地缘政治紧张局势增加，计划有扩展空间。能否谈谈扩展的看法？我们目前有400个GRIT名额，是否考虑增加？
第二，我很高兴听到刚才关于海外市场沉浸计划的介绍。随着新加坡努力国际化，这非常重要。部长能否谈谈我们还能做多少，扩大该计划的空间？
第三是关于我之前提问的技能行业。我听部长提到正在推动电子或电气行业的行业框架。我建议建立全国性的主技能行业认证框架，为什么不这样做？为何选择行业性而非全国性？我担心分行业推进会太慢。部长能否谈谈看法，考虑到中长期关键技能行业的人力需求？
最后一个问题是关于生命周期投资计划。我在发言中问过，随着延长工作年限，成员可能在65岁后退休，计划是否允许灵活选择目标退休日期？
陈振声博士：关于第一个问题，GRIT计划，我们最初规划约800个名额，大部分在GRIT，少部分在GRIT@Gov。
我们收到超过4,000份申请，具体数字我手头没有，但大多数申请者在申请期间已找到工作，因为他们同时也申请其他职位。我们对此感到高兴，因为GRIT的目标就是帮助他们找到永久工作。到目前为止，已有400人加入，还有相当数量正在办理入职手续，包括安全审查。令人欣慰的是，到一月底和二月，大多数最初申请GRIT的人已找到工作。[请参阅《人力部长澄清发言》，官方报告，2026年3月3日，第96卷，第23期，书面更正部分。]
我们将继续维持该计划，扩展至2026年毕业生。鉴于最近爆发的战争和紧张局势，我们不会终止该计划，视情况可能扩大规模。
关于海外市场沉浸计划，反响也非常好。我们正扩大参与企业范围，甚至考虑让年轻员工参与。关键是参与企业必须有明确的商业计划和职业发展路径，说明海外工作后员工将承担的角色。通过与合作伙伴和人力发展局（WSG）发放资助，我们希望覆盖更多年轻人群。
关于生命周期投资计划，可能您刚才提到的第二个问题是什么？该计划旨在为年轻公积金成员提供长期投资视角，尤其是在职业初期。我们咨询了多位投资顾问，设计了自动再平衡功能，成员无需主动管理投资组合；达到一定年龄后，投资将逐步清算。
关于时间范围和是否可延长，我们正与不同供应商沟通，积累经验后会进一步完善计划。
目前，尽管法定领取年龄为65岁，许多成员选择延迟至70岁领取，甚至有人询问是否可延长至70岁以上。我们会考虑这些反馈，毕竟人们寿命更长且更健康。
关于全国主技能行业认证，我们选择从三个行业开始，因涉及多个行业。首选电气行业，我本人也负责贸易和工业部的能源事务。我们的持证电工年龄偏大，中位数约60岁。
为了保障自身韧性和安全，我们必须培训这批人员。此前提到的贾兴表现出色，我们希望以坚实基础启动该计划。
另外两个行业是管道工和空调技术员，这些都是关键行业。考虑到新加坡人口规模，若过于分散，效果会减弱，因此我们先聚焦这三个行业。[请参阅《人力部长澄清发言》，官方报告，2026年3月3日，第96卷，第23期，书面更正部分。]
主席：副教授林占武。您有两次发言，共八分钟。
林占中副教授：主席，如果我没听错陈部长的意思，他表示政府大体上认同通过实习培训计划（如GRIT）进行在职培训的原则。请问这是否意味着政府确实会不仅在人数上扩大该计划的深度，还会在领域覆盖上超越科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）及金融，涵盖我们所有工艺教育学院（ITE）、理工学院和自治大学的毕业生？如果是这样，他是否预期会有明确的时间表来推动这一扩展？最后，关于GRIT，今后是否会由新的SSG、WSG法定机构来管理？
陈志荣博士：让我向林副教授澄清。目前，我们并不打算将其发展为全国性的制度化在职培训计划，因为我们认为，鉴于目前的就业形势，至少到去年，甚至到今年一月，职位空缺仍多于求职者。当然，很大一部分原因是期望与市场上现有职位类型不匹配。我们考虑GRIT是为一部分可能需要额外实习的毕业生准备的。
话虽如此，许多毕业生已经在学习期间安排了自己的工业实习，无论是在ITE、理工学院还是高等院校。因此，我们没有计划将其发展为全国性计划。可以说，今天我们已经有一系列相关计划——GRIT、海外市场沉浸计划，这些都是针对初级人员的。更进一步，即使是中年职业阶段，我们也有不同类型的实习计划。让我澄清这一点。
这些计划中的大部分将由新成立的WSG管理。至于金融行业，我相信WSG需要与新加坡金融管理局、新加坡银行与金融学院以及其他专业机构合作，以确保我们的覆盖面和影响力最大化，惠及本地人才。
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我想我们都希望为人民争取同样的目标。我们希望确保为他们带来最佳成果。我们无法为每个人提供平等的结果，但我们希望为他们提供最佳的结果。我认为根本的区别在于，今天我们希望对每个行业采取更有差异化、更有针对性、更精准的方式，而不是一刀切的全国性计划。
主席：Jessica Tan女士。
Jessica Tan Soon Neo女士：谢谢主席。我想问高级国务部长，关于中年职业更新及他提到的各种计划。人力部是否考虑扩大类似公司培训委员会的支持，专门针对面临可能职业中断的中年专业人士（PME），并使雇主能够更积极地重新设计岗位和重新部署员工？因为公司培训委员会的支持可以作为企业范围内的措施，允许进行健康诊断、职业健康诊断，然后共同资助更新计划及多阶段职业规划。我想问这是否可能？
另一个问题是关于前瞻性规划和整合多阶段职业路径，人力部是否会探索针对面临结构性转变等冲击的行业（例如制造业、专业服务业和信息通信技术业）进行多阶段职业路径的行业特定调整？
最后，关于照顾者，关于为照顾者提供就业支持已有很多讨论。但对于那些已经遭遇职业中断、正试图重返职场的人，能给予哪些额外支持，帮助他们重新进入劳动力市场？
许宝琨博士：主席，关于议员的第一个问题，即是否考虑类似公司培训委员会的支持，答案是肯定的。因为公司培训委员会的结构和形式只是实现目标的手段。如果今天有公司，即使在我们启动职业长寿中心之前，任何有意系统性转型其工作场所及商业模式，并带动员工共同参与的公司，都可以联系职工总会（NTUC），那里有专门的行业培训官员团队，可以引导公司进行运营技术路线图规划，并为他们制定公司培训委员会式的转型路线图。这可以影响整个公司的员工队伍，而不仅仅是中年职业者。
第二个问题是关于是否会有行业特定的多阶段职业路径。这也是我们正在考虑的方向。正如我在发言中提到的，没有一种通用模式适用于所有公司或行业。为了为公司提供更有针对性、量身定制的路径，我们认为通过“适应未来”（AfA）概念，让不同行业的公司试点一些转型为多代际工作场所的方式，然后与同行分享经验，是一种可行方法。
我们如何扩大这一做法，可以通过各个行业协会和商会，甚至通过职业长寿中心，让雇主自行开展对话和工作坊，分享经验，使中小企业和不同规模的公司能够共同学习，形成实践社区，从而减少企业在开展工作场所转型时的顾虑。这正是我们的思路。如何具体操作仍在讨论中，我们也欢迎各种建议。
第三个问题是如何帮助照顾者。如果我们能够让职业和就业支持生态系统，如部长和我所述，提升效率，吸引更多私营部门参与，我们提供的一些资源不仅对年长员工有用，也能帮助那些离开职场一段时间、需要技能提升的照顾者。职业长寿中心或WSG与SSG的结合，确实朝着这一方向发展，提供一站式服务，帮助他们不仅提升技能，还能更好地规划如何重返职场，最终找到更好的方式管理重返职场的过程，甚至考虑采用个案管理方式。
换句话说，对于那些离开职场一段时间的照顾者，不能只是简单地告诉他们“这里有工作，祝你好运”，让他们自己和雇主去应对。
可能需要个案管理方式，定期跟进，了解他们入职后的情况，确保不仅个人得到支持，也与公司人力资源部门合作，了解如何更好地支持这些可能需要更多指导的员工。我们正在探索这些想法。
主席：Patrick Tay先生，您有五个发言，总计七分钟。
郑德源先生：首先，关于强制裁员通知，其次是关于ONE通行证。
首先，关于强制裁员通知。就在上个月，我又遇到一家公司在裁员前一天才通知。我认为我们当时忙于帮助工人，因此我敦促人力部重新审视强制裁员通知，要求在裁员前向人力部专门报告，以便我们能及时采取行动。对于违反强制裁员通知规定的，不应只是轻微处罚，而应加重处罚，不仅仅是行政处罚。
第二个问题是关于新的ONE通行证（人工智能与科技）类别。它与现有的Tech.Pass有何不同？我们真正希望吸引的是哪些人才？
主席：由陈部长回答。
陈志荣博士：主席，为节省时间，我将同时回答这两个问题。简短回答是，关于强制裁员通知提前通知，我们正在审查《雇佣法》，会全面考虑相关事项，请放心。
关于第二个问题，ONE通行证的设计是为了吸引行业的推动者、关键人物和网络中介。我们相信，我们最宝贵的三大优势是我们的人才、长期建立的信任以及作为区域枢纽的信誉。当然，在当今不确定的世界中，我们这里的安全性、可预测性、透明度和制度框架，以及我们在议会中能够进行的建设性辩论，都使我们处于吸引全球人才的有利位置。
他们可以催生多个企业，通过向本地人才传递尖端技术和思维方式，提升整体水平。这样，我们就达到了目标。
主席：Yeo Wan Ling女士，您有四个发言，总计10分钟。
Yeo Wan Ling女士：我想向部长澄清。在劳工运动中，我亲眼见证了PWM如何为工人带来尊严和结构化的职业发展，而此前这些都不存在。
今天在议会中，我听到不同观点质疑我们的PWCS的相关性和有效性，从而影响了PWM提升生产力和技能的意图。当某项政策明显改善了数千新加坡人的生活，却被描述为负担或无效时，可能会削弱公众对这些政策的信心。今天表达了多样化的观点，包括对政策的具体建议，政府将如何采纳这些意见？
陈志荣博士：我理解并尊重今天以及许多会议中表达的多样化观点。这些观点之间存在巨大分歧和张力。例如，有人希望人工智能发展更快，有人则呼吁更谨慎。我们甚至有贾拉德·贾姆先生和何副教授呼吁快速普及人工智能技能，尽快让每位工人掌握AI技能。
另一方面，Pritam Singh先生警告不要无节制扩张，呼吁加强监管；Yeo Wan Ling女士、Wan Rizal博士、Mariam Jaafar女士也表达了确保AI应用真正带来工资增长而非无就业增长的观点。还有人希望提升国内行业的生产力和工资，而另一些人则希望通过更容易引进外劳支持低生产力行业。
Yeo Wan Ling女士谈到外劳扩张的限制，而贾拉德·贾姆先生警告双速经济的风险。同时，像林占中副教授和Mark Lee先生等议员呼吁给予本地导向行业（包括餐饮和零售）更多引进外劳的空间，帮助中小企业应对成本压力。
议员们，主席先生，这些例子反映了我们必须面对的根本权衡。所有政策决策都需在这些相互竞争的优先事项之间谨慎平衡。作为执政政府，我们肩负着驾驭复杂问题的责任，必须将这些张力整合为连贯、财政可持续、前瞻且务实的政策，惠及所有新加坡人。
因此，我们广泛咨询工人、雇主、工会和行业伙伴，尽力确保各方声音和关切被听见。我们的唯一目标是赋能新加坡人，贯穿其人生各阶段，确保他们具备在变革世界中成功的能力。
同时，我们也必须确保企业在转型环境中持续繁荣，营造创新和机会普及的环境。
我们平衡所有这些优先事项。有时，某些看似直观的路径为何难以实现，是因为任何政策的实施都会引发连锁反应，影响深远。因此，我们如履薄冰。希望在大家支持下，专注于为所有新加坡人及后代建设更美好的未来，我们将继续努力建设一个繁荣、充满乐观、具韧性且安全的国家。感谢议员的理解。
主席：抱歉，我们已到达截止时间。请问Yeo Wan Ling女士是否愿意撤回修正案？
下午6时58分
Yeo Wan Ling女士：感谢所有参与这场丰富讨论的人。主席，我请求撤回我的修正案。
[(程序文本) 修正案经许可，撤回。 (程序文本)]
[(程序文本) 主估算中S项下3920999400元获批准。 (程序文本)]
[(程序文本) 发展估算中S项下178690100元获批准。 (程序文本)]
英文原文
SPRS Hansard 原始记录 · 抓取日期：2026-05-02
The Chairman : Head S, Ministry of Manpower (MOM). Ms Yeo Wan Ling.
1.47 pm
Accessing Skilled Foreign Workers
Ms Yeo Wan Ling (Punggol) : Mr Chairman, I move, "That the total sum to be allocated for Head S of the Estimates be reduced by $100."
Singapore is going through a period of profound labour change. We are seeing the effects of an ageing demographic and our total fertility rate is at a historical low. More workers today are also caregivers and women, who traditionally take up caregiving roles, continue to face the balancing act between work and caregiving. At the same time, our enterprises are navigating an uncertain global environment marked by higher costs and rising trade barriers. Alongside these changes, more Singaporeans are choosing platform work as a livelihood of choice, whether for flexibility, autonomy or income stability. And layered onto all of these is the advent of artificial intelligence (AI), which is already beginning to transform the very nature of work.
Not just the jobs we do, but how work is organised, how skills are built and how careers evolve. Against this backdrop, Singapore's manpower policies must not only balance global talent attraction with local workforce protection, but must actively enable Singaporeans to thrive as workplaces evolve.
In the last term of Government, MOM and our tripartite partners worked together to guide our workforce out of the COVID-19 crisis and enabled workers to benefit from the recovery. We secured better terms for lower-wage workers as well as platform workers, improved caregivers' access to flexible work arrangements (FWAs) and took early steps to prepare for a super-aged society. But as this new term begins, our labour and industry transformation policies face a far more complex task.
AI is a gamechanger. It can augment workers or displace them, depending on how work and jobs are redesigned. The key question is not whether transformation will happen. It is whether it will translate into stronger wages, deeper skills and better career pathways for Singaporeans.
Our first Industry Transformation Maps (ITMs) were introduced in 2016. They were forward-looking then. But AI is reshaping industries at a speed that demands sharper, more dynamic responses. While some ITMs have been refreshed and augmented with Job Transformation Maps, we must now ensure they provide clear direction on: AI-driven business process redesign, timelines for workforce transition and credible pathways into new roles when existing ones are sunsetted.
Equally important, we must ensure that employers bring their workforce along this journey. Displacement must remain the last resort. As industries transform, workplaces must become more inclusive and supportive, particularly for mid-career workers and those with caregiving responsibilities.
While we have made meaningful progress and strengthening protections for platform workers in both livelihood stability and recent workplace safeguards, platform work remains inherently precarious. Recent platform exits remind us that workers remain vulnerable to sudden business decisions. At the same time, road safety is an increasing concern. The rise and group fatalities and injuries reported in 2025 underscores the risk that platform workers face daily.
We need to move beyond baseline protections. As more Singaporeans rely on platform work as a primary livelihood, we must guard against platform consolidation creating a race to the bottom in payouts and incentives. When platform exit, workers should not be left exposed to delayed or unpaid dues. Stronger safeguards are needed to ensure timely notice fulfilment of payment obligations and clear records, whether defaults occur while also strengthening protections for their safety on the roads. Tripartism must continue to anchor this effort. The Platform Workers Trilateral Group demonstrated in 2025 how effective collaboration can address complex challenges, such as illegal platform work.
Going forward, platform worker associations should and must remain a central pillar, strengthening partnerships to improve both livelihood resilience and safety outcomes for our platform workers. Today, my Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) colleagues and fellow labour Members of Parliament (MPs) will share our views on how manpower policies must continue to secure good jobs for our Singaporean core, while powering economic progress within this land and infrastructural constraints of our little red dot. Because of this remains a delicate but necessary balancing act.
We must enable time-crunched mid-career workers to upskill; without placing unsustainable pressure on employers in a tight labour market. We must provide assurance to IHL students entering a workforce where entry-level roles are evolving. We must ensure local-foreign workforce complementarity remains responsive, without compromising business agility. And we must strengthen income security, as workforce churn rises, skills half-lives shorten, caregiving burdens grow and cost pressures persist.
There are limits to how much we can expand our foreign workforce, given infrastructure constraints and our social capacity. Our manpower strategy must therefore focus on transformation, not substitution. Firms must become less manpower-reliant even as they become more productive. And our local workforce must move up the skills ladder alongside industry transformations.
In this new phase of labour transformation, I would like to put forward three Budget priorities.
First, we must continue attracting top global talent in a way that strengthens, not substitutes our Singaporean core. This requires stronger complementarity frameworks, clearer skills transfer expectations and leadership pathways for our locals.
Second, as businesses face tighter margins, we must support transformation, not dependency on manpower expansion. Foreign manpower must be calibrated alongside deeper industry upgrading so that productivity, not labour cost suppression, drives competitiveness.
Third, productivity gains must translate into real wage uplift, especially for lower-wage and at-risk workers. Job redesign and AI adoption must be linked directly to wage progression, so transformation narrows inequality rather than widens it because ultimately, every worker matters.
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
The Chairman : Ms Yeo Wan Ling.
Quality and Productivity of Foreign Workforce
Ms Yeo Wan Ling : Mr Chairman, our approach to foreign manpower must go beyond access. Their deployment must drive productivity and translate into better jobs and stronger wage outcomes for Singaporeans.
I note the Ministry's intention to add eight occupations from the social services, food services and transportation sectors to the Non-traditional Sources Occupation List (NTS-OL) in 2026. The NTS-OL is an important tool to address manpower shortages in critical roles. But as we expand it, we must ensure that access to foreign manpower does not simply relieve short-term labour gaps.
It must actively support upgrading and reframing of jobs are they transform with AI and technology into attractive jobs for Singaporeans. I therefore call on the Ministry to accompany this expansion with clear productivity-linked conditions.
Firms that access NTS-OL manpower should also commit to structured training for locals, skills transfer from foreign workers and job redesign that improves work processes. Where appropriate, access to NTS-OL manpower should be tied to demonstrable workforce upgrading plans, including career pathways for Singaporeans and measurable productivity improvements.
Second, we should ensure that expansion does not suppress wage growth for vulnerable local workers. The Budget should support firms in redesigning jobs alongside workforce diversification so that productivity gains translate into higher wages, not simply labour cost substitutions.
Finally, we must ensure that our workforce diversification strengthens the Singaporean core. This means embedding progression pathways, leadership pipelines and skills upgrading for locals into sectors where NTS-OL access is expanded. Foreign manpower must complement transformation, not replace it. If done right, this expansion can raise productivity across the workforce and support sustainable growth that delivers better wages and good jobs for all Singaporeans.
Review of Employment Act
Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied) : The Employment Act was last reviewed in 2018. That review coincided with the act's 50th anniversary.
One of its more far-reaching amendments was to extend the Act's protections to 430,000 more workers, comprising managers and executives. It follows that the broadening of coverage makes the current review of the Employment Act more significant than previous iterations. It was first announced at the Committee of Supply (COS) last year when MOM announced its plans to review the act.
Almost immediately, the Singapore National Employers Federation moved quickly to caveat that the review should not, and I quote, "inadvertently mandate progressive employment practices that may reduce flexibilities for employers and undermine business competitiveness". There have been little further announcements on the areas under review beyond the broad objectives which were announced when the Tripartite Workgroup first met in August last year. There has been some speculation of specific enhancements, including raising the minimum statutory annual leave entitlement.
According to MOM, 2022, more than 90% of full-time resident employees between the age of 25 and 64 already received more than the statutory minimum seven days leave. Any increase through proposed amendments to the act here would be akin to pushing against an open door if proposed amendments substantively amount to what is a common market practice.
Can the Minister share what deliberations have taken place thus far, and if there has been a significant gap in positions between the Ministry, the unions and employer organisations like the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF)? What areas of amendment have been scuttled or deferred to date in view of divergences in position? Will the Ministry consider a public consultation in parallel with tripartite negotiations, given the significantly larger number of workers covered by the Employment Act today?
Moving forward, the Government should review its tripartite posture to lean on the side of workers more, particularly in today's employment landscape. As the Prime Minister observed in this year's Budget speech, we must always take care of our own.
One long-standing anomaly in the Act is the distinction between workmen and non-workmen, a distinction that has arguably blurred in today's environment of AI skills upgrading and job convergence. Are there plans to achieve parity with regard to salary thresholds for workmen and non-workmen alike?
In addition, both the Act and the tripartite guidelines envisage the payment of retrenchment benefits. Previous MOM surveys indicate that in general, a very large number of companies, around 90%, are already able to pay retrenchment benefits to the level of the tripartite guidelines.
The time has come for these guidelines to be legislated as a norm in an advanced economy like Singapore, as a manifestation of a basic Singapore standard for all workers. Larger companies, those with more than 25 workers, should be expected to pay more at minimum, one month for every year of service, which is the norm for unionised companies.
Based on MOM's own data on retrenchments, legislating for a reasonable quantum of retrenchment benefits that are already the overwhelming norm in Singapore would not be an earth-shattering legislative development. However, doing so would be consistent with the objective of commitments like #Every Worker Matters and a "we first" society. Can MOM confirm if retrenchment benefits are a subject under discussion as part of the current review under the Act?
The Chairman : Mr Patrick Tay, you may take your three cuts together.
Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan (Pioneer) : The last round of Employment Act review was passed in 2018 and effective April 2019. I am aware that the review is ongoing and I declare my interest as part of the tripartite workgroup on the review.
I am therefore asking for MOM now to provide an update to the House on when they plan to roll out the amendments and in what broad areas, pursuant to some of my lobbying efforts in this House the past few years.
By the same token, the Industrial Relations Act was last amended more than a decade ago, in 2015. To avoid conflicts of interest and undermining management effectiveness, executives with senior management functions were excluded from collective bargaining.
In the years that followed, unions which have sought to extend their scope of representation to include executives and have met with some difficulties because the exclusions set out in section 17(3) are too broadly worded, thereby giving employers the opportunity to claim that even low- and mid-level executive employees fall within them, whereas the intent behind the law was only to exclude those who are at senior management levels and carry out functions which genuinely give rise to a conflict of interest if they are represented by a union.
Can I request MOM to look into providing greater clarity through a firmer and clearer articulation on this point, either through amending the guidelines or amending the Industrial Relations Act for statutory clarity?
2.00 pm
Guidelines on Restraint of Trade
I would like to ask the Ministry also for an update on the proposed tripartite guidelines on the restraint of trade clauses.
More than two years ago, MOM announced that these guidelines were being developed in consultation with tripartite partners, with the intention to provide clearer guidance to employers and better protection for employees. At that point, we were told that the guidelines were expected to be released by the end of 2024.
We are now in 2026. Yet, many employees, especially professionals, managers and executives (PMEs), continue to face broad and restrictive restraint of trade clauses that can limit their mobility, bargaining power and career progression, even where there is no legitimate business interest to protect.
Could the Minister update this House on the current status of this and indicate when employers and workers can expect clear and practical guidance to be issued? And in the interim, what advice does MOM have for employees who may be subject to overly restrictive or unreasonable restraint of trade clauses today?
Unemployment Support and Mandatory Retrenchment Notification
Over the decades, in my work with the Labour Movement, I have worked alongside thousands of workers who lost their jobs, sometimes with notice, sometimes overnight, often with little clarity on what comes next. Retrenchment is not just an economic event. It is a human event, affecting livelihoods, families and dignity.
I would like to ask the Ministry for an update on two key safeguards that directly impact displaced workers: the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support Scheme and the Mandatory Retrenchment Notification framework.
First, on the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support Scheme. Since the start of the scheme, can MOM provide an update on the scheme? Today, we see more PMEs affected by involuntary unemployment than before and further exacerbated by the advent of GenAI. I strongly urge MOM to consider expanding the Jobseeker Support scheme cap from the current $5,000 to $7,600, which is the median salary of professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs), and I am speaking of PMETs and not even PMEs, which is much higher, so that the scheme remains meaningful, adequate and reflective of present‑day labour market realities?
Second, on Mandatory Retrenchment Notification. Today, notification often comes after retrenchment decisions have been finalised. By then, options are limited and intervention is reactive. I propose that the notice be done prior to retrenchment, so that early support can be activated, such as career coaching, job matching, redeployment and where possible, alternatives to retrenchment itself. Early notification enables early intervention and early intervention saves jobs.
Access to Premium AI Tools
Assoc Prof Terence Ho (Nominated Member) : Mr Chairman, I would like to suggest that the Ministry consider extending free or subsidised access to AI premium tools to a larger group of Singaporeans, such as all mature workers, on a time-limited basis.
Many of these premium tools cost no more than US$20 a month, or under $30 a month. Six months of fully or partly subsidised access, could make a significant difference in helping people become familiar with and experiment with AI. In particular, the fear of missing out could prompt people to try the tools for the first time, which they may put off despite the availability of free versions. Many of these tools are intuitive and can be adopted even without special training.
Given the potential for an AI divide where the affluent and less well-off have differential access to premium AI tools, a further suggestion is to offer lower-income Singaporeans subsidised access to premium AI tools on a longer-term basis. This would help ensure that AI adoption remains inclusive and does not widen existing inequalities.
On-the-job Training in the Age of AI
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim (Sengkang) : One of my closest friends, whom I have known since I was 13, is a banker. This in and of itself is unremarkable, since the financial sector accounts for one in every 16 workers in our labour force. What is remarkable, however, is how he got there. My mate, trained in architecture, obtaining his bachelor's and master's degrees in the subject, but after graduation, he applied for and scored his first job in investment banking. Why did the bank bother interviewing him to begin with?
According to him, they were impressed by his sharpness and moxie. There was a reason that they would teach him everything that he would need to know on the job anyhow. Today, he an immensely successful financier leading the Asia Pacific business of a top-shelf asset management firm.
The story illustrates a reality that all of us are familiar with. In spite of the best efforts of educators, like myself, most of the skills needed for our jobs are not learnt in the classroom but in life settings on-the-job training (OJT).
Indeed, OJT, which could involve formally organised structures, such as apprenticeships or internships, or more informal processes, such as guidance and mentorship, often imparts specialised skills that are typically far more valuable for the actual day-to-day performance of one's job than the validation conferred by a certification itself.
Today, countries as diverse as Australia, France, Germany, India, Switzerland and Turkey, have national-level apprenticeship systems. Singapore has OJT systems too but there are certain shortcomings.
The Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ) framework under the rubric of SkillsFuture includes an assessment only pathway. But by emphasising paper qualifications, the assessment only pathway continues to be hamstrung by an insistence on assessment over demonstration, on the acquisition of certification over experience. Those I have spoken to shared that it has become more of an impediment rather than a genuine stepping stone toward career advancement in the skills trades.
Workforce Singapore (WSG) runs existing Career Conversion Programmes (CCPs), but these are mostly linked to industry transformation maps. In practice, the industries covered are linked, limited to professional and technical roles rather than broad based.
WSG also runs a career trial for employers where firms can try the employee out for some time with Government support. This helps spread the risk for employers in terms of hiring. But it is less clear how trainees, especially those who are seeking to retrain and reskill, gain structured systematic exposure to new skills.
Most recently, WSG launched the GRaduate in Industry Traineeship (GRIT) programme for graduates of ITE, polytechnics and universities. This is a major step and one that I wholeheartedly support. But a quick search reveals less than 100 open positions.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, in his National Day Rally, announcing the initiative, spoke about scaling up the programme if the economy worsens. While the economy is doing well, I believe that GRIT's time has come.
Agentic AI threatens to replace the need for entry-level positions. Yet, without a pipeline to train new hires, especially on the job, it will be a conundrum, a shortage of experienced mid-level workers which remain in high demand. This is precisely where the Government can step in by subsidising the gap that the labour market would otherwise leave unfulfilled. I propose that we institutionalise a national OJT system for apprenticeships, internships and mentorships.
Presently, securing GRIT positions is largely decentralised, relying primarily on proactive posting by the hiring entity or a small number of private jobs clearing houses. Polytechnics and some university programmes do sponsor internships, but only for students that have first completed their coursework components. Most programmes accepting apprenticeships focus on technical or professional disciplines, such as finance, technology, medicine or law.
These facts mean that the benefits of OJT will tend to accrue to only limited segments of the labour force and indeed, the majority of current listings are for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) or finance graduates, many of whom already possess the means to seek, identify and apply to such opportunities. There is substantive evidence that internships and apprenticeships do not only contribute to enhance knowledge transfer and more efficient production but can also play a role in reducing the extent of labour market polarisation, which is becoming a growing concern in Singapore. However, such systems tend to be more successful when operating within the rubric of a larger institutional framework.
A national level institution would establish the standard rules behind each party's commitments, promote worker firm matching and encourage the movement of journeymen to other firms once they have completed their formal training. Importantly, by taking the lead in establishing a nationally recognised internship and apprenticeship programme that enables voluntary progressive acquisition of certifications, the Government can also codify a learning culture that opens up the substantial benefits of such experiences to a much wider range of candidates. Non-academic pursuits, such as the culinary arts, music and sports; artisanal practices, such as horology, furniture making and other skilled crafts; and professions that rely on experience and OJT rather than book smarts alone. In other words, will the Government be an advocate for Singaporeans that have ambitions to contribute to traditionally underserved sectors of the economy that nevertheless are passed to meaningful middle-class secure jobs?
This national OJT system can be strengthened by two further elements. First, to encourage buy in from the corporate side. I further propose that workers be allowed to apply their SkillsFuture Credit toward paid internship programmes. Second, in line with standard practice, such apprenticeships and internships can typically be short term, six months to a year —
The Chairman : Mr Melvin Yong.
Uplifting Lower-wage Workers
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye (Radin Mas) : Mr Chairman, uplifting the wages and work prospects of our lower-wage workers is fundamental to building a truly "we first" society, one where progress is shared and no worker is left behind.
The Progressive Wage Model (PWM) has delivered significant gains over the past decade. Lower-wage workers saw income growth that outpaced the median. However, from 2024 to 2025, median real income growth exceeded that of lower-wage workers.
This reversal, though modest, is a warning signal. If we are serious about inclusive growth, the wage growth for lower-wage workers must consistently outpace that of the median, not merely keep pace with it. The increase in the Local Qualifying Salary (LQS) is welcome. But wage mandates alone are not enough. Employers must drive business and workforce transformation so that productivity gains are built into lower-wage roles.
The strength of PWM lies in linking wages to skills, responsibilities and productivity, rather than imposing a blunt wage floor. It preserves dignity and encourages progression.
The Tripartite Workgroup on Lower-Wage Workers reaffirmed productivity as the foundation for sustainable wage growth. I therefore ask MOM, have we seen measurable sectoral productivity gains in PWM sectors? If not, what further interventions will be introduced?
Workers must be supported to upskill and reskill to strengthen career mobility, especially as AI reshapes our economy. Access to training must become smarter and more targeted. I urge MOM to leverage AI to personalise SkillsFuture course recommendations, integrated into National Trade Union Congress' (NTUC's) AI-enabled career coach, so that workers receive clear guidance on their next skills pathway.
AI will reshape every sector. The question is not whether jobs will change, but whether lower-wage workers will benefit from the change rather than be displaced by it. I call on the Government to work very closely with tripartite partners to co-develop AI-augmented roles and to update skills frameworks, so that technology adoption translates into measurable productivity gains, better job quality and stronger wage progression particularly in PWM sectors.
Mr Chairman, the question before us is simple. As Singapore advances, will our lower-wage workers advance faster? Inclusive growth does not happen by chance. It requires intent, accountability and action. Let us recommit to ensuring that the ladder of progress remains firmly within reach and that no worker is left behind.
Raising Income Thresholds for Workfare
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim : Sir, in 2025, the accessible income threshold for Goods and Services Tax (GST) vouchers was revised upward, from $34,000 to $39,000. This was not the first time. It was set at $24,000 in 2012 before being consistently raised every few years. These historical revisions were due to a combination of rising cost of living as well as the GST hike. This represents an increase since 2012 of around 1.6 times.
In contrast, the income thresholds for the Workfare Income Supplement have gone from $1,700 pre-2013 to $1,900 in 2013, to $2,500 in 2023, to $3,000 in 2025. This equivalent increase is around 1.75 times. While this may seem comparable, the truth is that the most recent bout of inflation hits the poorest the most. This is because the categories where prices rose the most, notably food, transport and rent, consume a disproportionate share of the incomes of those in the lower end of the distribution.
It is a conclusion backed by ample research, both in Singapore and the rest of the world. It is true that this may be partially offset by nominal wage gains that bolster purchasing power. But it is unclear if this is the case. After all, while real incomes for the lowest percentile showed significant progress in 2024, this comes on the heel of many years of falling behind median real income growth. I believe that it is time to disproportionately raise the income threshold for the Workfare Income Supplement to $3,500, to better support those who are working hard to make ends meet but struggling under the burden of high costs.
2.15 pm
Underemployment in Singapore
Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan : I am particularly concerned about non-time-based involuntary underemployment in Singapore and urge for closer monitoring of this trend.
NTUC has embarked on a study with the Singapore University of Technology and Design, and will share more soon. We realise this is often fuelled by mismatch in jobs, skills and expectations of employers, including job seekers both young and not so young. There may be occasions where underemployment may occur as a result of this mismatch. We should monitor this closely and provide proper career counselling, coaching and mentoring at all stages of a person's career from his/her first job, during his/her first job, when looking for the next job or beyond retirement and re-employment.
In the same vein, I suggest both individual and employer SkillsFuture credits be approved for use towards professional career coaching, guidance, mentoring and counselling services for workers and individuals beyond those currently provided by our IHLs, WSG and e2i.
Closing Youth Employment Gap
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied) : Sir, Singapore school leavers face a challenging job market. As AI automates many entry level tasks, firms are increasingly prioritising candidates who are immediately productive over fresh graduates. The unemployment rate for residents below 30 was 5.5% in September 2025, almost twice the national resident unemployment rate. Without access to quality roles soon after graduation, many of our youths risk a long-term scarring effect, where early joblessness correlates to lower lifetime earnings, skills atrophy and even social and civic alienation.
Before I continue, I wish to declare that I am a director and shareholder of a company which is a small and medium enterprise (SME).
To support young Singaporeans in facilitating a smoother entry into the workforce, I propose a Youth Wage Credit Scheme. This initiative incentivises micro and small enterprises to offer the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), Lasalle College of the Arts, the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, polytechnic and university graduates their first permanent positions. It will provide a 20% wage credit over the first three months of employment, covering the critical probation and initial training period. The Government could co-fund 20% of their salary with the payout capped at $1,000 per month. This ensures that graduates gain access to quality roles and structured training while the Government offsets the initial costs of onboarding. Targeting these wage credits in micro and small enterprises empowers these smaller businesses to offer more competitive wages, helping them to compete for talent against medium and larger enterprises.
To address employers' concern of young recruits leaving soon after being trained, the Government could fund an additional 20% of a one-month retention bonus to be paid out only on the first anniversary of employment. I propose that this scheme be implemented for an initial three years period with a robust assessment of its effectiveness before any extension.
This scheme would complement the GRIT scheme. However, while GRIT offers temporary three- to six-month placements, it does not guarantee the stability of full-time employment. This proposal encourages permanent hiring from day one. Crucially, while GRIT is limited to just 800 places, this wage credit could support a much larger proportion of the 53,000 or so students graduating each year.
The Youth Wage Credit Scheme shifts the focus from temporary trainingships to immediate stable SME employment. By incentivising permanent hires, it buffers against AI-driven displacement and ensures Singapore's next generation enters the workforce with greater security and confidence.
Redesigning Jobs
Assoc Prof Terence Ho : Mr Chairman, I declare my interest as a senior executive of an educational institute that offers workplace learning and job redesign consultancy services.
I worry about the mismatch between jobs that are plentiful in Singapore and the number of local workers who are willing to take them up. With our ageing population, jobs in nursing and healthcare will continue to grow. While generative AI (GenAI) may pose risks to various white collar occupations, jobs which require manual skills or dexterity remain comparatively resilient to automation. Skilled trades like technicians and mechanics are not so easily automated.
However, many young Singaporeans do not aspire to careers in healthcare and skilled trades. This will increase our reliance on foreign manpower for essential roles, while making it hard to fulfil the job aspirations of our young people. The reality is that not all Singaporeans can be professionals or corporate executives in a highly competitive and technologically driven global economy. Many will have to build careers in services and skilled trades. Wages are an important consideration and the pay in these jobs must rise. Yet job attractiveness also depends on whether work is meaningful and how it is perceived by society.
My question is whether we can be bolder in redesigning jobs, such as nursing, security and skilled trades, at scale so that they become occupations our young people aspire to pursue, so that AI and robotics take over the tedious aspects of work, while workers contribute to service design, innovation and customer engagement. There should be more jobs, like Advanced Practice Nurses, offering greater professional responsibility with commensurate remuneration and recognition. The aim should be to develop roles that integrate head, heart and hand competencies, making them more resilient to AI and automation as well as more appealing to Singaporeans than single-dimensional jobs.
There is a second aspect of job redesign I would like to highlight. As organisations review work processes to harness AI and automation, we need stronger capabilities for human-centric job redesign, ensuring that AI augments rather than replaces human contribution.
I remain optimistic about the unique value that people bring notwithstanding the rapid development of more powerful AI models. This is because AI models lack consciousness, they do not have an innate sense of right and wrong, and they are trained based on past or existing data. Recognising these limits can help us identify the uniquely human strengths that should shape job redesign. I hope that Singapore can show the way in human-centric job redesign and would like to ask whether the Ministry has plans to develop deeper expertise in this.
Let me conclude with a brief illustration. Last year, while attending a conference in Astana, I joined a day tour led by a young guide. He brought me on a short hike to a hilltop overlooking a lake, which was not a typical tourist destination. It was where his grandparents had brought him as a child to play. That personal story and human connection to a place, created an experience that no electronic guide or AI could replicate. This gives me hope that even in an AI-enabled future, human insight, empathy and storytelling will remain central to meaningful work.
Supporting the Portfolio Generation
Ms Eileen Chong Pei Shan (Non-Constituency Member) : Sir, we have invested in building the infrastructure for a skills-first economy. Tools like the career and skills passport launched in November 2024 reflect that ambition. We know that more than 700,000 individuals have accessed the passport as of November last year. This is a good sign of uptake, but uptake does not tell us if there has been a meaningful shift in how employers evaluate and hire candidates. Tools can change how workers present their skills, but tools alone cannot change hiring behaviour. If employers continue to hire based on degrees and past job titles, then the passport risks becoming, as my colleague Andre described yesterday, a digital filing cabinet.
The evidence points to a real gap. The 2025 Skills-First Readiness and Adoption Index developed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Institute for Adult Learning ranked Singapore 12 out of 30 participating countries. While Singapore made meaningful progress in adopting skills-first practices, key gaps, such as business adoption of skills first hiring and stronger ecosystem coordination, remained.
Relatedly, in a survey conducted by the Institute for Human Resource Professionals (IHRP), nine in 10 respondents were confident that skills-first hiring widens their organisation's talent pool. However, 63% of hiring managers, the people conducting interviews and on the front lines of recruitment, said they are unfamiliar with skills-first hiring practices.
This is a capability gap, not a values problem. The new Statutory Board formed by the merger of WSG and SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) was announced as a one-stop shop for workers. I hope it can also become a transformational partner for employers. It should seek to close not just the skills gap, but the assessment gap that sits between workers who have built a real portfolio of skills and employers who cannot yet see them.
I have two suggestions. First, for the new agency to develop practical tool kits that employers can use for portfolio-based assessment and skills-first hiring. Second, build skills-first hiring capability into the HR industry transformation plan embedded into certification pathways for all tiers of HR professionals.
Singaporean Core and Human Capital Practices
Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan : I wish to ask MOM for the status of the Strengthening the Singaporean Core efforts in Singapore as well as an update on Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS). How effective it has been since its start especially now with the doing away of the Fair Consideration Framework triple-weak watchlist?
Some recruiters have candidly shared with me that they only post on MyCareersFuture portal if they must fulfil the Government's requirements to put up the job for 14 days before they can hire foreign PMEs. If that is the case, it will be hard for the Government to have a good sensing of all the available job openings in Singapore. Would MOM consider mobilising and/or requiring all companies to post their available openings on the portal for ease of tracking, analytics and sensemaking of industry hiring needs?
By the same token, there are those whom I have heard comply with the 14-day posting requirement merely as window dressing. Likewise, a closer scrutiny of employment agencies is much needed at this juncture as sometimes such breaches and window dressing are carried out by them. I urge MOM to pay a close watch on this.
On the second point on human capital practitioners, especially their practices and processes are really key to foster a fair and inclusive workplace including one with a strong Singaporean core. I am aware that the IHRP is doing good work to certify human capital practitioners with the IHRP certification. I declare my interest as co-chair of the workgroup looking at human capital development.
Can MOM progressively then mandate the certification of HR practitioners, now that we have this IHRP certification in place? In the interim, perhaps companies should consider having at least one IHRP-certified HR professional before they can be allowed to hire any foreign manpower. In the same vein, I suggest that employers be allowed to use their Enterprise SkillsFuture credits, similar to what workers have, for sending their HR staff for IHRP training and certification.
Calibrating Singaporean Core and Competitiveness
Mr Mark Lee (Nominated Member) : Chairman, businesses support the principle of a strong Singaporean core. Foreign manpower must remain complementary, not a substitute. That social compact is fundamental and must be upheld. However, what we are seeing is not a marginal adjustment. It is a structural reset of labour cost baselines.
Since 2020, the Employment Pass (EP) qualifying salary will rise from $4,500 to $6,000 next year, roughly a one-third increase in just over six years. Over the same period, the S Pass qualifying salary has moved from $2,500 to $3,600 in 2027, about a 44% uplift. Tier-1 S Pass levies are now $650. The LQS will increase to $1,800 in July.
Individually, each move may be defensible. But taken together, they represent a meaningful shift in cost structure, particularly for sectors where the local manpower pool remains limited despite best efforts.
At the higher end, Singapore competes to anchor regional headquarters and specialised mandates. Location decisions are increasingly marginal between Singapore and other hubs. When higher EP thresholds are layered onto elevated rentals, energy and compliance costs, the cumulative effect matters. Relocations are visible. Investments that never materialise are not. Missed mandates and unanchored teams can quietly narrow future job creation for Singaporeans.
At the S Pass, the pressure is even more immediate. Domestic-oriented sectors, such as food and beverages (F&B), retail and other labour-intensive sectors, operate on thin margins. Many have already digitised and streamlined. Further cost escalation leaves two paths: raise prices, contributing to cost-of-living pressures; or compress operations, reducing service levels and employment scale.
Importantly, these same sectors are supporting wage uplifts for lower-wage Singaporean workers. If viability weakens, the very workers we seek to uplift may face slower hiring and progression.
On LQS, let me be clear: uplifting lower-wage Singaporeans is a national priority, and employers support this direction. The Progressive Wage Credit Scheme (PWCS) helps. The issue is not principle, but pace and calibration, especially when multiple levers move concurrently. There is also a structural tension. Firms are encouraged to upgrade foreign manpower quality. Yet, levy increases across skill tiers mean that both upgrading and retention are becoming more expensive. When cost differentials narrow, the incentive to upgrade may weaken.
The question, therefore, is how we preserve three objectives simultaneously: safeguarding the social compact, preserving Singapore's competitiveness and sustaining long-term employment opportunities for Singaporeans.
How does MOM assess whether cumulative qualifying salary and LQS adjustments are strengthening the Singaporean core without eroding competitiveness? Is there a structured framework to assess sectoral sensitivity, particularly in industries with thin margins or limited automation pathways? And are there mechanisms to recalibrate if unintended economic effects begin to emerge?
If we calibrate carefully, Singapore can remain both competitive and cohesive, a place where businesses grow, investments anchor and Singaporeans thrive.
2.30 pm
Being Pro-business to be Pro-worker
Mr Shawn Loh (Jalan Besar) : Mr Chairman, I declare that I am the group managing director of Commonwealth Capital Group, a Singapore global enterprise that stewards more than 1,000 livelihoods. A core part of the Government's agenda is jobs. In addition to an income, jobs provide dignity, meaning and confidence to our workers – something that Government handouts cannot fulfil.
We should be pro-jobs and pro-worker. I would add that the Government should embrace the philosophy that to be pro-worker, our policies also have to be pro-business. We should see companies as platforms and partners for the Government to achieve its policy goals. Let me name three.
One, we want to keep seniors employed longer and ideally on similar salary terms as when they were younger, even if their productivity declines. Two, we want to narrow income inequality by uplifting wages at the lower end, even above productivity levels of lower-wage workers. Three, we want jobseekers to find jobs as soon as possible, even if it means they have to acquire skills on the job in order to do the job well.
From the perspective of employers, hiring is seldom short-term. Companies plan more than one year in advance. I therefore suggest that MOM's policies incorporate two more principles.
First, as Mr Mark Lee also said, companies should be given more time to adjust and adapt to policy changes. Second, companies should be given more longer-term direction instead of annual, effectively ad hoc grant extensions. I propose to apply this immediately.
First, to the Senior Employment Credit, extended again this year after extensions in 2023 and 2025. Why not just commit to a longer-term extension, with employers given two years' notice of any change?
Second, the PWCS can be made more longer term. Or why not fold this into the permanent Workfare scheme? This is particularly important if technology changes widen productivity gaps beyond what is reasonable for our lower wage workers to close despite all their effort. In addition, the minimum wage increase to qualify for PWCS support should be retained at $100 instead of the Government's change to set it at $200.
Third, integrate the Government's traineeship and place-and-train programmes, such that employers get time-limited salary support to hire any jobseeker who has been actively looking for a job for six months. The Government already has a working model today in the form of Career Conversion Programmes. In my proposal, we should then not need to impose a different job or different sector requirement for those who are looking for a job for more than six months. This effectively covers Mr Gerald Giam's proposal for our youths who are looking for jobs.
These moves are pro-business. And ultimately, they are ultimately pro-worker. This will definitely do a good job in alleviating the job-related anxieties that many of our Members have raised.
Driving Workforce Transformation
Dr Wan Rizal (Jalan Besar) : Chairman, technology does not transform companies, people do. If we want sustained growth, enterprises and workers must transform together. Not AI first and people later, it is together. That is why the implementation of the enterprise workforce transformation package matters.
First, tie technology adoption to job redesign. Many firms are investing in AI and automation, and that is good. But the real test is this: are we redesigning jobs or just reducing headcount? We must make job redesign a default expectation of enterprise transformation.
When a logistics SME adopted AI route optimisation, they did not cut drivers. They trained them in digital fleet coordination and customer management. Productivity improved and wages too. In precision engineering, AI-enabled inspection reduced manual checks. Instead of displacement, technicians were reskilled into robotics maintenance and data functions. That is the model we want: adopt technology, redesign jobs, reskill workers and reshare the gains.
Second, make transformation practical for SMEs. SMEs face real constraints: cost, capability and confusion. If assessing support requires navigating multiple schemes and agencies, we will lose them. Can MOM ensure the package is streamlined with clear advisory support to help SMEs conduct structured job redesign and skills mapping exercises? Transformation must be hands on, not theoretical.
Third, show workers a clear pathway. For workers, transformation must answer three questions. What skills do I need? Who supports my training and how will my wages progress? Mid-career and low-wage workers in particular must see tangible progression not just of digitalisation. If AI raises productivity, but wages remain flat, then confidence will certainly erode.
So, my question to the Minister is this: how will MOM measure whether enterprises are redesigning jobs alongside technology adoption? Second, will MOM publish outcome indicators, such as the number of jobs redesigned and wage progression outcomes? Third, how will advisory support for SMEs be strengthened to ensure AI adoption leads to job upgrading, not displacement? And fourth, how will MOM support gig workers and self-employed persons whose rice bowls are broken by AI?
Chairman, enterprise transformation is necessary, but workforce transformation is non-negotiable. Growth must upgrade our workers, or it will not last.
Career and Employability of Matures PMEs
Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo (East Coast) : Mr Chairman, with PMEs forming 64.2% of our resident workforce and Singapore becoming a super-aged society, strengthening the career health of PMEs in their 40s, 50s and early 60s is increasingly urgent. Our workforce is ageing quickly. The median age of workers is now 45, and as industries transform, many mid-career PMEs face heightened risks.
We already have strong foundations. SkillsFuture participation reached more than 600,000 in 2025, job redesign and upskilling efforts continue through the Company Training Committees (CTCs) and the Alliance for Action (AfA) on Multi-stage Careers adds further scaffolding. But to sustain employability, we must now make career health mainstream, preventive and easy to act on. I have three recommendations.
One, introduce a national career health screening. I propose augmenting MyCareersFuture and the NTUC AI career coach with a nationally standardised, subsidised career health screening for PMEs aged 35 to 65. Like preventive health checks, this diagnostic would assess skills readiness and digital gaps, role fit and mobility options; and transition risks, especially in sectors seeing softening demand, such as professional services, manufacturing and information and communications technology. Higher risk cases will receive a short human coaching review directly linked to MyCareersFuture for follow-through. A standardised screening, paired with human support, helps PMEs take early action and helps employers anticipate redeployment and workforce transformation needs.
Two, make mid-career renewal a shared responsibility. Workers are upskilling, more than 458,000 Singaporeans used their SkillsFuture credits last year. But employers, especially SMEs, need stronger support to redesign roles, retrain staff and hire mid-career candidates. A co-funded renewal scheme could support job redesign, redeployment into growth areas and role specific, employer validated training. This is essential, as retirement and re-employment ages will rise to 64 and 69 this year. Mid-career renewal will affect nearly every PME's working life. I will expand on strengthening human resources (HR) capabilities in my other COS cut later.
Three, embed multi-stage careers in workplaces. Careers today are not linear. With an ageing population and longer lifespans, drawing on evidence-based frameworks, including the Stanford longevity model, we can mainstream a national career taxonomy across the build, consolidate, retrain and transition stages. This provides a shared language for both workers and employers, enabling better planning, clearer expectations and more proactive career decisions at each career's life stage.
Mr Chairman, supporting the career health and employability of our mature PMEs require a new national compact built on shared responsibility. The Government must provide early signal tools, accessible support and clear pathways. Employers must redesign work and invest in mid-career renewal. Workers must take ownership of their lifelong career health.
If we get this right, PMEs will have the clarity, confidence and capabilities to stay employable and contribute meaningfully across longer, more fulfilling careers, ensuring Singapore's workforce stays resilient as we age.
Skilled Trades Deserve Respect and Support
Ms Diana Pang Li Yen (Marine Parade-Braddell Heights) : Chairman, I rise to speak on creating diverse pathways to success through skilled trades and the mindset shift we need as a society to recognise hands-on work as essential, skilled and worthy of respect.
During these debates, much has been said about the rise of AI and its multiple uses. However, let us not forget that every day, Singapore runs on the work of people who fix our lifts, maintain our estates, keep the kitchen running, service our vehicles, install electrical systems and respond when things break down. These are not "low-skilled" jobs. They are jobs that require craft, discipline, judgement and often years to hone. AI cannot do these jobs. If we want a strong local labour core, we have to value these jobs, these roles, not just in words, but in how we treat these workers and how we design progression for them.
Chairman, I welcome the direction that the Government will work with employers, the Labour Movement, trade associations and institutes of higher learning to develop structured career pathways for skilled tradesmen, so that this inclination towards hands-on and "heart" jobs can see how they can advance and how they can build a career. This is an important signal, because recognition is not only social esteem. It is also the clarity of a pathway. People will invest in mastery when they see where the mastery leads.
So, I make three practical calls.
First, actively promote the message that skilled trades are essential work and a respected choice, not a back-up, not a second choice. This is about dignity and pride in the way that we work. It matters for how young people, parents, employers perceive these pathways.
Second, we should ensure that the trade mastery translates into a good living. Skills take time to build, deep mastery should be rewarded through structured progression, skills-based pay bands and credible steps from apprentice to specialist to titles, such as master craftsman. If we want Singaporeans to stay in trades, real wages and progression must be clear and competitive.
Third, firms must be part of the solution. I urge employers to support and fairly remunerate trade workers, and for the Government to work with the industry to build consistent standards for training, mentorship and assessment, especially in SMEs where the capability varies. A strong local workforce will not be built on goodwill alone; it will be built on systems that make skills development, progression real.
Chairman, my question is this: as structured career pathways for skilled trades are being developed, I hope the Ministry can ensure that they are visible, trusted and outcome-driven, so that skilled workers can make real progression and real recognition, and young Singaporeans can see that trades are a first choice in a pathway to success.
Valuing Skilled Trades Pathways
Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh) : Mr Chairman, in Toa Payoh recently I spoke to a lift technician servicing one of our older blocks. He shared that the systems today are far more complex than before. His job is no longer just mechanical repair, it requires interpreting system data, troubleshooting hybrid systems and ensuring safety standards are met. That is not low-skilled work but applied technical expertise. Even the most advanced AI systems cannot repair lifts in our Housing and Development Board (HDB) blocks, maintain our Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) trains and tracks or service precision manufacturing machinery all by itself.
As we automate more processes, we need highly competent technicians who complement AI. We must invest adequately in skilled trades, so that we do not have high-end innovation without sufficient operational depth. Does the Ministry track medium- to long-term manpower projections for critical skilled trades, especially those supporting digital infrastructure and the green transition? Are we detecting any emerging gaps?
From a wage and productivity perspective, if trade careers do not offer clear progression and competitive earnings, young Singaporeans would be discouraged from entering these sectors and local core would weaken over time. Are there already signs of wage compression in middle-skilled technical roles and how might this affect the attractiveness of these careers to Singaporeans?
True trade mastery takes years of apprenticeship, repetition and accumulated experience, which ought to be rewarded with a good and stable living. Would the Government consider developing a National Master Trades Accreditation framework – a national tiered certification that recognises advanced trade mastery, similar to chartered professionals in other sectors and create a new avenue for career switchers and career transition for segments of our workforce?
How is MOM working with IHLs and industry bodies to develop a clear and transparent trade career ladder with indicative wage benchmarks, so that progression from apprentice to senior specialist is clearly structured in responsibilities and in remuneration?
2.45 pm
Support for Workers in a Changed World
Mr Ng Chee Meng (Jalan Kayu) : Chairman, over the past decade, the Labour Movement has worked closely with tripartite partners to secure better wages, welfare and work prospects for our workers. Our workers, including PMEs, have consistently seen real wage growth. Thanks to the PWM, our lower-wage workers experienced the strongest percentage growth in their real incomes. Income inequality today is at its lowest level on record. PMEs now also have better support if they are retrenched through the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support Scheme. Our young graduates have extra support to find work through the GRIT scheme.
Looking ahead however, technological and global economic shifts could result in more frequent employment disruptions for our workers, including and especially our PMEs. As our society enters a "super-aged" era, our workers will also face more intense caregiving demands. These changes will hit our workers, from the younger to the older, from blue collar to the white collar. As such, we must do more to address their unique needs and challenges.
Today, I will focus my cuts to seek more support for our young graduates, PMEs and caregivers. My fellow MPs have covered or will cover the other worker segments.
First, let us do more to build up the career health of our young graduates from the onset. Many Members in this Chamber have spoken up likewise. Our young graduates are entering the workforce at a time when the nature of work is shifting. In some instances, they need to outcompete AI at entry-level jobs, in others, they need to swiftly top up their skills with AI to be relevant. Throughout their careers, they will likely need to adapt and pivot multiple times, as the pace of change and skills obsolescence increase.
I ask for MOM to be alongside our young graduates as they navigate these challenges. We must boldly rethink, refresh and re-shape our skills and jobs ecosystem so that workers, including the PMEs, can be better supported and enabled as they navigate the different stages of their careers, from graduation, all the way till retirement.
The move to merge SSG and WSG is thus a step in the right direction. In making this move, we must endeavour to foster a better integration of business and workforce transformation.
This is important. From NTUC's experience, workers, including PMEs, are much more ready to upskill when they can see their training resulting in better wages or better work prospects. In addition, when business transformation is done hand-in-hand with workforce upskilling, true value is unlocked because businesses can better incorporate AI into their business model, and workers can better apply what they have learned and share in the real productivity gains.
I have two clarifications to make. First, can the Ministry share more details on how the merger between SSG and WSG will benefit our workers, including PMEs, in their career journeys from graduation to retirement? Second, is the Ministry considering how to better integrate the various efforts across business and workforce transformation, together with Tripartite partners, as part of the new setup?
The second group I would like to speak for is our PMEs. PMEs – especially mid-career, middle-income PMEs supporting their children and aged parents – are especially worried about the impact of retrenchments to them and their families.
That is why NTUC has been calling for more support for our workers, especially PMEs, facing retrenchment. We have asked for mandatory advance retrenchment notifications, so that earlier and better transition support can be given to PMEs facing retrenchment; and the SkillsFuture JobSeeker Support Scheme to be reviewed to ensure a baseline level of support to our middle-income PMEs.
In that light, I would like to ask the Ministry whether the Mandatory Retrenchment Notifications can be brought forward to enable earlier and better support to retrenched workers; and for the coverage of the current SkillsFuture JobSeeker Support Scheme to include our middle-income PMEs.
The third group I would like to cover are our caregivers. As Singapore ages rapidly, more workers, especially the "sandwiched generation" in their 30s to 50s, will face dual pressures from caring for young children and elderly parents.
Caregiving emerged as a key concern as early as 2023 in our #EveryWorkerMatters conversations. In NTUC's recent survey of Economic Sentiments, close to one in two caregivers surveyed considered leaving their job due to stress from caregiving. More must be done to support our caregivers to juggle work and caregiving.
First, let us move towards stronger institutional measures, including statutory paid caregiving leave, so our caregivers can stay employed, keep their skills current in a rapidly transforming economy. Second, provide caregivers who drop out of work due to caregiving with greater support and earlier assurance for their own retirement adequacy. The one-off means-tested Central Provident Fund (CPF) top-up to provide additional support to boost retirement adequacy of Singaporeans aged 50 and above is a step in the right direction, especially for our caregivers.
However, there is one group that I am particularly concerned about – the 13,000 or so who are out of the workforce to care for their elderly. I note from MOM's data that this group is largely female, single, 50 and above, non-tertiary educated and do not have any or any recent work experience.
We think that there is scope to do more. We ask the Ministry to study providing targeted CPF top-ups for middle- to lower-income caregivers who have left employment for caregiving and who lack retirement adequacy. These measures would help provide greater support and earlier assurance for our workers that their sacrifices made for caregiving will not unduly compromise their own long-term needs. I would therefore like to ask the Ministry on its plans to study and consider measures to better support our caregivers' employability and retirement adequacy.
More support for Retirement Adequacy
Mr Sanjeev Kumar Tiwari (Nominated Member) : Mr Chairman, as we become a super-aged society and live longer, having enough for retirement becomes critical. NTUC and the unions have constantly advocated for the reinstatement of CPF contribution rates for mature workers to match those of younger workers. I was glad to hear the Prime Minister's Budget 2026 announcement on the enhancements to the CPF Scheme to support our workers' retirement adequacy.
We thank the Government for continuing with the increases and for also extending the CPF Transition Offset to support employers implementing the increase. However, as Singapore's workforce ages amidst a challenging and hyper-competitive environment, how does the Ministry track outcomes and ensure senior employment rates are not affected, especially for those aged 55 to 64?
We also look forward to the new voluntary CPF investment scheme offering life-cycle investment products. For many, the CPF Special Account was a familiar and stable way to grow their savings. Following the closure of the CPF Special Account in 2025, some members expressed uncertainty about growing their monies to prepare for their golden years, especially after turning 55.
Could the Minister share how this new scheme will be explained clearly to members, especially people who may not be familiar with investment risks and cannot afford to take such high risks? What guidance will be in place so they can make informed decisions, and not inadvertently take risks that they do not fully understand?
Finally, I also welcome the topping up of the CPF balances for Singaporeans aged 50 and above with lower balances. I call on the Government to continue closely monitoring Singaporeans' retirement adequacy outcomes, more so for those who are needy, in vulnerable sectors, older and have lower CPF balances, given the transformation that is taking place.
A Lifetime of Retirement Savings
Mr Shawn Loh : Mr Chairman, the Lifetime Retirement Investment Scheme (LRIS) will be a game changer for the CPF system. When I raised it in Parliament in January, I was glad to hear that MOM was in the final stages of implementation.
After 10 years of study! Over that period a typical global investment portfolio of 65% equities and 35% bonds would have earned around 6% per year in Singapore dollar terms. Investible savings in the CPF Ordinary Account would have earned only 2.5% per year. These few percentage points, over a long time horizon, could be the difference between retiring with anxiety and retiring with peace of mind. This could also be part of the solution to address wealth inequality, given that the broad middle class has a significant amount of assets in CPF savings.
The CPF LRIS may not be for everyone. As Mr Sanjeev said, individuals need to assess for themselves based on their own risk appetite. Some may want their Ordinary Account savings to be more liquid for future housing needs. Others may prefer not to use their Special Account savings that earn 4% risk-free. In fact, given the Prime Minister's update last week that three in four CPFIS investors using the Special Account underperformed the 4% risk-free rate, the Ministry should consider closing the CPFIS scheme for the Special Account once the LRIS is launched.
Overall, I believe the LRIS will benefit the majority of Singaporeans, especially if we can do the following. First, mount a large scale public education campaign over the benefits of taking long-term investment risk to achieve a higher expected return. This should not be routine public communications, but more of a sales pitch to Singaporeans on balancing long term, non-speculative investment risk for higher expected returns.
Second, make it as easy as possible to opt in for the LRIS, perhaps even make the LRIS the default option for some. For example, default Ordinary Account savings above the Full Retirement Sum into the LRIS, unless the CPF member opts out.
Third, add more friction for Singaporeans to speculate with the LRIS. For example, there could be cooling off periods. And those who want to sell before retirement could be required to attend a financial literacy course explaining the dangers of short-term speculation for non-professional investors.
Overall, with better financial literacy and wise behavioural nudges, we can empower more Singaporeans to optimise their lifetime of retirement savings and retire with peace of mind.
The Chairman : Order. We have been in the Chamber for the last five hours, so I propose to take a break now.
[(proc text) Thereupon Mr Speaker left the Chair of the Committee and took the Chair of the House. (proc text)]
Mr Speaker : Order. I suspend the Sitting and will take the Chair at 3.30 pm. Order, order.
Sitting accordingly suspended
at 2.57 pm until 3.30 pm.
Sitting resumed at 3.30 pm.
[Deputy Speaker (Mr Christopher de Souza) in the Chair]
[(proc text) Debate in the Committee of Supply resumed. (proc text)]
[Deputy Speaker (Mr Christopher de Souza) in the Chair]
[(proc text) Head S (con't) — (proc text)]
The Chairman : Mr Saktiandi Supaat.
3.30 pm
CPF Adequacy and Responsible Choice
Mr Saktiandi Supaat : Mr Chairman, I would like to declare that I was a member of the CPF Advisory Panel. Mr Chairman, every Singaporean deserves a secure and adequate retirement. In Budget 2026, the announced low-cost life-cycle investment scheme provides a new option to manage one's CPF funds. I support giving members more options, but I would like to emphasise three principles that should guide our design of the renewed system – complementarity, suitability and safeguards.
First, complementarity. The new scheme must be clearly positioned as an additional option and not a replacement for CPF's risk-free interest framework. For many Singaporeans, especially older workers and those prioritising certainty, CPF's guaranteed interest remains highly attractive. CPFIS already exists for members who wish to actively invest.
The new life-cycle scheme sits in between, for members who want some market exposure but prefer a professionally managed, automatically rebalancing portfolio. Our communications must allow all CPF members to appreciate the differences in the three options and to ensure that each option still serves the needs of a significant demographic of CPF members.
Even with this new life-cycle scheme, we should continue to refine the CPFIS. The trends are worrying because the majority of CPFIS investors have been underperforming the CPF's risk-free interest rates since 2016 when the CPF Advisory Panel that I sat on studied this issue and first proposed the LRIS. Is this a result of the restricted products that can be invested in through CPFIS or some other reason?
The second principle is suitability. CPF members are not homogeneous. A 30-year-old with a long investment runway has very different risk capacity from a 58-year-old approaching retirement.
While the glidepath structure, reducing risk as members age, is sensible in theory, we must ensure members understand that: first, returns are not guaranteed; second, market downturns can occur close to retirement; and third, a shorter runway limits recovery time.
Communications, especially to older members must be careful, balanced and transparent. Since CPF already offers a risk-free interest baseline, how will CPF Board ensure that the trade-offs of each option is sufficiently explained against their potential upside? Will there be clear scenario illustrations or simple decision-support tools, such as prompts based on age, years to retirement and risk tolerance, to guide members through the three alternatives?
Third, safeguards and governance. On product design, how will CPF Board calibrate the glidepath between growth and capital preservation? Will there be more than one glidepath option to reflect different risk appetites?
The scheme also mentions phased liquidation before the target retirement date. How early will this begin? And how will liquidation be managed during periods of heightened market volatility? Will the scheme allow flexibility in selecting target retirement dates, as we extend working lives and members may retire later than 65?
On fees, the objective is rightly to keep costs low and simple. Will there be an all-in fee cap, including management fees, platform costs and transaction expenses, so members see one transparent figure? How will providers be selected and what weight will be placed on long-term track record, risk management capability and operationalised resilience?
Lastly, in his round-up speech, the Prime Minister did mention that the roll-out of the life-cycle investment option is slated for 2028. When the scheme is implemented in 2028, how will the Ministry measure success in terms of participation rates, risk-adjusted returns and improvements in retirement adequacy outcomes for CPF members? And given the long lead time to 2028, has the Ministry considered piloting or phasing in elements of the life-cycle investment approach earlier, so that members can begin benefiting from it sooner?
Strengthening Career Health of Our Workers
Ms Gho Sze Kee (Mountbatten) : Mr Chairman, in my maiden speech less than a year ago, I noted that in this age of AI-driven disruption, conventional assumptions about career progressions and trajectories will fly out of the window. This observation is becoming more urgent.
Technology cycles are getting shorter. Business models and roles are evolving rapidly. Entire jobs and industries are being disrupted. The old patterns of career stability no longer apply. New graduates are having a harder time landing their first jobs. Mid-career PMETs have to contend with greater career uncertainties.
Agility and resilience are the key words. We must all assume that there are no "safe" jobs anymore. Our workforce, up and down the value chain, must expect to not only upskill, but to reskill continuously throughout their working lives. Lifelong learning is no longer just another buzzword, but a default in the new reality we are in. We must keep moving forward with our chin up and be ready to pivot and transition to new careers and industries, when necessary.
But that is only half the picture. While some jobs and sectors are disappearing, entire new industries are also being born and many jobs are being redesigned and given new scopes. And employers are now struggling to find enough manpower with the skillset to match. This is the dichotomy that we are facing today. What we are seeing today is not just displacement, but a misalignment of our workforce.
To empower our workers and businesses to navigate this fast-evolving jobs market, there is a critical need for us to refresh our career and employment services ecosystem. For that to happen, we need to take a holistic, big picture view of the whole ecosystem, and strike a new compact among all the stakeholders. I see three parts to this.
Firstly, our workforce must, of course, take personal charge of their own career health proactively. This is the baseline, the buck stops at the individual.
Secondly, our employers too, should take greater ownership of the career health of their employees. In this new reality, employers should not see their workforce in purely numerical terms, but as stakeholders in the longevity and well-being of their enterprise. An enterprise thrives only when its people thrive. Investing in employees is not a cost, but a long-term investment in resilience and growth.
Lastly, I see the Government as having the most central, overarching role. We must recognise that the career health of our workforce underpins the economic health of our nation. It also requires a whole Government effort. The Government must ensure that the ecosystem we have in place is supportive of this effort. It requires a helicopter view and a coordinated, forward-looking approach connecting education, training, employment facilitation and employer engagement.
Our unions have a key supporting role in this. The tripartite partnership has long been the cornerstone of our industrial relations and this collaboration will become even more important in a refreshed compact. I think our unions as the ecosystem's transceiver, receiving and sending signals. They act as a vital conduit between stakeholders, amplifying feedback and catalysing action.
Mr Chairman, career health must first start in our schools. Our education system must keep pace with the rapidly evolving jobs landscape. The young Singaporeans we prepare today must be ready for the careers of this brave new reality. They must not only be skilled for the jobs of tomorrow but must also be equipped for the jobs of the day after tomorrow. This means having the right mindset, adaptability, resilience and capability of navigating uncertainty.
Beyond the schools, we must ensure that the system also supports continuous upgrading and reskilling throughout working life. The Government has done much in this regard. There are job-matching internship programmes for fresh graduates and mid-career workers. These are programmes to assist those who are keen to pivot to new careers. There are support resources available for our workforce to reskill and upskill, and programmes to help who wish to, or who have to, transition into new roles. There are also resources to cushion the fiscal impact while they do so. Support exists for employers who are caught in the same choppy waters.
I personally see the tangible impact of these efforts. I am the Advisor to the Singapore Maritime Officers' Union (SMOU). Last year, SMOU together with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, and MOM partner agencies, launched the enhanced Tripartite Maritime Training Award (TMTA). The TMTA supports the mid-career transitions into the maritime industry. The trainees receive financial support in the form of a monthly stipend throughout their training. I am glad to note that the first batch of cadets under the enhanced scheme have all progressed to the sailing phase of their training and they will soon be joined by a larger second cohort.
This is one example of the work being done to support displaced individuals and better align our workforce with the needs of the economy. I invite the Minister to update Members on other similar initiatives that are supporting our workforce, such as the Career Health SG programme. But I must note that most of these initiatives are by nature, reactive.
The Government is the stakeholder best sourced to identify future trends, it can anticipate emerging disruptions and map out skills and capabilities that will be needed. It can be seen that the broader patterns, the cross-sector shifts, the systemic risks and opportunities, and the Government can translate them into action. It can help other stakeholders in the system stay ahead of the curve and bridge the disconnect between different stakeholders, bringing them together to match and realign resources, demand and skills. Mr Chairman, the buck may stop at the individual, but the Government has a critical role to play and I am keen to hear from the Minister.
Strengthening Human Resources Capabilities
Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo : Mr Chairman, as our economy shifts and AI reshapes how work is done, companies and workers are feeling the pressure. Younger workers want to know how to grow in an AI-enabled world and mature workers want assurance that they would not be left behind. HR professionals sit in the centre of helping both groups navigate this transition.
Singapore has made meaningful progress through efforts, such as the Industry Transformation plan, the Skills Framework for HR and the IHRP certification pathway. These initiatives have raised standards and enabled workforce planning, job redesign and data-driven HR. These are real steps forward, but capabilities remain uneven, especially among SMEs with lean HR teams. The HR sector needs practical and scalable support.
HR must shift from transactional delivery to strategic stewardship of human-AI work. I propose five priorities to further strengthen HR capabilities.
First, move from a static role descriptions and skills to a dynamic skills taxonomy. The Skills Framework for 38 sectors is useful, but static. We should pilot AI-driven taxonomies that continuously map and update skills in real-time, giving SMEs a forward-looking baseline, rather than hire reactively based on a static list of skills. In fact, there are global companies that are developing such AI-solutions. The Government could fund the development of dynamic skills taxonomies for prioritised sectors, starting with our HR sector.
Second, adopt skills-based workforce planning and scenario modelling. Instead of focusing on headcount and budgets, we should support tools and advisory services that enable HR to model multiple future scenarios, anticipate role changes and plan redeployment and reskilling proactively.
Third, reframe "job redesign" as job redesign for human with AI. This is not incremental tweaking of jobs given automation. We must use design thinking to integrate AI with human judgement, empathy and creativity. The Ministry can fund playbooks and pilots to test new role models and measure outcomes.
Fourth, scale people analytics and predictive decision support. HR needs data literacy, analytics tools and predictive models for turnaround and internal mobility. Subsidies for analytic tools and targeted training will help HR teams make evidence-based redeployment and retention decisions.
Fifth, make HR a key steward of AI ethics, transparency and trust. Employers should disclose where AI is used in high impact decisions, consult workers before scaling automation and implement human review gates and fairness audits. HR can take the lead in ensuring these safeguards.
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Chairman, with rapid change and in a talent-scare economy, companies struggle to attract, develop and retain talent. Workers cannot face these changes alone. Strengthening HR capabilities is essential to help companies thrive and support Singaporeans through their multi-stage careers.
Lower-wage Workers and Inclusive Workplace
Ms Yeo Wan Ling : A merit-based workplace must give workers confidence that they have a future in a transforming economy. PWM has made important strides in raising wages for our lower-wage workers. PWCS has supported both workers and employers through this adjustment. We thank the Ministry for extending PWCS for another two years and note that PWCS, in its present form, was meant to be transitional.
But in an era of AI disruption and given our structural limits on workforce expansion, productivity growth must increasingly come from upgrading jobs, not simply adding manpower. This makes our lower-wage workers more exposed to displacement risks if transformation outpaces reskilling.
Could we therefore consider strengthening PWCS into a more sustained worker-support mechanism, one that helps SMEs upskill their lower-wage workers and move them into more productive roles, with structured career progression pathways and negotiated wage ladder increments?
Progressive Wage Credit Scheme
Mr Pritam Singh : An important policy intent behind the PWCS, introduced in 2022, was to serve as transitional support to help businesses defray their costs of raising the incomes of lower-wage workers. In its initial two years, it was reported that the PWCS helped over 90,000 employers and supported wage increases for more than half a million lower-wage workers with payouts totalling approximately $2.7 billion by early 2025.
Critically and for the purposes of my cut, the scheme was not conceived merely as wage support. MOM expected employers to use the transitional period to upskill their employees, transform their businesses and improve productivity so that wage increases for workers will be sustainable over the longer term.
The PWCS scheme has since been extended to 2028 by this year's Budget. Given this, what has been the report card on qualifying employers insofar as their upscaling initiatives, business transformation and productivity improvements are concerned? Has the MOM followed up with employers to assess whether the PWCS has meaningfully shifted the needle on these three areas that were tied to the PWCS? It cannot be the case that there is no report back to Parliament on the outcomes these subsidies have achieved.
A policy review could also reveal the important gaps to assist future policy-making with regard to manpower levies and quotas and whether they should be adjusted, for instance, identifying sectors where upscaling of business transformation has reached a practical limit given current technology. Conservancy cleaning in the HDB setting is a case in point. Productivity improvements in this sector are marginal, and robotics has not advanced to a point where machines can sweep common corridors across different floors and independently negotiate staircases at a commercially viable price point.
With assistance through the PWCS scheme running into the billions of dollars, Parliament must be expected to track the policy impact of this initiative and to determine whether further extensions are warranted. And if so, whether expected business outcomes should be imposed to ensure that taxpayers' subsidies deliver for both businesses and workers.
In the alternative, if the intention is simply to support businesses without strings attached, so as to force wages up at the lower end, then that should be communicated as such rather than to seek outcomes which for some employers may simply not be realistic.
Supporting Caregivers
Ms Mariam Jaafar (Sembawang) : Adult caregivers are the invisible backbone of our society. They care for ageing parents, chronically ill spouses, children with rare conditions and family members in need. They do this quietly, faithfully, often at great personal cost.
My Woodlands resident, Mdm A, spends about 12 hours a day caring for her elderly parents and aunt. She has not had a full night's sleep in months. She told me she feels isolated, guilty and trapped and yet, she continues, because the family depends on her.
Caregiving often reduces working hours. It slows wage growth. It delays promotions. It sometimes forces caregivers to leave the workforce altogether. And yet, when their responsibilities ease, returning to work is not simple, especially after years away. Skills become outdated. Confidence dips. Employers hesitate. Opportunities shrink.
But these sacrifices are not just personal. They ripple across generations. When parents are stretched thin, children may receive less attention. Those in lower-income households may receive fewer enrichment opportunities and reduced exposure to pathways that expand social mobility. Today's caregiving responsibilities can quietly shape tomorrow's inequalities.
I welcome enhancements to the Caregivers Training Grant and the Home Caregiving Grant. But much more can be done to better understand and alleviate the inter-generational impact. Can the Minister share what evidence exists on the inter-generational impact of caregiving?
I believe we must go further in three areas: relief, retention and re-entry.
First, relief. Can we expand practical respite and navigation support. How can we reduce the social isolation they face? How can we ensure their children do not miss out? Second, retention. Can we strengthen incentives for FWAs and provide structured coaching at key transition points, so caregivers do not have to choose between career and care. Third, re-entry. Can we create structured return pathways so that stepping up for family does not mean stepping back professionally.
Supporting caregivers is not charity. If caregivers thrive, their children thrive.
When Eldercare Becomes a Challenge
Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik (Sengkang) : Sir, we often speak about Singapore's ageing population as a demographic challenge. Today, I want to reframe it as a workforce challenge, one unfolding quietly in our workplaces right now.
Many colleagues are part of the sandwiched generation, managing ageing parents while holding full-time jobs. The numbers tell the story.
In 2024, 87,100 residents were outside the labour force due to caregiving, 86% of them women. Nearly half are in their prime working years, ages 40 to 59. These exits do not show up as unemployment but represent a massive loss of experienced talent. This is not temporary. Singapore's ageing population means eldercare responsibilities will only grow. Yet our policy focus remains unbalanced. We have made tremendous progress supporting working parents. It is time we extend similar support to caregivers.
Workers age 40 to 59, our most experienced professionals, are stepping back not by choice but because they lack structured workplace support. We are losing productivity and institutional knowledge when we can least afford it.
Current measures help caregivers after they have left the workforce through reskilling programmes and re-entry support. While valuable, this is reactive. We need proactive workplace support that prevents exits.
The Workers' Party proposes family care leave modelled after childcare leave. Employees with caregiving responsibilities should receive six days annually, three employer-paid and three Government-paid. Those with multiple care recipients would receive two additional leaves.
The recent Tripartite Guidelines on FWA requests are a start, but we need employer frameworks that make eldercare support standard practice, not discretionary. We must normalise eldercare conversations, just as we have normalised childcare discussions. Start with data collection to understand the scale, pilot workplace frameworks with willing employers, develop realistic best practises across sectors.
Research shows employees who balance work with caregiving face higher stress and reduced productivity. Supporting them through structured leave can improve well-being while paying it for itself through better retention and productivity.
Yes, we have re-entry programmes. Yes, we have flexible work guidelines. But let us be honest. By the time someone needs reskilling to re-enter the workforce, we have already lost years of their contribution. Prevention is better than cure. Supporting eldercare is not just a compassionate policy. It is smart economic policy. We cannot afford to lose 87,000 workers, many in their most productive years, to a challenge we have simply chosen not to address proactively. The question is not whether we can afford to act. It is whether we can afford not to.
Senior Employability
Mr Sanjeev Kumar Tiwari : Mr Chairman, our senior employees aged 50 and up bring deep domain knowledge and hard-earned experience. However, as Singapore moves into a super-aged society, while navigating significant economic restructuring, we must ensure our policies continue to work better for both senior workers and employers.
I thank the Government for answering NTUC and the union's calls to progressively raise the statutory retirement and re-employment ages to 65 and 70 respectively by 2030. This has improved labour force participation of those in the ages of 55 to 64, from 69% in 2015 to 73% in 2025. It enabled more workers to attain the Basic Retirement Sum from six in 10 in 2016, to seven in 10 in 2022, and I am glad that CPF has projected eight in 10 will attain this by 2027.
However, senior workers find themselves increasingly juggling caregiving and wishing for more work options, so they can strike a better balance between work and life. Can the Ministry provide an update on what is being done to enable more work options and expand the availability of FWAs?
At the same time, many senior workers and jobseekers who are 10 to 15 years away from the statutory retirement age worry about ageism and displacement amid rapid technological changes in their workplaces. Many senior workers and jobseekers have told us that there are fewer opportunities for career advancement and good jobs later in their career. Younger cohorts are also convinced that this is the case. Others have shared that while they are willing to upskill and learn, their long work hours, caregiving duties after work, unfamiliar learning formats and the uncertainty of translating these to better work prospects are also practical barriers. Can the Ministry share how it plans to intervene at mid-career stage to boost continued employability for workers before they reach their late-50s?
I therefore welcome the announcement of the extension of the Senior Employment Credit scheme to 2027, to continue supporting hiring or/and retaining of senior workers. This sends an important signal to firms that senior workers remain valued contributors and provides some cost relief that is especially important for SMEs amid the hyper-competitive business environment. Will the Ministry considering extending this Senior Employment Credit beyond the end of the 2027 review?
Making Flexible Work Arrangements work
Ms Eileen Chong Pei Shan : Sir, the continued decline of our total fertility rate (TFR) to a new low of 0.87 in 2025 is the clearest signal yet that financial incentives alone have not and will not move the needle. They are important, but they do not address a key concern of younger Singaporeans, like myself, which I had raised in Budget debate last week, that we will not have the time or energy to be present parents. For many of us, the structure of working life in Singapore makes parenthood feel like a compromise, not a choice.
Last week, Minister Indranee called for a society-wide reset on how we view and support marriage and parenthood. I hope the Government will lead by example with the reset, beginning with a new lever – time, specifically to move from intention to impact on flexible work arrangements.
The current tripartite guidelines give employees a right to request and a process for consideration, but do not govern outcomes. The enforcement mechanism, when that process is not followed, is for an employee to approach the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP). We should not underestimate what approaching TAFEP costs an employee relationally. It creates tension. It risks being seen as difficult.
I had filed a Parliamentary Question to ask how many complaints TAFEP had received on the improper handling of such requests since the guidelines took effect in December 2024. The answer, one; and it was a case about the format in which the rejection was communicated, not the substance of a rejection.
Sir, I do not believe this means that the guidelines are working perfectly. I believe it means that they are not being used. One complaint is not a sign of success. It is a sign of a barrier too high to clear. While legislation alone cannot change workplace culture, it can set a floor. It can signal that the Government is serious about the mindset reset to support Singaporeans in building and growing their families.
As a starting point, I have two suggestions.
First, move the frameworks from guidelines to legislation with statutory force. This means making non-compliance actionable. An employer who fails to engage properly or who rejects a request without genuine business grounds, should face consequences. Second, make flexible work a presumptive right for parents of children under three, where the nature of the job allows, not absolute or unconditional, just the starting position that an employer has to justify departing from, rather than a benefit that an employee must request.
Senior Employment
Ms Mariam Jaafar : Sir, in Woodlands, I meet seniors in their 60s and 70s who tell me, “I want to keep working, but I need work that works for me.” With longer health spans, many seniors want to work. Some need to work. And yet, many struggle. I welcome the extension of the Senior Employment Credit and the CPF Transition Offset, but they are not enough.
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Many seniors struggle with a skills mismatch. Training grants exist, but too often they feel one-size-fits-all. One 72-year-old man told me: “They keep pushing me to AI courses, but that is too far a stretch for me. It will not help me actually get a job.” Other seniors face physically demanding roles or inflexible workspaces. Offices, factories and retail spaces are often designed for the young and able bodied. Meaningful part-time or flexible roles are scarce. Many do odd jobs, which provide neither security nor opportunity to contribute their expertise and experience.
So, I ask the Minister, can we give seniors tailored training that actually fits their capabilities and abilities, and dedicated support to place them in jobs that actually fit their lives? Can we help seniors better navigate SkillsFuture course options so they can actually use their credits?
Can we redesign workplaces, especially for SMEs in sectors like retail, logistics and services to be more senior friendly? Can we redesign work itself? Lighter duties, flexible hours, assistive tools, mentor-type positions, so experience is valued as much as energy? Can we give grants and tax incentives for businesses that make all this possible? These interventions complement, not replace, existing wage support schemes. If we want seniors to remain independent, we must redesign work, not just subsidise it.
I also note the extension of the part-time re-employment grant. Could MOM share the uptake and outcomes so far? And could we expand practical models so seniors can pace themselves while staying engaged? And with the Tripartite Workgroup on senior employment, when can we expect key recommendations and how will success, beyond placements, be tracked?
Let us ensure our seniors do not just live longer, they thrive. Let us ensure they do not just earn a living, they contribute, mentor and lead. Let us ensure they do not just survive, they succeed. Because when seniors succeed, Singapore succeeds.
The Chairman : Ms Diana Pang, kindly deliver your two cuts together.
Tripartite Workgroup on Flexible Work Arrangements
Ms Diana Pang Li Yen (Marine Parade-Braddell Heights) : Chairman, the Tripartite Guidelines on FWA requests are important because they set clear norms on how employees should request flexible work and how employers should assess these requests. This clarity reduces misunderstanding, builds confidence and encourages constructive and mature workplace dialogue.
For employees, the benefit is practical. These guidelines promote work-life balance and provide a clear, structured pathway to request flexibility in where they work, when they work, or the workload they take on. This is especially important for parents, caregivers and those managing health conditions, enabling them to remain economically active while meeting family and personal responsibilities.
For employers, the guidelines introduce discipline and transparency. Employers are expected to respond in writing, and where requests are rejected, to explain clearly based on business needs. This reduces speculation, limits perceptions of bias, and strengthens trust and workplace harmony.
Chairman, I support the thrust of these guidelines. But I ask MOM to recognise a simple ground reality: not all employers, especially SMEs, have the capacity, manpower, HR expertise to implement this formal FWA workflows effectively.
While TAFEP provides grants, templates, training and advisory services, real operational challenges remain. If unaddressed, these guidelines risk becoming compliance issues rather than substance, particularly for SMEs.
On the ground, SMEs face five key pain points.
First, manpower constraints, with small teams lacking dedicated HR capacity. Second, management constrain on supervisors as they have to handle both hybrid and staggered work schedules of their team. Third, performance and fairness concerns, including tracking output, fears of misuse and perceptions of inequality. Fourth, higher operational costs, such as information technology investments and extra manpower for shift cover. Fifth, operational and contractual constraints, especially in sectors such as F&B, retail, security, where physical presence is essential.
Chairman, if we want a fair and inclusive workplace, they must also be sustainable for the employers. For without employers, there are no employees, vice versa. As we strengthen worker protections, we must equally strengthen support for SMEs to implement these guidelines in a practical, proportionate and business-viable way.
Supporting Workers and Inclusive Workplace
Chairman, I will now speak on the importance of building a safe, inclusive and fair workplace for the employment of people with disabilities, women and caregivers.
First, we must strengthen protection against workplace discrimination and harassment, including bullying that is often subtle and not immediately visible. All employers want a safe and respectful workplace, but many SMEs struggle with policy design, complaint handling, documentation, deciding on appropriate responses, especially without in-house HR expertise.
Bullying is not always obvious. It can take the form of verbal intimidation, gaslighting, passive aggression, repeated put-downs, hostile tone, public shaming, deliberate exclusion, or constantly shifting expectations. These behaviours may leave little paper trail on the outcast, but over time they erode trust, undermine psychological safety and drive attrition, which is a lose-lose outcome for both employees and employers.
Protections must therefore be real, accessible and consistently applied, but we should not assume that employers are always the wrongdoers. Sometimes, the misconduct comes from fellow employees as well. This system should help employers intervene early, guide them on proper complaint handling and provide workers with a safe, trusted channel to report concerns.
Second, inclusive employment for persons with disabilities, women, and caregivers is both a social good and make economical sense, especially in a tight labour market. Strong support frameworks can help these groups fulfil their care-giving aspirations and maximise their contributions.
But for inclusion to work, we must look beyond the employee barriers and also consider employers' capacity to implement it. For SMEs, inclusive hiring can bring sudden operational costs, job redesign, additional supervision, workflow adjustments, training, managing healthcare and well-being concerns. If we want inclusive hiring to be sustainable, employers must be supported, not overwhelmed.
Finally, fair and merit-based workplace matters. Fairness means wider opportunity, reduced biasness and progression based on performance and potential, but fairness must also be sustainable. Inclusive policies, flexible arrangements and stronger protections will succeed only if they are credible to workers and workable for the employers. Many SME bosses operate under immense pressure, paying off staff before paying themselves, managing cashflow risks, meeting compliance requirements and carrying all the emotional burden of keeping their businesses alive.
Ultimately, a fair workplace cannot exist without the well-being of both the employers and the workers. It must work on both sides. Chairman, sometime in mid-2025, a salad shop owner tragically passed away after an alleged fraudulent work injury claim that was filed against her. MOM is investigating. But even so, one death is one too many. This reminds us that employer mental well-being also matters.
With this in mind, I offer four suggestions to the Minister.
First, MOM could provide practical guidelines and support to help SMEs recognise and address subtle workplace bullying, including providing clear examples and model policies which can be easily implemented.
Second, MOM can develop and publish simple, proportionate investigation protocols and tools that SMEs can use to handle complaints involving discrimination, bullying and harassment.
Third, MOM could maybe help employers, especially SMEs, to formulate inclusive employment schemes into day-to-day workable processes, so that support for persons with disabilities, women and caregivers can become operationally realistic.
Fourth, MOM could consider consolidating employer support schemes and guidelines into a single, user-friendly platform, similar to what we have: SupportGoWhere, so SMEs can quickly understand what they qualify for and how to implement this support without heavy reliance on consultants or even middlemen.
Chairman, I hope the Minister will consider the issues I have raised.
Promoting Safer and Healthier Workplaces
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye : Mr Chairman, workplace safety is not a statistic, it is about lives, families and futures. I am encouraged that the workplace fatal injury rate for 2025 has fallen to 0.96 per 100,000 workers, down from 1.2 in 2024. This reflects the sustained efforts of workers, employers and the Government.
But every life lost at work is one too many. Improvements must not lead to complacency. We must now take the next decisive steps.
First, workplace safety and health (WSH) must evolve to reflect our ageing workforce. As retirement and re-employment ages rise, longer careers must also be safer careers. Risks such as falls, musculoskeletal disorders and fatigue cut across all industries, not just traditionally high-risk sectors.
Employers must go beyond compliance. They should redesign jobs, automate hazardous tasks and eliminate risks at the source. Safer work design must become the norm, not the exception. Where safety technology has been proven to reduce accidents, adoption should not remain voluntary. In high-risk sectors, MOM should move towards mandating technologies such as anti-collision systems, video analytics to detect unsafe acts, and fatigue detection tools. If these technologies save lives, we should require their use.
Government can also do more to drive change. Public procurement policies should reward companies with strong WSH records and clear investments in risk elimination and job redesign.
Second, fatigue must be treated as a core safety issue. Guidelines are a good start, but guidelines alone are insufficient. MOM should strengthen safeguards on working hours and rest periods, and require employers to implement formal fatigue risk management systems.
Finally, we must continue raising standards for migrant worker welfare. While I welcome the enhanced dormitory standards, dormitories should be better integrated with surrounding communities, with accessible healthcare, recreation and essential amenities closer to where the workers live.
Sir, workplace safety and worker welfare are not compliance exercises. They are commitments to dignity, responsibility and fairness. If we know what works, we must mandate it. If we see what harms, we must redesign it. And if we set standards, we must enforce them, because every worker deserves a safe and healthy workplace.
Ms Yeo Wan Ling : While workplace issues have been closely examined, we must not forget the living conditions of our hardworking migrant workers. Many spend most of their time between dormitories and worksites, with limited opportunities to relax, socialise, or build community.
Prolonged separation from families can also affect emotional well-being and heighten isolation. I acknowledge the Ministry's efforts to improve our dormitory standards.
The partnership between MOM, NTUC and our Migrant Workers' Centre in managing recreational centres is a step in the right direction. These centres provide recreation, community activities and essential services such as groceries, remittance and telecommunications, serving thousands weekly.
Beyond this, I call on the Ministry to continue investing in measures that strengthen our migrant workers' access to amenities and community spaces, ensuring that our migrant workers' living environment supports well-being, dignity and of course, social integration.
The Chairman : Minister Dr Tan See Leng.
The Minister for Manpower (Dr Tan See Leng) : Mr Chairman, I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Happy Chinese Valentine's Day. I thank Members who have spoken in support of our workers and also our employers.
The nature of work is changing rapidly. Geopolitical conflicts, as seen from recent developments over the weekend, are upending the world as we know it and reshaping global trade and investment flows. AI is transforming how we work and our workforce, too, is evolving. This year, Singapore will become a super-aged society.
Even as we seek new growth frontiers, we must ensure that our growth remains inclusive and that it creates meaningful careers for all. We start from a relatively good position today. Despite a challenging global environment, Singapore's labour market remains resilient.
As of December, last year, we have recorded 17 straight quarters of employment growth since we emerged from COVID-19 in 2021. Our resident unemployment rate has remained low at 2.9%. The labour market remained tight in 2025, with more vacancies than jobseekers. Real incomes at the median grew by 8.3% from 2020 to 2025, or about 1.6% per annum. Lower-wage workers saw real incomes grow by 15% from 2020 to 2025, or about 2.8% per annum, faster than the median worker. This was bolstered by productivity improvements and targeted wage support.
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These outcomes reflect our workers and businesses' resilience and contributions, and investments in growth areas, like AI and advanced manufacturing, as well as very good collaboration with our tripartite partners. MOM will continue to walk with workers and businesses, so that every worker, every worker matters and every worker can realise their potential, achieve their career aspirations and every business can thrive by bringing out the best in their people.
MOM has three priorities this year. Together with our tripartite partners, we will: one, empower Singaporeans to build meaningful careers; two, enable businesses to transform and provide quality jobs; and three, build more inclusive workplaces that leave no one behind.
Let me begin with our first priority, empowering Singaporeans to build meaningful careers throughout life. To our youths, we are committed to giving you a strong start to your careers. Transforming from school to work can be daunting, especially with the angst and anxiety over how AI is changing entry-level jobs.
Fortunately for us, the market for fresh graduates remains resilient, at least for now. Vacancies continue to outnumber jobseekers. Over four in 10 openings are entry-level PMET roles suitable for young graduates. By December 2025, over eight in 10 university graduates from the 2025 cohort had already found employment and this is comparable to the 2024 cohort.
We will continue to prioritise creating more full-time opportunities for fresh graduates. While vacancies are available, some graduates do indeed face challenges in finding the right match. To support them, we introduced the GRIT scheme last year, alongside GRIT@Gov for the public sector.
GRIT helps our graduates acquire structured, industry-relevant work experience. Over 400 graduates have already embarked on traineeships in the various industries. Employers have told us that GRIT has helped them increase hiring amidst a more cautious environment and they intend to emplace good performers onto full-time positions. We incentivise employers to do so by continuing subsidies for trainees emplaced during the traineeship period.
Take Ms Jewel Goh and Mr Dominic Wong, two recent graduates who started their traineeships at DBS. Jewel, who has a diploma in Applied AI and Analytics, was given the opportunity to apply what she has learnt to support DBS' technology systems and large-scale operations. Dominic, a Communications graduate, got the chance to develop partnerships with DBS' stakeholders. I am sure that their GRIT experience has given both graduates more clarity and confidence to take their next steps.
GRIT remains open to graduates from the 2025 cohort and we will extend applications to the 2026 cohort. We are also speeding up applicant onboarding. If market conditions call for it, we may expand capacity.
Several Members have made suggestions on supporting our youths. Mr Gerald Giam suggested introducing wage support for SMEs to hire graduates. Assoc Prof Jamus Lim proposed a national apprenticeship programme to strengthen on-the-job training.
These suggestions are in line with the Government's ongoing efforts. We have been enhancing work-based learning and on-job training through schemes, like the AI Apprenticeship Programme and the SkillsFuture Work-Study Programme. The Work-Study Programme has grown significantly and as the Ministry of Education shared earlier on, the Work-Study Diploma programme will be enhanced in line with the Economic Strategy Review's (ESR's) recommendation to support flexible pathways that blend training and working throughout life. We are also subsidising 70% of traineeship costs through GRIT.
While we will continue to study such suggestions and look into more ways to support our fresh graduates, we should also design our support carefully and sustainably. For example, GRIT sources the traineeships from leading companies in growth areas, ensuring that our graduates gain high quality experiences and stronger long-term prospects. A broad-based wage subsidy for SMEs to hire graduates may not provide the same quality of experience, if companies lack the capacity to train them or provide meaningful careers once the subsidies end. A general subsidy may also entail even more wastage, given that 80% of our graduates have been able to secure jobs within months after graduation without such wage subsidies today.
Additionally, we also have to balance against unintended outcomes, where companies might end up retrenching older workers and replace them with cheaper graduates so that they can save on manpower costs. So, our approach on balance is appropriate for the present situation, where many full-time roles remain available. To help match graduates to such roles, we have stepped up career guidance and employment facilitation efforts through WSG, e2i and the IHLs.
Beyond this, overseas work stints help and equip Singaporeans with the necessary skills and perspectives for a globalised economy. Since launching in 2024, WSG's Overseas Markets Immersion Programme has already supported more than 120 local professionals to gain overseas experience. Together with other agencies' overseas deployment programmes, over 430 local workers have benefited as of 2025.
We recognise that our youths have a growing interest in gaining overseas experience. Hence, we will expand the Overseas Markets Immersion Programme to support young professionals gain overseas exposure even earlier in their careers. Providing early opportunities strengthens our talent pipeline and our companies' global competitiveness. Details will be shared in due course.
Beyond a strong start, we will also ensure that all workers have the resources to thrive throughout their careers. We will do so in four ways: by building an AI-ready workforce; helping workers navigate the labour market with confidence; developing our local professional talent pipeline; and supporting displaced workers.
One of our foremost priorities is to build an AI-ready workforce. A recent report by McKinsey, EDB and Tech in Asia found that about three in five Southeast Asian firms have yet to see meaningful financial gains from AI. This is partly due to a lack of internal expertise and low employee adoption.
We cannot afford to let this gap persist. To translate the potential of AI into good jobs for Singaporeans, we will take decisive steps to build an AI-ready workforce. Like learning a language, developing true fluency in AI comes from consistent use and building confidence through experimentation. Therefore, we will make it easier for Singaporeans to have hands-on experience and access to the latest AI tools.
As announced at Budget, those who take up selected SkillsFuture AI courses will receive free subscriptions to premium versions of best-in-class AI tools for six months. MOM has been engaging providers, such as Google, Manus, Microsoft and OpenAI. We will announce details in due course, including the tools and platforms that qualify.
Assoc Prof Terence Ho suggested for AI access to be extended even more widely, including to mature and lower-income workers. I agree that access should be inclusive, regardless of age or income. Hence, this initiative will be open to all Singaporeans aged 25 and above, and they are paired with practical and accessible training for AI at various levels.
Beyond this, we will continue to explore ways to include more mature and lower-income workers in our national AI journey. While an AI-ready workforce offers significant potential to improve productivity, we must steer AI adoption to enhance our workers' potential, not displace, not replace it. I will elaborate later on our support for employers to do so.
Second, we will help workers better navigate the labour market and seize new opportunities with confidence. To this end, we are fundamentally reviewing our jobs and skills ecosystem, which Ms Gho Sze Kee spoke about earlier.
We have four goals, the "4Vs": volume, we want to reach a larger share of the workforce; variety, we want to cater to more diverse needs in a complex job market; velocity, or speed, matching people to opportunities more quickly; and value, value-add, supporting long-term career health.
To drive these strategic shifts, we are forming a new agency. With your permission, Mr Chairman, Sir, may I ask the Clerks to distribute a handout detailing our efforts to support Singaporeans' career journey. Members may also access these materials through the MP@SGPARL App.
The Chairman : Please proceed. [ A handout was distributed to hon Members. ]
Dr Tan See Leng : Thank you. I will continue. As we have heard from the Prime Minister, SSG and WSG will merge into Workforce and Skills Singapore (WSSG), a new Statutory Board under MOM and jointly overseen with the Ministry of Education. It will be established in the third quarter of 2026, helmed by Dilys Boey, who is the current Chief Executive of WSG. Its mission will be to empower Singaporeans to develop future-ready skills and access good job opportunities; enable businesses to create good jobs for Singaporeans and develop their workforce; and promote a culture of lifelong learning and career health.
Secretary-General Mr Ng Chee Meng asked how this merger will benefit Singaporean workers, and how we will better translate training into employment and productivity gains. Ms Eileen Chong said that the new agency should not just support workers, but also employers, to take forward SSG's ongoing efforts in encouraging skills-first hiring.
Today, our skills and employment facilitation capabilities sit in separate agencies. Bringing them together under one roof creates a single, powerful engine for human capital development. It will collaborate with other agencies and stakeholders to benefit both workers and employers.
For workers, this means simpler access and more integrated career support in a fast-changing marketplace. It means a single portal to access training, career guidance and job opportunities, without having to navigate multiple agencies. By combining career and skills data, we can give you a clearer picture of where opportunities are, enabling better-informed career and training decisions.
For the employers, the merger will help us be even more responsive to your talent needs. With more timely and comprehensive labour market and skills insights, WSSG can help to reduce skills mismatches and time-to-hire. Creating a single point of contact will also simplify how we support businesses to address hiring, training and workforce transformation needs.
WSSG will play a critical role in expanding the career health movement, going beyond reactive job matching, to proactive career planning. As outlined in the handout distributed to Members, we have initiatives targeting both workers and employers.
For workers, we launched Career Health SG last year with a fundamental message – stay proactive, pre-emptive about your career. The response has been encouraging thus far. Nearly two-thirds of our workers now see value in improving their career health. But there is more to be done. Many are still unsure as to how to begin.
So, starting on your career health journey does not have to be that overwhelming. We have been building practical tools to help our fellow Singaporeans. The Careers and Skills Passport lets you take stock of your skills, and CareersFinder helps you to discover the job options that you may not have even considered. For those who need even more personalised support, we have expanded access to career planning programmes. Almost nine in 10 respondents reported having clear direction and greater confidence after attending such programmes.
These tools have delivered positive outcomes. Following the integration of Careers and Skills Passport with job portals, JobStreet and FastJobs, our partners found that job applications with verified credentials are 1.5 times more likely to be shortlisted by employers. We are expanding our Careers and Skills Passport partnerships to five more job portals – MyCareersFuture, Careers@Gov, EASE, FindSGJobs and eFinancialCareers. We have also integrated Careers and Skills Passport with HR tech firm JobTech's platform, enabling employers to search for candidates based on verified skills data.
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For employers, tools, like TalentTrack and TalentTrack+, can help you better assess your workforce readiness and identify internal talent for new roles.
In total, our tools and initiatives have already helped over 800,000 individuals and 38,000 firms.
Through WSSG, we will also strengthen our ecosystem of career and employment service providers to serve different workforce segments more effectively. As our workforce evolves, new forms of career support are needed – some of which can be delivered effectively through private service providers specialising in certain industries, certain sectors or workforce segments.
For example, WSG has partnered Ingeus and AKG, two private job matching firms, to provide more specialised support for PMEs since 2017. We have observed higher re-entry rates among those assisted, compared to retrenched residents in general.
To take this further, we convened the Alliance for Action on Advancing Career and Employment Services (AfA-ACES). Under this workgroup, we will launch nine pilots with private sector partners to test new services, covering a range of individual and employer segments. For example, for the individuals, for fresh graduates, we will test services combining career guidance and industry exposure to support your school-to-work transition. For mid-level professionals, we will pilot personalised career agents to help you move into better roles. For caregivers, seniors and those facing greater hardship, we will explore new ways to support you to work more flexibly, or better still, get you to return to work. For SMEs, we will test ways to support your own internal mobility and also perhaps, suggest to you, adopt new work models.
The workgroup will release its recommendations in the second half of this year.
These efforts will also help address concerns about underemployment, which Mr Patrick Tay had requested updates on. MOM has been studying underemployment in the form of overqualification, where workers possess higher educational qualifications than typically required for the job. Preliminarily, we found that most overqualified workers in Singapore took up their current jobs voluntarily, for reasons such as flexibility or planned career transitions.
The share of involuntarily overqualified workers remains small and stable. Our efforts to strengthen the career and employment ecosystem will better support these workers to find jobs more aligned with their aspirations or develop the skills to enter such jobs. We will release detailed findings later in the year.
Third, for Singaporeans who aspire to leadership positions, we will help you develop the skills to do so. In the past year, we have expanded the capacity, the uptake of our professional development programmes. With the support from EDB, the Singapore Leaders Network run by the Human Capital Leadership Institute has grown to over 4,000 members, with new and expanded offerings. This includes the Overseas Transition Support programme, which has supported already about 120 professionals.
Finally, as the economy evolves, some Singaporeans will inevitably find their jobs changing or coming to an end. But at the same time, I want to reassure you, new opportunities will arise, and we will help you to seize them.
Last year, we launched the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme, which provides temporary financial relief and job search support to involuntarily unemployed individuals, helping them regain their footing and return to work with confidence. The scheme has made a difference for many Singaporeans, but we can do more. Just as what Secretary-General Mr Ng Chee Meng and Mr Patrick Tay have suggested, expanding the scheme’s coverage beyond the current qualifying income cap. The Jobseeker Support scheme has been in place for about less than a year, we are reviewing the scheme and its parameters when we have more experience. So, we will ask for your indulgence and patience in supporting us through this journey. Senior Minister of State Koh Poh Koon will provide further updates on the scheme.
Let me now turn to the later stages of one’s career. As Singaporeans lead longer and healthier lives, we must shift from managing the pressures of ageing, to unlocking the benefits of career longevity. As previously announced, we will raise the retirement and the re-employment ages to 64 and 69 respectively on 1 July 2026, and this will keep us on track to raising them to 65 and 70 before 2030. This will give our seniors more flexibility and assurance, while enabling employers to retain experienced workers.
Beyond how long we work, we must also transform how effectively we work by creating more flexible and varied pathways for seniors to remain engaged and productive.
The Tripartite Workgroup on Senior Employment is studying a more integrated approach to support career longevity, including enabling individuals to plan earlier for later-stage career transitions, and equipping employers to design age-friendly jobs and workplaces. Senior Minister of State Koh Poh Koon will share more about these initiatives.
In the interim, we will extend the Senior Employment Credit until December 2027 to continue supporting employers hiring senior workers.
At the same time, we will continue to strengthen our retirement adequacy policies to give our seniors greater assurance. We have been enhancing the CPF system over the last few years, providing Singaporeans with more support. This has only been possible because of our strong social compact and belief in shared responsibility between individuals, families, employers and the Government. We will continue to stay this course.
As announced, we will increase CPF contribution rates in 2027 for senior workers by 1.5 percentage-points for workers aged above 55 to 60, and one percentage-point for workers aged above 60 to 65. This will better support retirement adequacy for seniors who wish and want to take the option to continue working.
With this, we have reached the target contribution rates for senior workers aged above 60 to 65, as recommended by the Tripartite Workgroup on Older Workers. We will extend the CPF Transition Offset for another year to help cushion half of the increase in employer CPF contributions.
Later this year, we will also announce the new retirement sums for cohorts beyond 2027, to allow members to better plan ahead. With rising living standards, the new retirement sums will better reflect the savings needed to meet basic retirement needs in the future.
For seniors who may face challenges in building up enough savings despite their best efforts, we are committed to support you. As announced, we will provide a CPF top-up of up to $1,500 for eligible Singaporeans aged 50 and above, with CPF balances below the prevailing Basic Retirement Sum. The top-up will be automatically credited this year.
Finally, we will provide more choices within the CPF system for Singaporeans to grow their retirement savings.
Today, the CPF system offers risk-free interest of up to 6%. Members seeking potentially higher returns can invest through the CPF Investment Scheme (CPFIS), which has around 700 products available. However, this requires financial knowledge and active investment management.
As the Prime Minister announced, the CPF Board will introduce a new investment scheme, with life-cycle investment products that will automatically shift to lower-risk assets via a glide-path, as the investor grows older. This helps to calibrate exposure to investment risk at different life stages and it mitigates market downturn risk when it is time to exit.
To keep choices simple, we will curate to two to three reputable commercial providers offering a small number of options. To Mr Saktiandi Supaat’s question on product provider selection, the applications will be rigorously evaluated by independent investment consultants appointed by the CPF Board, covering investment capability and track record, amongst others. We will cap all-in fees to keep costs low and are prepared to provide some time-limited support to interested members.
We agree with Mr Saktiandi Supaat that for many Singaporeans, especially older workers and those prioritising certainty, the CPF risk-free returns remain highly attractive. Not everyone has the appetite for investment risk. Hence, this new scheme will be voluntary.
Members who prefer to actively manage their own investments can continue to invest their Ordinary and Special Account balances via the CPFIS. Members can also opt to retain their savings in their CPF accounts to continue earning risk-free returns.
We agree with Mr Shawn Loh, with Mr Sanjeev Kumar Tiwari and Mr Saktiandi Supaat that investor literacy is key. Members must understand the products and their risks, and decide the most suitable option for themselves. We will work with the selected product providers and partners, including the Monetary Authority of Singapore to enhance investor education.
I also want to thank our Members for their suggestions on product design, such as on cooling-off windows, the target date and encouraging retention. We will consider them as we further engage the industry. We target to launch the new scheme in the first half of 2028, but of course, if we can do so earlier, we will. More details will be announced in due course.
Let me move to our second priority, which is enabling businesses to thrive and create good jobs for Singaporeans in a changed landscape. Ms Yeo Wan Ling requested an update on how we will refresh our foreign workforce policies to generate growth and good jobs for Singaporeans, while recognising the limits to which we can keep growing our foreign workforce.
Thriving businesses are the engine of good jobs. Before joining the Government, I was in the private sector all my life, so I can understand the angst faced by private entrepreneurs and business owners. Thriving business, they are engines of good jobs, rising wages and they continue to sustain opportunities for Singapore. In a fast-changing global environment and under tighter resource constraints, businesses can only thrive by continuously transforming their business models and investing in their workforce. Therefore, enabling business transformation remains central to our foreign workforce strategy.
We will continue to remain globally connected and open to talent that can complement our skilled local workforce, while reducing reliance on foreign labour where there is scope to raise productivity. We will make further enhancements to our foreign workforce policies in line with this approach.
First, we will continue to compete globally for top-tier talent. Since the launch of the Overseas Networks and Expertise (ONE) Pass for pinnacle talent in 2023, there has been healthy growth in take-up. Currently, over 8,000 individuals are on the ONE Pass, and many of them contribute to sectors which are critical to our future economy.
Take Dr Anders Jacobsen Skanderup. He is an Assistant Director at the A*STAR Genome Institute of Singapore. He developed Fragle, which is a novel AI-based method to monitor cancer progression and relapse through blood tests. Or Mr Oliver Jay, Managing Director at OpenAI, whose experience in bridging Silicon Valley and Asia supports Singapore’s ambitions as a leading AI hub. Previously, Mr Jay spent two years mentoring Singaporean leaders in high-growth Singapore companies such as Carousell and Glints.
To strengthen our attractiveness to top talent in critical and emerging technologies like AI and quantum computing, we will introduce a new ONE Pass AI and Tech track in January 2027. This will replace the Tech.Pass and offering more attractive terms than the Tech.Pass.
Second, we must stay open to skills and expertise from abroad while ensuring they continue to complement our local workforce.
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Our EP and S Pass Qualifying Salaries are regularly updated to keep pace, they are keeping pace with local wage benchmarks – they do not lead the local wage benchmarks – so that it ensures that foreigners who come here do not compete mainly based on accepting lower salaries.
As announced, we will raise the EP minimum qualifying salary from $5,600 to $6,000, in line with the wages of the top one-third of local PMETs. This will apply to new EP applications from 1 January 2027 and the renewals from 1 January 2028, to give employers time to adjust.
Beyond meeting the qualifying salary, EP applicants must also pass COMPASS. Mr Patrick Tay requested an update on how our COMPASS framework incentivises firms to improve their workforce profile.
Since implementation about two-and-a-half years ago, in 2023, about two-thirds of the current EP holders have passed through COMPASS. Results suggest that we are moving in the right direction. The share of firms with higher dependence on foreigners of a single nationality has decreased by 20%, while the share of firms with a higher dependence on foreigners in general has decreased by 37%.
For the S Pass, we will continue to raise the minimum qualifying salary in line with wages of the top one-third of our local associate professionals and technicians (APTs).
In the first step, we will raise the minimum qualifying salary from $3,300 to $3,600. This will apply to new applications and renewals from 1 January 2027 and 2028 respectively. By around 2030, if the economy continues to grow, the S Pass minimum qualifying salary is expected to be around $4,000 to $4,500. Of course, like I said, the caveat is it depends on our prevailing local wages and the prevailing economic conditions then.
With an ageing local workforce, Singapore needs Work Permit Holders to deliver essential infrastructure, goods and services.
Our Work Permit numbers in the construction sector have grown by 36% over the past five years, as we catch up on important projects post-COVID-19. Across all sectors, Work Permit numbers have grown by 186,000, or 27%. So, we agree with Ms Yeo Wan Ling that our Work Permit growth must be sustainable, given our infrastructural and social constraints. Our businesses must operate more efficiently by adopting technology and redesigning jobs. And we have grants to help companies to do that.
So, even as we manage numbers, we will continue to support businesses in accessing higher quality, the key thing is higher quality, Work Permit holders. To this end, we will make two enhancements to our Work Permit framework.
First, we will streamline our Work Permit levy framework to make it easier for businesses to understand, and they can plan how they hire, how they can train and how they can retain the Work Permit holders. Over the decades, our levy framework has evolved to comprise 24 different rates and different tiers. We will start by reducing the number of rates from 24 to 20, and we will progressively streamline this further over time.
So, for the Marine Shipyard and Process sectors, we will work towards aligning the levy rates with Construction. For a start, we will raise the levies for basic-skilled workers by $100 and $150 respectively. This is set to incentivise companies to hire higher-skilled workers. So, our exhortation is for companies to bring in higher-skilled workers, retain them and train them well.
For the Manufacturing and Services sectors, we will combine the bottom two tiers. For this new combined tier, the levy rates for the Higher- and Basic-skilled workers will be $300 and $470 respectively for Manufacturing; and $400 and $600 respectively for Services. So, please take note. The higher-skilled workers will enjoy a lower levy compared to the relatively unskilled workers.
So, we will retain existing levy rates for the highest tier, so that firms with a higher reliance on Work Permit holders will continue to pay higher rates because we hope that they can work with us to redesign, to improve and transform their work processes to achieve higher productivity.
This revised levy schedule will take effect from 2028. We are giving a heads-up in advance so that companies can plan for it. MOM will work closely with industries to strengthen the framework for identifying higher-skilled workers eligible for lower levies in each sector.
Second, we will add eight new occupations to the Non-Traditional Source Occupation List (NTS-OL) from September 2026, in the areas of food services, social services and air transportation. The NTS-OL allows businesses to hire higher-quality non-PMET workers from non-traditional source countries for specific roles with not enough locals.
Mr Mark Lee shared the challenges of domestic-oriented sectors that operate on thin margins and rely on S Pass holders for frontline roles, such as F&B. With the upcoming expansion of the NTS-OL to include four more F&B roles, including frontline waiters, businesses can retain these workers who may not meet the higher S Pass qualifying salary.
Both Mr Mark Lee and Mr Shawn Loh raised an important point. We need to be pro-worker and we need to be pro-business. They have asked how MOM considers sector needs and business costs when calibrating our policies.
Our policy changes are developed in close consultation with sector agencies and with industry partners. Where essential or strategic areas have limited scope for automation or localisation, MOM works with sector agencies to provide targeted foreign manpower flexibilities, calibrated to avoid entrenching labour-intensive business models. We closely monitor business cost increases, keeping in mind Singapore's continued ability to attract investments and talent.
Between 2019 and 2025, profit rates in Singapore grew by 4.4% per year, indicating that businesses have been improving profitability alongside cost increases. Singapore was also ranked the most talent-competitive economy in the 2025 Global Talent Competitiveness Index.
In addition, we are ramping up business cost support measures through targeted wage credit schemes, which Senior Minister of State Koh and Minister of State Dinesh will elaborate on further later. We understand that businesses need time to shift towards more productive models and, therefore, we announced, ahead of time, we implement changes at a measured pace and phased out approach.
As businesses transform, jobs will also evolve. To succeed, firms must invest in developing their workers to take on new and redesigned jobs.
As announced last year, the Government has set aside over $400 million for the Enterprise Workforce Transformation Package. Working with the Singapore Business Federation and SNEF, the scheme aims to strengthen the link between enterprise transformation and workforce development, capturing growth and creating jobs.
Dr Wan Rizal asked about the implementation of the Enterprise Workforce Transformation Package. Under the Enterprise Workforce Transformation Package, the SkillsFuture Workforce Development Grant (Job Redesign+) will be rolled out in March 2026, this month. This builds on the earlier Support for Job Redesign under the Productivity Solutions Grant programme (PSG-JR), which supported smaller-scale projects, leading to improved retention and wage growth.
The Workforce Development Grant (Job Redesign+) will expand support significantly. Enterprises can now receive up to 70% of project costs capped at $150,000 per company, which is higher than the PSG-JR cap of $30,000. So, it is a five-fold increase. This will allow companies to redesign more roles, engage experts to build internal capabilities and implement AI-native workforce solutions.
The redesigned SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit will also be launched late this year. Companies can tap on the SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit to further defray the out-of-pocket expenses of workforce transformation.
Assoc Prof Terence Ho has asked how Singapore can build expertise in human-centric job redesign, ensuring that AI augments rather than replaces human contribution. We do so through initiatives, such as the Enterprise Workforce Transformation Package, which couples productivity support with workforce support. We have also worked very closely with NTUC through the Company Training Committee programme. Through WDG(JR+), enterprises can work with consultants to assess their AI readiness, identify opportunities and redesign roles. They can also receive support to implement workforce technology solutions, such as AI-powered HR tools.
We will continue to improve access to AI support under Enterprise Workforce Transformation Package, with pre-packaged solutions targeted at specific company needs. Details will be announced subsequently.
To further drive workforce transformation efforts, we must also develop our HR leaders and professionals because these are the people behind the people. To uplift human capital management standards, we formed a Tripartite Workgroup on Human Capital Capability Development last year.
The Workgroup has made important progress in developing strategies to strengthen firms' HR capabilities, such as through establishing clear benchmarks for human capital performance and expanding professional HR practice to more organisations. Senior Minister of State Koh will share more on the Workgroup's recommendations.
Finally, our third priority is to build more inclusive workplaces that leave no one behind.
Economic growth and business transformation must go hand-in-hand with fairness and inclusion. Our workplaces must continue to provide every worker with safety, opportunity and dignity. In the past, success in the labour market was narrowly defined by academic qualifications, linear career paths and traditional professions. Increasingly, there is greater awareness that there are diverse pathways to success, and every profession deserves recognition and respect.
As the Prime Minister said, inclusive growth also means creating good jobs in domestic and essential services where many workers are employed.
The Economic Strategic Review has also recommended broadening the range of good jobs in our economy.
Assoc Prof Terence Ho has identified several areas where we can redesign jobs to attract more young Singaporeans, including healthcare and skilled trades. The Prime Minister has outlined how we are increasing pay and progression in the education, healthcare and social service sectors. We are working with the Labour Movement and trade associations to make similar efforts for the skilled trades.
We agree with Ms Diana Pang and Mr Saktiandi Supaat that the skilled trades can and should offer good job opportunities for those who prefer "hands-on" work that require dedication and mastery.
Many such trades will remain essential in our future economy. They may also be resilient, or even complementary, to automation by AI. Electrical work, for example, will remain indispensable in our transition to a green and AI-powered economy. Yet, with the workforce ageing in such trades, we need to think harder about workforce renewal and attracting more Singaporeans to join these trades.
There are young Singaporeans that are building fulfilling careers in the skilled trades. For example, Mr Koh Jia Xing, an electrical engineer with Syntigro Engineering Ptd Ltd. Having trained in aerospace engineering at ITE, Jia Xing decided that he wanted to embark on a career in electrical engineering.
In his career thus far, one project stood out for him – replacing a hospital's main electrical switchboard, with the hospital still fully operational. That is a very difficult task. Believe you me, I have run hospitals before and any outage will result in a significant compromise in human lives. So, this is high-stake, very challenging work, but it is one that gives a sense of fulfilment, and that pride in how skilled tradespeople can keep critical systems running.
Today, Jia Xing is pursuing a Masters in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the Singapore Institute of Technology. We want to support those with similar aspirations to Jia Xing.
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Thus, MOM has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Specialists Trade Alliance of Singapore to embark on a pilot to uplift the electrical trade. As part of this pilot, we will work with industry to develop initiatives for tradespeople, such as a more structured career and skills progression ladder, and apprenticeships. We have started with the electrical trade given its essential role in our future economy, that it has deep skills content and the need to build a strong local pipeline. We will learn from this to scale up our efforts to other trades. We will provide updates at a later stage.
Building workplaces that leave no one behind also means ensuring that our growth is shared. We will continue to support wage improvements for our lower-wage workers such as through raising the LQS. We have received feedback from businesses that MOM's policies add to costs, and many employers are feeling the squeeze amidst tight margins. I hear you. I do not just hear you, I empathise with you.
But at the same time, I want to also share with you a different perspective, that our manpower policies also serve important social objectives. As highlighted in the Ministry of Finance's Occasional Paper on inequality, policies such as our PWM play a crucial role in achieving inclusive growth and prevent social fissures from deepening.
The majority of labour-related business cost increases arising from Government policies go towards uplifting wages for lower-wage workers. Without such policies, our lower-wage workers will fall further behind, just as Singapore's Gini coefficient showed before the introduction of the PWM in 2012.
The Government will nevertheless continue to help our businesses to mitigate the cost pressures that you are experiencing. We are with you.
As announced, we will extend the PWCS to 2028. We have extended it by two years to support businesses doing their part to uplift lower-wage workers.
Mr Shawn Loh and Mr Liang Eng Hwa suggested extending or making PWCS co-funding permanent. Meanwhile, Ms Yeo Wan Ling and Mr Pritam Singh asked how PWCS can be better tied to productivity outcomes.
Our policies strike a balance between these two perspectives. Productivity improvement is key to achieving sustainable wage gains. The PWM is central to these efforts, linking wage growth to skills development, career progression and job redesign.
However, productivity improvement can be uneven across sectors. In domestically oriented sectors where many of our lower-wage workers are employed, it takes time to redesign labour-intensive work processes and it also takes time to allow our lower-wage workers to upskill into new roles. Therefore, on top of broad-based enterprise transformation measures, we introduced the PWCS, temporarily cushioning the near-term cost impact of moves to support lower-wage workers. This ensures that support remains a catalyst, not a substitute for productivity improvement.
The PWCS is reviewed regularly to provide adequate support to businesses while they transform. Just as crucially, as Ms Yeo Wan Ling highlighted, this ensures a manageable pace of change for lower-wage workers to upskill into new roles, limiting disemployment risks.
Many companies have made good use of Government support to innovate and evolve alongside their workers. Over 600 companies have tapped on the Company Training Committee Grant since August 2022. Likewise, over 600 companies have taken up the PSG-JR since 2020. That said, we must continually renew our efforts. In response to Mr Melvin Yong, we have some ways still to go to boost productivity growth in PWM-covered sectors.
As highlighted by the Singapore Productivity Centre’s Food Services Productivity report, improving productivity is essential for resilience and sustainable growth, especially for firms in sectors facing manpower shortages, competitive pressures and rising operational costs. The Government is fully committed to walking alongside employers and lower-wage workers on this journey.
I spoke earlier about some of the initiatives we will be rolling out to this end, including the Enterprise Workforce Transformation Package. The extended PWCS support in 2027 and 2028 will also raise the minimum qualifying threshold for wage increases from $100 to $200, better targeting businesses that invest in capability and workforce development. These efforts are aligned with the Economic Strategy Review's recommendation to broaden the range of good jobs across our economy. Minister of State Dinesh will share about how we will further support upskilling for lower-wage workers.
Ultimately, uplifting our lower-wage workers is a whole-of-society effort. We hope employers will take advantage of support to deepen their transformative efforts and lower-wage workers will seize the upskilling opportunities to move into higher-value jobs.
Members, including NTUC Secretary-General Mr Ng Chee Meng, spoke about the challenges faced by caregivers, including the "sandwiched generation". We will continue to encourage inclusive workplace practices, supporting workers who may face higher barriers to workforce participation such as women, caregivers and persons with disabilities. Senior Parliamentary Secretary Shawn Huang will provide updates on these efforts.
As work evolves, our employment framework must remain fit-for-purpose. As announced last year, we have embarked on a review of the Employment Act. The tripartite partners are reviewing how the Employment Act can continue to provide appropriate safeguards for different worker groups, including updating coverage and protections for our most vulnerable workers under Part 4 of the Employment Act.
We are also looking at how to provide businesses with greater flexibility and efficiency in workplace management, and to streamline key provisions for easier compliance. We aim to ensure that our employment framework remains trusted and relevant, upholding a harmonious and equitable labour compact where both workers and businesses can thrive.
Mr Patrick Tay suggested mandating advance notification prior to retrenchment. Mr Ng Chee Meng also asked whether Mandatory Retrenchment Notifications can be brought forward. While advance notification has merits, mandating such a requirement poses non-trivial challenges.
Retrenchment is often, in fact I would say, is always a difficult process for all parties involved and is often a last resort for companies. And many a time, senior management, together with the board, conduct backroom negotiations to try to save as many jobs as possible. If we mandate advance notifications, this may inevitably or inadvertently push companies to finalise retrenchments faster, discouraging such negotiations.
Businesses have also expressed concerns over the potential leakage of confidential, market-sensitive information. We are not ruling out any option, we are engaging, we review, this will be a comprehensive review, we are consulting tripartite partners on these issues and will update in due course.
Mr Pritam Singh suggested that Singapore legislate retrenchment benefit, with larger companies paying a higher amount. I have said before when we pushed for the Workplace Fairness Act that legislation is not a panacea. We adopt a balanced approach. We protect our workers but at the same time we need to give businesses some flexibility to adjust in different situations because retrenchments occur for a whole variety of reasons. And company size is also not an indicator of a company's ability to afford retrenchment benefit.
For example, if you mandate retrenchment benefit in larger companies facing financial difficulties, I think we may inadvertently put even more jobs at risk. So it balance, we are reviewing it, and I think Senior Minister of State Koh will provide further updates on the Employment Act review.
Next, on promoting safer and healthier workplaces. Every worker deserves to return home safe and healthy. Workplace safety and health (WSH) is a shared responsibility that involves all of us – employers, workers and Government. Minister of State Dinesh will update on moves to strengthen and improve WSH ownership.
Finally, migrant workers play an essential role in our economy, contributing to our development by building our infrastructure. Minister of State Dinesh will also update on our continuing efforts to ensure our migrant workers' well-being. Mr Chairman, I will now speak in Mandarin, please.
( In Mandarin ) : [ Please refer to Vernacular Speech .] Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the way we work and, this year, Singapore will also become a super-aged society. Some Singaporeans may feel anxious about the future. This is understandable. As the economy transforms, the Government will ensure that our nation's growth remains inclusive and that it creates good, meaningful jobs for Singaporeans.
One of the important steps we are taking is to harness the potential of AI to create long-term, quality employment opportunities for Singaporeans. AI is a tool. It is not a competitor, and it is definitely not the exclusive domain of young people. As long as we are willing to try and we dare to use it, we can all benefit from it and improve the way we work. Therefore, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will make AI tools universally accessible, making it easier for Singaporeans to access AI.
Singaporeans who enrol in designated or selected courses will receive six months of free subscription, to help everyone develop confidence in the use of AI tools.
MOM will ensure that Singaporeans have the support they need at every stage of their career. We will also help graduates from Institutes of Higher Learning establish a solid foundation for their careers.
At the same time, we will also provide more flexible work arrangements for older workers who wish to continue working and strengthen their retirement security. As the ancient saying goes, “Even in the twilight years, a hero's ambition does not fade.” With age comes experience, not retreat. The experience and wisdom of our senior workers are the strongest assets in our workplace.
Please be assured that regardless of the stage of career you are currently in, we will walk alongside with you. This is MOM’s promise to you. We will help you to continuously keep pace with the rapidly changing job market and stride towards the future with confidence.
As the poet Li Bai has written, “There will come a time to ride the wind and break the waves, let us set our sails straight and cross the vast sea.” As long as we remain confident and move forward hand in hand, we will surely forge ahead despite the difficulties and create a better tomorrow.
( In English ): So, to conclude, Mr Chairman, the road ahead will be neither certain nor easy. But we have proven over the last 60 years that we can overcome any challenge as long as we are prepared to tackle them collectively together – we did it before and we will do it again.
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Our strong labour market and wage outcomes, they are the result of deliberate choices for us as a society, as a country and as a people to invest in our workers' skills and development, support business transformation, uphold fairness and trust in our workplaces. And we will continue to ride and build on this momentum.
We have all got to play our part. Workers will have to take ownership of their career health, businesses will have to continue to transform, and the Government will continue to walk alongside all of you.
Tripartism will remain the corner stone of our strength. And it is through trust and partnership, through our tripartite way, that we have weathered past challenges. We will collectively shape a future of work where every one of us can contribute with confidence, grow with purpose and we can look ahead with confidence and assurance, come what may. [ Applause. ]
The Chairman : Senior Minister of State Dr Koh Poh Koon.
The Senior Minister of State for Manpower (Dr Koh Poh Koon) : Mr Chairman, our workforce has always been the backbone of Singapore's progress. As Singaporeans live longer and healthier lives, we now have the chance to extend that progress into longer, more rewarding careers. In the past, a career often progresses in a linear fashion, with people starting in one job after graduation and working their way up through the same company. But today, faster business and technology cycles and changing business models mean that most people will go through multiple jobs and roles over their working lives.
Workers now have different work-life balance expectations and different hierarchy of needs at different stages of life. This shift has implications for everyone. For workers, this means that careers are no longer about climbing a corporate ladder, but rather about navigating a dynamic, multi-stage journey – moving up, across domains or even intentionally downshifting to balance life's priorities, such as caregiving. This also means taking greater ownership of their careers and skills and desiring more flexibility in work arrangements.
For employers, this shift means more than just adapting job roles, it means rethinking how jobs are designed to tap on both the vitality of youth and the wisdom that comes with seniority and experience, how talent is managed and developed at every stage and how transitions are supported across a workforce that is increasingly diverse in age. Employers need to be proactive in creating workplaces that are inclusive, flexible and capable of supporting workers at all life stages.
And for the Government, this shift requires a fundamental change in how we support the workforce. We must move beyond supporting training and job-seeking to supporting career longevity, giving workers insights about their human capital and empowering them to take action, across career transitions, across life stages and across different forms of work.
This is why MOM is focusing our efforts in three key areas: empowering seniors to thrive in longer careers, by supporting meaningful participation, career transitions and flexibility in later stages of work; building thriving workplaces that support longer working lives, through stronger HR systems and better management of age-diverse workforces; and thirdly, adapting employment protections for a changing workforce, so that our laws and safeguards remain relevant as work arrangement and career pathways evolve.
Let me first outline how MOM is responding to this shift through our senior employment strategy, before turning to how we are strengthening HR capabilities and employment protections more broadly.
Singaporeans live longer and healthier lives. Our workforce is also maturing. Today's seniors are better educated and more skilled than the generations before them. Future seniors will be even more so, reflecting the high cohort participation in our universities in our population. Seniors therefore offer a growing wealth of human capital and many of them want to contribute meaningfully to our economy.
Supporting seniors today is no longer just about extending working years. It requires planning ahead to enable sustainable careers across later stages of life. We are strengthening support across mid-career and later-career transitions through the Tripartite Workgroup on Senior Employment.
More than 10 years ago, tripartite partners started removing barriers for seniors who wanted to keep working. A major step was to progressively raise the retirement and re-employment ages. These moves have helped more seniors stay employed. These changes matter because they do more than set legal limits. They shape social norms around ageing and work, giving seniors confidence to stay on and giving employers the clarity to plan for and retain experienced workers. Indeed, more than nine in 10 employees who are eligible and wish to continue working are successfully offered re-employment.
This year, we take the next step. We will raise the retirement and re-employment ages to 64 and 69 respectively, keeping us on track towards 65 and 70 by 2030.
I want to assure Mr Sanjeev Kumar Tiwari that these changes have made a difference. Over the past five years, labour force participation among residents in their 60s has edged up, from around 58% to nearly 60%. Among those in their 50s, it rose from 79% to 82%. Internationally, this puts Singapore among the leaders – for workers in their 60s, we rank fifth compared to OECD countries for labour force participation. But for workers in their 50s, we rank only 23rd.
We agree with Ms Jessica Tan's call on the need to strengthen career support for mature and senior PMEs. We need to do more work upstream, to support workers who may be leaving the workforce earlier than they need to or earlier than they would like to.
This is why MOM, together with NTUC and the SNEF, convened the Tripartite Workgroup on Senior Employment in July last year. The Tripartite Workgroup on Senior Employment reflects a shared responsibility, by workers, employers and the Government, to respond to longer, more varied careers for our seniors, including PMEs.
With longer careers ahead, support cannot wait until workers are near retirement. If the drop-off in labour force participation starts from 50, as I said earlier, then the interventions must begin at 40. From our engagements, both employers and seniors told us that earlier training and career guidance are essential to keep skills fresh, open new pathways and ensure every stage of a longer working life remains meaningful and productive.
The Tripartite Workgroup on Senior Employment is therefore studying recommendations across the senior's career journey, including during mid-career transitions and later-career stages, where timely interventions can make the greatest difference.
Just as good physical health supports longer and better physical lives, good career health supports longer working lives. And like physical health, career health benefits from early, regular check-ins and career planning, not only when problems arise. This is especially important for many who are mid-career in their 40s and 50s, adapting to new roles, technologies or sectors, while balancing work and family commitments and responsibilities. These pivotal years determine how long and how well they can continue working.
Yet working adults often face this journey alone. Unlike the structured education and career guidance that one might find in schools, working adults receive less structured support to help them make sense of options at this stage. This is why, as the Minister highlighted earlier, we are strengthening and broadening Career Health SG by working with and developing the Career and Employment Services sector. We will grow the sector so that there is a variety of good quality services to cater to different segments of seniors, to help them plan ahead, navigate transitions and build sustainable careers over a longer working life.
At the individual level, WSG and its partners have piloted targeted career guidance programmes for individuals in their 50s and 60s planning their later-stage careers. They include workshops, such as the Republic Polytechnic's Designing Your Life – The Next Chapter, and Singapore University of Technology and Design's What's Next: Reimagining Your Career Using Design·AI, which were introduced in April and October 2025 respectively. These programmes have since supported about 1,000 participants, with about four in five already embarking on their career plans within six months of completing the workshop.
With the right guidance, later-stage career transitions can open new doors. Participants, like 61-year-old Mr Eddie Sng and 55-year-old Ms Mabel Lee, show how this works in practice. After attending WSG-supported career guidance workshops, both began to see career transitions as growth opportunities rather than professional endings.
So, Eddie, a former logistics managing director, is now pursuing logistics advisory work while creating digital content. Mabel, a former photographer and marketing professional, has secured a part-time marketing manager role while building her photography teaching practice. Their journeys show how strategic career guidance enables older workers to rethink their options, make confident transitions and continue contributing meaningfully.
Building on these early successes, WSG will work with partners to scale up the provision of career guidance for later-stage careers and integrate these programmes into its regular career guidance offerings.
But career guidance by a third-party is not enough. Employers too have to play a role. Many seniors who are already in employment need clarity on how long they can stay in a role, whether their job will evolve and how they might work differently. These are insights that only their employers can provide. Employers must therefore have deliberate conversations with their workers to plan for job redesign, identify skills needed to seize future job opportunities and adjust work arrangements over time as part of regular workforce planning.
This Structured Career Planning (SCP) should not just be a structured conversation, but should be also structured as part of routine HR processes within the company. Under the Part-Time Re-employment Grant, employers are required to send management and HR representatives to SCP workshops, to gain knowledge and skillsets to conduct SCP. Based on a survey by SNEF, about 80% of these employers subsequently conducted SCP conversations with their employees, who found the sessions useful in helping them to understand options and navigate the next bound of their careers.
What we have learnt is that SCP works best when it starts earlier, not only when one has reached the age for re-employment. Strengthening career planning earlier helps seniors stay confident and employable, while giving employers clearer sight of how to develop and deploy their workforce over longer careers.
Yet today, fewer than 30% of workers aged 50 and above actively plan for their careers and only 38% of employers conduct structured career conversations. Mr Sanjeev Kumar Tiwari rightly asked how we can intervene at the mid-career stage to boost continued employability before workers reach their late 50s.
So, building on the positive experience with SCP, we will therefore give a stronger push for employers to adopt regular SCP conversations earlier in their employees' careers and explore how SCP can be more systematically embedded into HR training and certification requirements. This will enable employers and workers to proactively redesign jobs, adjust work arrangements and build resilience over longer careers.
As workers move into later stages of their careers, some may wish to continue full-time work, others prefer reduced hours or more focused roles, while some require adjustments over time as their priorities, their health status or physical abilities change. Whether seniors can continue contributing depends largely on how workplaces adapt. Employers play a critical role here.
To support employers who hire and retain senior workers, we will extend the Senior Employment Credit to December 2027, as announced by the Prime Minister at Budget. Mr Sanjeev Kumar Tiwari and Mr Shawn Loh have asked for longer extensions to the Senior Employment Credit, and whether the scheme will be studied beyond 2027.
Under the Tripartite Workgroup on Senior Employment, we are reviewing support measures for employers more holistically, including reviewing the Senior Employment Credit and whether longer-term measures may be appropriate. We have also extended the Part-Time Re-employment Grant to December 2027, to support employers in offering suitable part-time and flexible work options that attract and retain senior workers. Beyond these measures, we also need to rethink traditional job designs.
What does age-friendly work look like in practice? There is no one-size-fits-all model that will work for every company and it will likely be different across industries and job roles. Through the Alliance for Action on Empowering Multi-Stage Careers for Mature Workers (AfA-EMW), we are working with organisations including intermediaries to test practical models, which can give employers greater confidence to act.
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For example, under the AfA-EMW, the pilot by QED Changemakers gives us a glimpse of how we can unlock senior expertise in new ways. By connecting experienced senior professionals with companies that need their expertise on a project basis, senior professionals can continue contributing meaningfully, sharing decades of experience, staying active and earning an income, while companies, especially SMEs, get access to seasoned leadership when they need it.
Another example explores how simple job redesign can keep experienced bus captains on the road, safely and sustainably. Tower Transit is piloting new work arrangements that allow senior bus captains to continue working safely and confidently. With more balanced shifts, job rotation and lighter duties, seniors can keep contributing, while the company retains experience, maintains service reliability, and supports the next generation of bus captains.
These prototypes are being developed and will feed into the Tripartite Workgroup on Senior Employment's recommendations, translating good ideas into scalable practices.
As seniors remain economically active for longer, work must also remain safe and sustainable. To support the development of industry-led solutions to address common workplace safety and health risks, including those faced by seniors, MOM will be launching an Alliance for Action on Safety and Health for Employment Longevity (AfA-SHEL). Minister of State Dinesh Vasu Dash will share more detail about this.
These efforts reflect a holistic approach to senior employment, to help seniors continue to contribute meaningfully, in ways that work for them, for their employers and for our economy.
Across both mid- and later-career stages, navigating transitions remains a key challenge. Workers need clearer pathways to plan their next steps, while employers need guidance on age-friendly workforce design. Today, even though seniors can tap on many schemes for training, job search or hiring support, navigating these different sources of support can still be challenging. So, to address this, the Tripartite Workgroup on Senior Employment is studying a more integrated approach to support career longevity and whether to deliver this through a dedicated centre for career longevity, which brings service providers together to raise awareness, collaborate, as well as develop and scale solutions for longer, multi-stage careers.
What does this centre mean? For individuals, this would help them better navigate and access the relevant career, skills and employment support in accordance with their needs, including allowing them to plan earlier for their later-stage career transitions. For employers, they would be able to access practical resources and the network of partners to support them in designing age-friendly workplaces and strengthen multi-generational teams. For partners, this would be a platform for them to test and scale new initiatives, new innovative practices, including those emerging from AfA-EMW.
This centre could be co-located with existing career centres, so individuals who need job search assistance can receive more holistic support across the various aspects of career planning, skills and employment, rather than navigating these services separately. In this way, we shift the focus from managing exits to enabling longer, meaningful participation at work. Ms Mariam Jaafar asked when the Tripartite Workgroup on Senior Employment will share its recommendations. The Tripartite Workgroup on Senior Employment will release its report in the second half of 2026, with further details on its proposed measures. Mr Chairman, allow me to say a few words in Mandarin.
( In Mandarin ) : [ Please refer to Vernacular Speech .] The Tripartite Workgroup on Senior Employment was established last year. After communicating and exchanging views with various parties, the Workgroup concluded that as Singaporeans' careers extend, we must assist employees with career planning earlier, support employers in redesigning job roles and ensure that relevant systems and incentive measures are practical and feasible.
For employees, this means receiving support for career guidance and skills training earlier, enabling smooth transitions while they still have options.
For employers, this means receiving clearer support to retain experienced employees, redesign job roles and provide flexible work arrangements that are more suitable for older workers.
For the Government, this means strengthening the overall career and employment ecosystem, ensuring the viability and sustainability of longer careers through career guidance, skills training and employment incentives.
The Workgroup is currently studying recommendations for the various stages of older workers' career journeys, including needs from mid-career transitions to later-career adjustments, and will announce the relevant outcomes in the second half of 2026.
( In English ): Our senior employment efforts reflect a broader shift in how we support working lives: longer careers, less linear progressions and more frequent transitions. But this is not a challenge unique to seniors. Across the workforce, workers are navigating more frequent changes as our economy restructures and technology reshapes jobs. This calls for stronger systems that help all workers and employers manage transitions more deliberately and responsibly.
Employers and especially their HR teams are critical enablers. HR sits at the intersection of skills and career development, job redesign and employment practices. How well firms manage careers directly affects whether workers can stay relevant, productive and engaged over longer careers.
This is why MOM convened the Tripartite Workgroup on Human Capital Capability Development in February 2025 to strengthen workforce development capabilities across organisations.
We are establishing clearer benchmarks of what "good" looks like. MOM launched the Singapore Opportunity Index last October and unveiled the top 300 organisations earlier this year. The Singapore Opportunity Index gives employers and workers a data-driven yardstick to see how the best workplaces shape outcomes like pay, progression and retention, enabling employers to make sharper talent decisions. Beyond recognising top performers, we are progressively releasing detailed reports and advisory support to help all 1,500 organisations covered by the Singapore Opportunity Index improve.
To turn these insights into real gains for workers and businesses, the workgroup will also make recommendations to uplift the HR profession in key areas.
First, we are strengthening HR leadership capability. SNEF is leading a multi‑agency effort to pilot a National HR Leadership Programme, together with NTUC and our local HR institutes. The programme aims to strengthen Singapore's local HR leaders through international exposure, experiential learning, mentoring and networking.
Second, we are preparing HR for AI-driven change. As AI accelerates transformation across sectors, stronger and more systematic HR capability becomes even more critical. AI can automate repetitive tasks like scheduling interviews and handling routine queries. It can also surface workforce trends more quickly, helping HR to spot skill gaps earlier and design better development and deployment strategies.
But let us be clear here: AI is not here to replace the human in HR. AI can take care of the processes, but only humans can take care of people. This shift towards human-AI collaboration presents opportunities for HR to be more strategic, more developmental and more human-centered.
Ms Jessica Tan asked how we are equipping HR to be more AI-driven. MOM is working with the Ministry of Digital Development and Information and the Infocomm Media Development Authority under the National AI Impact Programme to develop AI fluency amongst HR professionals. In parallel, NTUC is developing a framework to help companies with limited AI experience, especially smaller SMEs navigate the complexity of AI adoption for HR by consolidating existing resources for AI readiness assessment, training, applicable grants and widely adopted AI tools for HR.
Looking ahead, MOM, WSG and IHRP will refresh the HR Jobs Transformation Map this year to provide clear guidance on two fronts. One, how AI will transform HR jobs and two, how its impact on the wider workforce will change the demands on HR. The the Tripartite Workgroup on Human Capital Capability Development will also consider Ms Tan's suggestions as part of its broader review.
Third, we must expand professional HR practice to more organisations. As our workforce becomes more diverse and employment issues more complex, organisations need HR that meet high standards, possess future-ready competencies and are committed to continuous professional development.
This need was recognised back in 2020 when the NTUC-SNEF PME Taskforce recommended mandating HR certification for larger firms. However, such a significant change could not happen overnight. This is why we have spent the last five years laying the groundwork to strengthen the value of HR certification. I am happy to say that these efforts have yielded good progress.
Today, the certified community exceeds 10,000 professionals. Around 45% of larger firms with more than 200 employees have a certified HR, covering nearly half of Singapore's workforce. The impact has been promising. A recent study by MOM economists showed that the IHRP certification delivered measurable improvements in both wage outcomes and employment prospects of certified professionals. This ultimately translates into benefits for both firms and workers, as evidenced by the greater range of career development initiatives – such as workforce planning and career guidance – implemented in organisations with certified HR professionals compared to those without.
With this critical mass established, we are now ready to take the next step. We need a broader coverage of certified HR professionals who can embed best practices like structured career planning, which I mentioned earlier, to strengthen employee engagement and in turn business productivity. We just cannot afford to leave this to chance.
Mr Patrick Tay asked if the Government will consider mandating IHRP certification. Building on the PME Taskforce's recommendation, the the Tripartite Workgroup on Human Capital Capability Development is studying a proposal to require larger organisations with more than 200 employees to have a suitable HR personnel certified. The workgroup is now studying how this can be done in a way that is practical for businesses and will put out its detailed recommendations later this year.
For firms who may not have dedicated HR, MOM is working with partners to uplift the wider career and employment services ecosystem. As mentioned by Minister, through the Alliance for Action on Advancing Career and Employment Services (AfA ACES), we are working with private career and employment service providers to pilot new initiatives and services to support workers of diverse profiles in their career journey.
These efforts – from uplifting HR capabilities to partnering ecosystem players – are part of a longer-term vision under the Economic Strategy Review's Committee on Human Capital, which I co-chair, to build a future-ready jobs and skills ecosystem where employers invest in people, HR is a strategic partner and workers can move more confidently across roles and sectors over a longer working life.
As the economy evolves, more workers may face job displacement, not because they lack ability, but because of business restructuring or failure or economic cycles. Even with stronger HR capabilities and better career support systems, job transitions may still be difficult, especially when the change happens abruptly.
To help workers through such transitions, we introduced the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme in April last year. This scheme provides temporary financial relief to involuntarily unemployed individuals, helping them transition into suitable new roles rather than rushing into poor job matches.
As at end-October 2025, more than 3,500 individuals have received support from the scheme. Among these individuals, we estimate that more than 1,600 have since found new job roles. Mr Ng Chee Meng and Mr Patrick Tay asked whether we would consider increasing the current qualifying income cap. As the scheme has only been rolled out last year, we will conduct a review when we have more experience, including on key parameters such as the qualifying income, to ensure the scheme remains well-targeted and sustainable.
Building on this, the ESR's Committee on Managing the Impact of Restructuring is studying how we can support workers more proactively and how we can extend meaningful support to more groups, including PMEs. For instance, as Minister said, this could include requiring earlier notice of retrenchment from employers, leveraging networks of trade associations and chambers to provide more targeted job matching in sectors with more PME job openings and expanding the scope of support under Career Conversion Programmes to help more workers with the transition into growth jobs.
These efforts reflect a shift from reacting to job loss, to actively supporting career transitions, guided by strong tripartite partnerships and closer alignment between skills, jobs and industry needs.
Beyond transition support, our employment laws are important to ensure our workers are adequately protected. Many Singaporeans may not realise that the Employment Act profoundly shapes our everyday working lives. It sets out the basic terms and conditions of employment, such as timely salary payments, overtime pay and sick leave. As the Employment Act covers almost all employees in Singapore, we must always strike a careful balance between protecting employees and giving space for employers to thrive.
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But the nature of work has changed. Our workforce profile is different, work arrangements are more varied and businesses are operating in a more competitive environment. That is why the tripartite partners convened the Tripartite Workgroup on the Employment Act Review in August last year, to review key parts of the Act in a balanced way, protecting workers who need it most while supporting business flexibility.
Mr Pritam Singh and Mr Patrick Tay have asked for an update on the main areas of review for the Employment Act. Mr Pritam Singh also asked if the review can include a public consultation in parallel with tripartite negotiations. In conducting this review, the Tripartite Workgroup has collectively engaged more than 2,000 stakeholders, including PMEs, lower-income employees, employers, HR practitioners and other experts to understand diverse needs across the workforce. What we heard from workers and employers was clear: different groups need different forms of protection and flexibility.
For lower-wage employees, time-based protections still matter and overtime pay remains an important part of their income. As wages rise and the workforce profile evolves, we will review Part 4 of the Employment Act to ensure these protections remain well-targeted at workers who need them most.
For employers, greater flexibility is needed to manage costs, redesign jobs and stay competitive. Done right, this can also benefit workers, by allowing employers and employees to negotiate mutually beneficial arrangements that meet individual needs.
Mr Patrick Tay has asked about the Ministry’s plans to issue guidelines on the inclusion of restraint of trade clauses in employment contracts. We are discussing with tripartite partners on how and when restrictive clauses in employment contracts can and should be used, and the guidelines will be based on established principles that the Courts have articulated. Employees who believe that they are affected by unreasonable or unjustified clauses can seek assistance from their unions, TAFEP or MOM. We will update further, in due course.
Finally, many stakeholders pointed out that the Act has become harder to navigate over time. We will study how to streamline and clarify key provisions, so that they are easier to understand and comply with.
The Tripartite Workgroup on the Employment Act Review will publish its report in the second half of this year. Through this Tripartite Workgroup, we are strengthening protections where they matter most, while keeping our labour framework practical and responsive as careers lengthen and workplaces evolve.
Taken together, these efforts reflect a simple principle: as work changes, our protections must evolve alongside it. Whether it is supporting workers through restructuring or updating the Employment Act, our aim is the same – to ensure workers and employers can adapt with confidence to the future of work.
Sir, longer lives are reshaping how we work, how we build careers, and how our economy grows. What matters now is whether our workers, employers and systems are ready to adapt to these changes with confidence.
That is why much of our work this year has focused on building practical partnerships – through tripartite workgroups, alliances for action and the Economic Strategy Review – to listen carefully, to test what works on the ground, and turn ideas into outcomes that matter for both workers and employers and ultimately, for Singapore.
Career longevity is not simply about staying employed for longer. It is about enabling Singaporeans to remain productive, adaptable and engaged across different stages of their lives and enabling employers to continue drawing on the full range of experience, skills and capabilities in a tight labour force.
This effort cannot be carried by any single party alone. Workers must stay adaptable, taking ownership of their skills and plan ahead for transitions over longer careers. Employers must continue to invest in their people, redesigning jobs, developing skills and creating workplaces where workers of all ages can contribute meaningfully. Government will continue to walk alongside both, strengthening career and employment systems, uplifting HR capabilities, supporting transitions and keeping our employment protections fit for a changing workforce.
This is how we turn longer working lives into a strength for Singapore, strengthening productivity, resilience and inclusion at the same time. And our commitment to Singaporeans is this: as work changes, we will keep listening, keep assisting, and keep adapting, so that workers have the confidence to move forward and businesses have the support to grow through change.
The Chairman : Minister of State Mr Dinesh Vasu Dash.
The Minister of State for Manpower (Mr Dinesh Vasu Dash) : Minister Tan See Leng has set out MOM’s bold agenda to equip our businesses to seize emerging opportunities and chart a course for growth. As we build the economy of tomorrow, our commitment is that each and every worker will be supported and that no worker will be left behind.
This is the spirit of a “we first” Singapore, where everyone has their place and can participate with dignity. Most importantly, all contributions, particularly those from our vulnerable workers, will have to be recognised and uplifted.
In my speech today, I will elaborate on three areas: first, our tripartite efforts to uplift lower-wage workers and how we will progress this work in the next-bound; second, our drive to strengthen workplace safety and health, such that our workers continue to return home safely to their loved ones; and third, how we will continue to support our migrant workers.
Let me start with our efforts together with our unions and employers to uplift lower-wage workers. These efforts embody the very heart of our social compact – our promise to walk with our lower-wage workers every step of the way. As you contribute to Singapore’s progress, so too will you share in the rewards and opportunities that accompany that progress.
We have forged over time a distinctly Singaporean approach to supporting our lower-wage workers. First, we drive sustainable wage improvements. We have uplifted wages for lower-wage workers without putting their jobs at risk through the PWM.
PWMs serve as wage ladders across nine sectors and occupations. These are negotiated by tripartite partners with reference to considerations such as productivity and business conditions, ensuring that wage growth does not exceed what the sector or occupation can bear. PWMs also map out clear pathways for training and progression. Wage increments are therefore sustainable for employers, as they come alongside productivity growth.
Lower-wage workers not covered by PWMs may benefit from the LQS. Firms must pay their local workers at least the LQS if they hire foreign workers.
Lower-wage workers receive additional support through the Workfare Income Supplement scheme. This scheme supplements their incomes and helps them save for retirement. Since its inception in 2007, the Workfare Income Supplement has supported over 1.1 million workers with $12.7 billion in payments.
Assoc Prof Jamus Lim called upon the Government to increase the qualifying monthly wage cap for the Workfare Income Supplement. We did so last year, when we raised the qualifying wage cap from $2,500 to $3,000. The 20th income percentile for a full time resident employee is about $2,800 currently. So, the Workfare Income Supplement qualifying monthly wage cap of $3,000 continues to target Singaporean workers with earnings in the bottom 20%, with some support to those who are slightly above. At the same time, we will also increase Workfare Income Supplement payments to up to $4,900 per year. [ Please refer to " Clarification by Minister of State for Manpower ", Official Report, 3 March 2026, Vol 96, Issue 23, Correction By Written Statement section. ]
We have and will continue to review the Workfare Income Supplement regularly to ensure it remains effective in supporting our lower-wage workers, complementing the PWM and LQS.
Secondly, we provide various forms of support for businesses to transform. Mr Melvin Yong highlighted business transformation is crucial as it enables sustainable wage growth through productivity improvement. It also unlocks opportunities for lower-wage workers to take up higher value-added job roles. Recognising that this is a process that takes time and to cushion the impact on business costs, the Government introduced the PWCS at Budget 2022.
Third, we enable progression of our lower-wage workers through support for training and upskilling. Schemes such as the Workfare Skills Support (WSS) reduce the opportunity cost of training for lower-wage workers. This opens doors for workers to move up in their careers, including progressing up PWM job ladders.
Our approach had delivered tangible outcomes for lower-wage workers. Today, 150,000 lower-wage workers benefit from wage and career progression pathways through the PWM, more than five times the number it was in 2020. The LQS requirement was also broadened in 2022, such that firms hiring foreign manpower are required to pay LQS to all their local workers. This ensures that no Singaporean worker is left behind. Another 104,000 lower-wage workers not covered by PWMs are therefore supported by the LQS. This has made a significant difference for the incomes of lower-wage workers. From 2021 to 2025, the real income at the 20th percentile rose cumulatively by 10.1%, outpacing the 7.4% increase at the median.
Workers in PWM sectors have and will continue to see significant improvement in their wages as our economy grows. As an illustration, the baseline wage requirement for entry-level office and commercial cleaners has increased by about 50% cumulatively since 2021. By 2028, it will be $2,420, which is almost twice the requirement in 2021, which was then $1,274. Likewise, compared to 2021, entry-level outsourced security officers can also expect to earn a higher monthly gross wage by about 40% more in 2026, and 60% in 2028.
This is progress that we can be proud of – progress that reflects the collective resolve of unions, employers and the Government working in unison to improve the livelihoods of our lower-wage workers.
But we are committed to going even further. We will build on our efforts across each of these areas, to further uplift and upskill our lower-wage workers and broaden the range of good jobs as recommended by the Economic Strategy Review Committee.
First and foremost, we must sustain our momentum in uplifting wages. In 2025, tripartite partners announced updated wage schedules for Retail, In-house Security, Administrators and Drivers. The remaining PWM sectors will negotiate their next-bound of wage schedules increases later this year.
As announced by the Prime Minister at Budget, the Government will also raise the LQS so that our lower-wage workers continue to see wage improvement. We will raise the LQS threshold from $1,600 to $1,800 for full-time local employees. This will be implemented from 1 July 2026. Raising the LQS to keep pace with wage growth ensures that locals are employed meaningfully, rather than in token jobs just so that firms can hire foreign workers.
Second, we will spur business transformation to raise productivity and create better jobs, including for our lower-wage workers. Mr Melvin Yong would be pleased to note that MOM will be introducing various initiatives in support of this.
The Minister spoke about these initiatives earlier. For example, the SkillsFuture Workforce Development Grant (Job Redesign+) will be rolled out in March this year to provide enhanced funding support for job redesign and workforce transformation as part of the Enterprise Workforce Transformation Package . We will also launch the redesigned SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit this year, to provide additional support for workforce development.
Businesses have also shared their concerns around near-term economic uncertainties and manpower costs. We hear these concerns. Businesses will not be left alone to deal with cost pressures as they seek to do their part for our lower-wage workers.
You have heard from the Prime Minister at Budget that we will extend PWCS to 2028. This builds on four earlier enhancements to PWCS, most recently in 2025. Since the scheme was introduced in 2022, PWCS has supported wage improvement for lower-wage workers, even as firms undertake the longer journey of transformation. For wage increases given between 2022 and 2024, the Government provided about $3.6 billion of PWCS funding to over 110,000 employers. These wage increases have been meaningful – the median monthly increase supported by PWCS was about $250, across more than 710,000 workers.
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Mr Pritam Singh asked about the outcomes of the PWCS, including how it had been tied to business transformation, sector productivity and worker upskilling.
Uplifting wage outcomes for lower-wage workers and narrowing the wage gap with the median is, in itself, a key objective of this Government. I have shared earlier of how we have performed well on these measures and these are measures in real income terms.
But ultimately, productivity needs to rise for wages to be sustained. Raising productivity is, therefore, a key focus of the PWM as it links wage growth to skills development, career progression and job redesign. This is complemented by our enterprise grants that enable business transformation and job redesign, and support for upskilling, such as the Workfare Skills Support scheme.
PWCS provides transitional co-funding for wage increases given to lower-wage workers, allowing businesses the space to restructure business processes and reap productivity improvements
There are many good examples of forward-looking companies which have moved to innovate and evolve in this area. Let me just take an example of ISS Facility Services Singapore.
ISS has benefited from the PWCS support in providing its lower-wage workers wage increases, as well as productivity improvements, through the various technology-enabled solutions. For example, ISS' cleaning services now deploy a fleet of more than 130 cleaning autonomous robots, which have led to considerable gains in productivity.
ISS' investments in technology and automation have also unlocked opportunities for its workers to progress to more value-added roles. For example, Mr Arthur Lim, a healthcare cleaner under the PWM, has been able to take on more complex duties with greater technical requirements.
Mr Lim tapped on upskilling opportunities, including those supported by the WSS scheme. He is now proficient in operating specialised equipment, such as the ultraviolet disinfection machines and also manages enhanced healthcare cleaning protocols and contributes to infection control workflows. Mr Lim shares that learning these new skills has given him a renewed sense of purpose and contribution to his workplace.
Likewise, there are F&B firms that are adapting to enhance their capabilities and boost their business performance, as stated in the Singapore Productivity Centre's recent Food Services Productivity Report. For example, Sushi Express leverages sushi robots and these have reduced the time taken to mould a piece of sushi to below 15 seconds, while improving production consistency. With this PWCS' extension, we will continue to support businesses in doing so.
In deciding on the enhancements, we took into account the current uncertainty in the economic and geopolitical landscape, business conditions as well as consultations with our tripartite partners among other factors.
The Government will co-fund up to 30% of wage increases given to eligible lower-wage workers in 2026. And this actually higher than the 20% which was originally announced. Co-funding support will be provided in 2027 and 2028 at 30% and 20% respectively.
The extended PWCS support in 2027 and 2028 will also have a higher minimum qualifying threshold for wage increases of $200, from $100. This better encourages and rewards businesses that invest in transformation and workforce development in line with PWCS' objectives.
We urge employers to take advantage of the Government's various forms of support, including the initiatives to be rolled out as part of the Enterprise Workforce Transformation Package, such as the SkillsFuture WDG(JR+) and the SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit. Employers can leverage these to further their respective transformation journeys and support their lower-wage workers in skills upgrading to perform higher value jobs.
This brings me to our third area of focus – our support for lower-wage workers in upskilling.
As Ms Yeo Wan Ling observed, this will allow our workers to move alongside instead of being displaced by business transformation, so they can take on new roles and advance in their careers.
Minister Tan has outlined how Career Health SG empowers individuals to take charge of their careers and how we are evolving our SkillsFuture movement to refresh our jobs and skills ecosystem. These are moves that will support all workers in their career planning and upskilling journey.
However, lower-wage workers may face unique constraints in stepping away from their work to pursue training. This therefore becomes a catch 22 situation as taking time off to upskill may mean forgoing income that they may need for immediate expenses. Lower-wage workers can be assured that the Government understands these challenges. They will not have to choose between earning an income today and equipping themselves with skills for tomorrow.
Those who pursue long-form courses can now benefit from the new Workfare Skills Support (WSS) (Level-Up) scheme.
As announced at Budget 2025, trainees undertaking long-form courses will be supported with a training allowance significantly higher than the existing WSS support for short-form courses. These long-form courses include Nitec or Higher Nitec qualifications, diplomas, post-diplomas or undergraduate degrees.
I am pleased to share that we will broaden the list of courses supported by WSS (Level-Up), to include long-form Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ) full qualifications and that these courses will be similarly eligible for the training allowance under the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme. The changes will take effect from fourth quarter this year.
WSS (Level-Up) will support lower-wage workers in pursuing these more substantive forms of upskilling and reskilling, without needing to worry about making ends meet.
To give just a few examples, retail workers can benefit from higher training allowances to undertake a Nitec qualification in Retail Services or a Diploma in Retail (Operations).
At the same time, we will also enhance the WSS (Basic) scheme to support workers undertaking shorter training. This will help workers meet their PWM training requirements or take up WSQ courses. We will increase the training allowance for self-sponsored trainees from $6 per hour to $10.50 per hour effective as at 1 July 2026. With the increase in the hourly training allowance, workers can now actively consider training without having a significant reduction in pay.
We will also streamline the scheme to reduce complexity. Only trainees who attain full qualifications will receive the Training Commitment Award of $800 per year. Full qualifications are sets of related courses that result in a formal qualification, such as the WSQ Qualifications or Academic Continuing Education and Training Qualifications. These have been found to lead to better outcomes for trainees, compared to modules that do not lead to any formal qualifications.
Mr Melvin Yong suggested developing better AI-relevant skills pathways. He would be glad to know that the courses supported by WSS include industry-relevant AI skills courses that are suitable for lower-wage workers, so that they will not be left behind amidst this AI transformation that we are currently undergoing.
Our work is not complete. Employers must press on with wage increases for lower-wage workers and go the extra mile in redesigning jobs and business processes. Workers should embrace opportunities for upskilling and chart new paths to build their careers. And Government will partner employers and workers through co-sharing the near-term costs of transformation and ensuring that training and skills upgrading remain accessible.
Consumers too, have a role to play. Consumers can make their choices count by supporting businesses which pay Progressive Wages to lower-wage workers. They can look out for and support businesses that may have attained the Progressive Wage Mark.
Our promise to lower-wage workers is this. We are united with you, and we are here to support you in every way that we can. You can count on us for our support, and we will be here for the years to come as well.
Let me now move to my second segment which is on ensuring safety in our workplaces.
Through the collective efforts and commitment of all stakeholders, our WSH performance has continued to improve. I am heartened by the steady progress towards our WSH 2028 goal of sustaining the fatal injury rate at below 1.0. Singapore's workplace fatal injury rate for 2025 was 0.96% per 100,000 workers. This is the lowest on record other than when COVID-19 disrupted work.
That said, we must not rest on our laurels. Every workplace death is a tragedy, and we must continue to stay vigilant in uplifting our WSH standards and to build a strong and sustainable WSH culture.
There are many companies who have heeded this call, and I will cite one example.
Teambuild (ICPH) Pte Ltd, an SME in the manufacturing sector. Teambuild has invested in technology to redesign work processes and create safer workplaces for their workers. By introducing the rebar mesh welding methods and machines, they have automated stackers for completed prefabricated, pre-finished volumetric construction units. Teambuild has reduced the need for manual handling of these very heavy materials. This has, in turn, brought down the musculoskeletal injuries amongst their workers and increased productivity at the same point, where they were able to improve productivity costs of about $180,000 per year. Hence, a double benefit. Teambuild's efforts show that when companies prioritise their workers' safety and health, they also build a more productive and sustainable business over time.
As the nature of work evolves and our workforce changes, new opportunities emerge alongside new challenges for workplace safety and health. The greater use of digital technology and an ageing workforce are two such examples.
Together with NTUC and SNEF, MOM will be launching the Alliance for Action on Safety and Health for Employment Longevity (AfA-SHEL) in the second half of 2026.
Mr Melvin Yong emphasised the need to go beyond traditional high-risk industries and to pay greater attention to common work-related injuries and occupational diseases. He also underscored the importance of moving upstream to make workplaces safer. We agree and we have incorporated part of his suggestions into three focus areas that AfA-SHEL will focus on.
Firstly, injury prevention for the general workforce. Second, the support for those who are returning to work after a period of injury or a health episode. And third, workplace adaptation and job redesign, to make workplaces safer and more sustainable for our increasingly diverse workforce comprising people with various physical and health needs.
We also agree with Mr Yong's calls to treat fatigue as a core safety issue and better leverage technology in the WSH space. These are areas the AfA-SHEL could explore, through prototypes of technological solutions or fatigue management systems customised for specific workplace settings. We welcome the Labour Movement's active participation in the AfA-SHEL.
Mr Melvin Yong has also underlined the importance of the Government's role in driving change through procurement policies. And that is why WSH procurements for the public sector construction and construction-related projects have been raised since April 2024. The enhancements, which include a requirement to adapt and adopt mature WSH technologies when tendering for projects that are above or at $3 million, are aimed at doing exactly that.
On platform workers, Ms Yeo Wan Ling has called on MOM to leverage the Platform Workers Trilateral Group to explore how we can strengthen platform worker safety. We have taken the Member's suggestion into consideration, and more will be announced later this month.
Let me move quickly to my third segment on supporting our migrant workers. They have worked tirelessly to build and to keep our towns and homes running smoothly every day.
Over the years, we have worked closely with employers, dormitory operators and community partners to build a resilient ecosystem supporting migrant workers' well-being, spanning their housing, healthcare and recreation needs.
These efforts have been impactful. In 2024, the Migrant Worker Experience Survey has shown that more than nine in 10 migrant workers shared that they were satisfied with their working and living conditions in Singapore. This was the highest that was seen since the survey was first conducted since 2011.
Migrant worker housing has been our key priority. Migrant workers have built our homes, and it is our responsibility to ensure that they too have a conducive place to rest after a hard day's work. Good rest also ensures that they will continue working well and most importantly, work safely. That is why we have raised dormitory standards and enhanced pandemic preparedness in recent years.
To support existing dormitories in meeting improved standards by 2030, MOM has introduced the Dormitory Transition Scheme Grant to help defray retrofitting costs for about 900 existing dormitories. These improvements include provisions such as ensuite toilets and isolation facilities for better public health resilience. By 2040, all new and existing dormitories will meet the New Dormitory Standards, providing residents with more spacious rooms including in-room wi-fi coverage as well.
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Improving the housing conditions of our migrant workers does not necessarily mean higher costs. Earlier this year, MOM opened its first Government built-and-owned dormitory. The NESST Tukang Dormitory, as it is called, went beyond regulatory standards to incorporate design features shaped by migrant workers' feedback and improving their liveability and pandemic resilience. Notwithstanding these innovations, NESST Tukang is able to offer bed prices at below those of dormitories that meet the new dormitory standards and is expected to be financially sustainable.
I invite dormitory operators to join the Government in reimagining what is possible for migrant worker housing in Singapore. MOM is committed to working with you to testbed innovations and enhancements for the dormitory industry, as we press on with the construction of our second dormitory that will be in Sengkang West.
Equally important are spaces where our migrant workers can spend their rest days, build friendships and connections. To this end, MOM has made significant strides to transform and enrich Recreation Centres, which have seen higher visitor ship over time.
Ms Yeo Wan Ling and Mr Melvin Yong have called on the Ministry to continue enhancing migrant workers' access to key amenities and community spaces. I am pleased to share that building on existing Recreation Centres, we will introduce the Recreation Hub model, and this will expand the scale and range of offerings for our migrant workers. This will start with the redevelopment of the Soon Lee Recreation Centre into the first Recreation Hub. In 2030, migrant workers can look forward to a Soon Lee Recreation Hub that is about two to three times larger with its upgraded facilities and more offerings.
Beyond this model, MOM will also pilot smaller-scale satellite Recreation Centres to bring social and recreational options closer to where migrant workers live. Even as we improve the physical infrastructure of housing and recreation centres, what truly makes our migrant workers feel at home is the assurance that Singaporeans accept them and appreciate their contributions. How we treat our migrant workers in our daily lives says much about who we are as a people and as a society.
I would like to conclude Mr Chairman, that our efforts to support our vulnerable workers are an investment in social cohesion and resilience – they will preserve confidence in our social compact and foster enduring trust.
The Government is firmly committed to this undertaking and will continue to pursue it in close collaboration with our tripartite partners. Together, we will walk alongside every worker as we move forward with confidence.
The Chairman : Senior Parliamentary Secretary Shawn Huang.
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Manpower (Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong) : Mr Chairman, I will begin by sharing how we are strengthening our workplace fairness framework so that all workers are treated fairly.
I appreciate Ms Diana Pang's suggestion to make inclusive practices manageable for SMEs. TAFEP will step up public outreach and education efforts on the Workplace Fairness Act. TAFEP's resources and guides are kept simplified and bite-sized. Even SMEs with no dedicated HR personnel can easily apply them.
Ms Diana Pang also spoke about strengthening protections against workplace harassment and bullying. No worker should be subjected to such unacceptable practices in the workplace. The Workplace Fairness Act strengthens protections for workers facing harassment by requiring firms to put in place grievance handling processes. Beyond this, we will go upstream to help employers prevent workplace harassment and bullying.
MOM and tripartite partners are reviewing the existing Tripartite Advisory on Managing Workplace Harassment and developing a new Tripartite Standard on this matter. This will enhance the guidance for employers to adopt best practices to prevent and respond to workplace harassment.
Let me now highlight or outline our targeted measures for groups that need more support, starting with women and caregivers, two groups that tend to overlap. Too often, women who take on caregiving responsibilities may feel that they are making a zero-sum choice between caring for their loved ones or pursuing their careers.
As Ms Mariam Jaafar pointed out, caregivers who leave the workforce often find it hard to return. Programmes like Workforce Singapore's Career Conversion Programmes can help them get back into jobs with good prospects. But MOM also wants to ease their dilemma upfront by making work and caregiving sustainable. This is where flexible work arrangements come in.
FWAs are much more than just working from home. They also include flexible load arrangements and flexible working hours. These arrangements give employers and workers more options to organise work in sustainable and productive ways.
Mr Ng Chee Meng and Mr Abdul Malik have highlighted the pressures faced by sandwiched caregivers who care for both children and seniors. Both Members asked for stronger support for this group, through measures like financial support and leave.
On financial support, eligible working caregivers can boost their income and CPF savings through the Workfare Income Supplement and the Earn and Save Bonus under the Majulah Package. Non-working caregivers who have taken extended breaks can also benefit from other measures. For instance, they can boost their CPF savings in their senior years through the Matched Retirement Savings Scheme and the Budget 2026 CPF top-up.
On leave, many employers have voluntarily introduced caregiving-related leave provisions as part of their strategy to attract and retain talent. In 2024, around 6,100 employers offered paid family-care leave. This represents about 36% of private companies with at least 25 employees. However, many working caregivers tell us that FWAs are their preferred means of support.
FWAs offer caregivers the flexibility they need to stay in work. If a family member needs help with daily routines like medication or meals, caregivers need flexibility across the work week, not just a single block of time off. FWAs are thus more sustainable for caregivers to stay in employment. By staying in work, caregivers can secure a reliable foundation for their longer-term financial security.
Mr Abdul Malik has asked for the Government to collect data on caregiver employment. We already do, and our data suggests that FWA provision has risen. More women and caregivers have been able to stay in or return to work.
Based on MOM's surveys, one in two firms offered scheduled FWAs before the pandemic. When the pandemic hit, this changed our working norms and increased the provision of work-from-home and flexi-load FWAs. Now, around seven in 10 firms offer FWAs, even as firms adjust to new post-COVID-19 norms and adjust provision. And this has supported our labour force participation rate.
The share of caregivers who were neither working nor looking for work among residents aged 25 to 64 fell from 28.2% in 2019 to 17.2% in 2025. Similarly, the female labour force participation rate among those aged 25 to 64 has also risen, from 76.1% to 80.5% over the same period.
FWAs do not only benefit workers, they are a competitive advantage for employers. They widen the talent pool, strengthen retention and support productivity.
Dementia Singapore, a leading social service agency, knows this well. It has fully integrated FWAs such as staggered working hours into their workplace culture. For example, all employees can select their preferred working hours, allowing working parents to start and end work earlier to pick up their children. This has led to high levels of staff satisfaction and a low attrition rate.
But conversation about FWAs can be difficult. That is why we launched the Tripartite Guidelines on FWA Requests in 2024. The guidelines replace uncertainty with clarity, guiding structured conversations on requests for FWAs.
Let me illustrate how Dementia Singapore has used those guidelines. A cancer survivor in her late 50s required a reduced workload arrangement, or flexi-load, to manage her health. She submitted a formal FWA request in line with the Tripartite Guidelines. Dementia Singapore then considered it by weighing its operational requirements. Her work responsibilities were reviewed and redeployed in consultation with other teammates. Her request was approved and she is now on a three-day work week.
If employers do not consider requests in line with the guidelines, workers can seek assistance from TAFEP. TAFEP will engage the employer to align its processes. This could include requiring the employer to attend educational workshops on FWA implementation.
Ms Eileen Chong proposed making Tripartite Guidelines into law and making provisions of FWAs a presumptive right for working parents with young children. These moves are a little blunt as businesses differ across industries and roles. For instance, working from home is not possible for frontline jobs. Rigidly mandating FWAs across the board can stifle business operations and competitiveness. In the long run, this could hurt employment opportunities for Singaporeans. Instead, we have focused on more sustainable ways to enable companies to implement FWAs through initiatives such as job redesign support and providing a fair process for employers and workers to discuss mutually workable and beneficial arrangements.
Ms Diana Pang spoke about the challenges SMEs face when implementing FWAs. I wish to assure the Member that support is available. Firms, including SMEs, can utilise the Enterprise Workforce Transformation Package, set to launch later in March. The Enterprise Workforce Transformation Package provides funding and advisory support to help companies adopt new work models like FWAs.
We are also looking to enhance support for flexi-load arrangements. Flexi-load arrangements like part-time work, job sharing and fractional roles may be suitable for caregivers who need work at a reduced load to fulfil their caregiving duties. However, in 2024, less than half of employees who required the part-time work arrangements were provided with it compared to over 70% of employees who were provided with time-related FWAs like staggered work hour arrangements and location-related FWAs such as scheduled tele-working.
Today, we have the Part-Time Re-employment Grant which provides up to $125,000 to employers who offer part-time employment, FWAs and structured career planning to our senior workers.
Ms Mariam Jaafar asked about grant uptake and outcomes, and strengthening incentives to employers. Employers have responded positively to the grant. More than 7,600 have taken it up, benefitting more than 66,000 senior workers. As Senior Minister of State Koh has mentioned, we are extending the grant to end-2027 to continue supporting employers.
Given the grant's success, we are reviewing how we can enhance it to keep employers providing flexi-load jobs to more workers. This could potentially benefit other segments of workers who rely on flexi-load jobs such as caregivers.
Moving on to persons with disabilities. They too benefit from inclusive workplace practices. Imagine Daniel, a wheelchair user, applying for a job. He has the skills and qualifications. But some employers hesitate, unsure of his capabilities or concerned about additional costs. This is where the Enabling Employment Credit, comes in. The Enabling Employment Credit helps employers take that first step by covering up to 20% of Daniel's wages, easing cost concerns.
The results of our efforts have been encouraging. In 2025, 6,800 employers received the Enabling Employment Credit for hiring 10,800 Singapore residents with disabilities, up from 6,600 and 10,000 in 2022. To sustain this momentum, we extended the Enabling Employment Credit last year to run until end of 2028.
At the same time, Daniel needs support of his own. While the Enabling Employment Credit may help employers overcome hesitation, the Open Door Programme supports both the employer and Daniel as he navigates the job search and workplace. Through the programme, Daniel is matched with a suitable role. He also receives ongoing support to help him settle into work, such as personalised job coaching at his workplace. And if Daniel needs workplace modifications, like a wheelchair ramp to move up to office, the programme also covers up to 90% of that cost.
The programme has delivered strong results. It has supported over 2,400 persons with disabilities into employment in the past four years. More than 80% remain employed for at least six months. This shows that with the right support, persons with disabilities are not just employable, they are valuable, long-term contributors to their employers.
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But work is both about earning today’s income and long-term financial security. While employment helps Daniel through regular contributions to his CPF, additional support can go a long way in easing his financial worries. That is why, starting this January, we expanded the Matched Retirement Savings Scheme to include eligible Singaporeans with disabilities of all ages. With this expansion, around 24,000 Singaporeans with disabilities below the age of 55 can benefit from the scheme this year.
But inclusive workplaces cannot be built on incentives alone. They require clear norms and practical guidance. That is why MOM is working with tripartite partners and social service agencies on a new Tripartite Advisory on Reasonable Accommodations. The Advisory will provide practical guidance on how reasonable accommodation can be implemented at the workplace. This gives employers clarity, and for workers, confidence to raise accommodation needs early.
Nevertheless, workplace demands are evolving, and many families wonder if their loved ones with disabilities can adapt. That is why last December, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced the formation of the Taskforce on Assurance for Families with Persons with Disabilities, chaired by Minister of State for Social and Family Development Goh Pei Ming, and supported by myself and colleagues from the Ministries of Education and Health.
MOM will work closely with the Ministry of Social and Family Development to examine how to better support persons with disabilities in our changing job market: through upskilling, reskilling, expanding opportunities, strengthening employer support and building career resilience. Mr Chairman, let me recap in Mandarin.
( In Mandarin ) : [ Please refer to Vernacular Speech .] As the saying goes, “The sea embraces all rivers. It is great because it is inclusive.” In this rapidly changing era, the Government's goal is very clear. We want to help every employee continuously improve and move towards success. We firmly believe that an inclusive workplace environment will benefit all Singaporeans. Employees can better utilise their strengths and companies can also recruit more outstanding talent. MOM will continue to spare no effort in strengthening Singapore's labour market.
Although we have already achieved some results in promoting workplace inclusivity, we understand that some Singaporeans still face challenges when seeking employment.
Moving forward, MOM will further improve systems to create more employment opportunities for them. We will approach this from three aspects. First, raising industry standards. MOM will work through close tripartite cooperation to set higher standards and encourage more inclusive workplaces. Second, promoting flexible work arrangements. Allowing women and employees who need to care for their families to better balance career and family responsibilities. Three, supporting employment for persons with disabilities. MOM will actively guide employers, address their concerns and help persons with disabilities find good and suitable jobs where they can utilise their strengths.
These measures are not only practical but also complement each other to create a conducive work environment for all Singaporeans. Let us work together so that every Singaporean can contribute and share the joys of success.
( In English ): Mr Chairman, let me now close in Malay.
( In Malay ) : [ Please refer to Vernacular Speech .] MOM's ambition is clear – we want to enable workers to thrive, regardless of their background or circumstances. We want to create inclusive workplaces that allow workers to achieve their career aspirations and participate meaningfully in the workforce.
We must do this together. Employers must build a culture where every —
The Chairman : I am sorry, time is up. Guillotine time is 7.00 pm, so we only have about 25 minutes before we have to end this Head. Clarifications, keep them short as usual. Mr Saktiandi Supaat.
Mr Saktiandi Supaat : Thank you, Mr Chairman, for seeing my hand. Mr Chairman, I got three clarifications. One is with regard to Minister Tan's speech earlier about GRIT and OMIP. If Minister can actually share a bit more about the reception of GRIT from graduates thus far, I think Minister mentioned that there is room to expand the scheme in view of the increased uncertainty over the new tariffs and geopolitical tensions. Can Minister share a bit more about that? We already have 400 GRIT capacity. Whether there can be more that we can, or what is your view in terms of expanding beyond that 400?
The second one is I am happy to hear just now about the Overseas Markets Immersion Programme. It is very important as Singapore tries to internationalise. Can Minister share a bit more about how much more we can do to create spaces for the Overseas Markets Immersion Programme?
Second question is with regard to my question on the skilled trades. I hear Minister mentioned just now about the sectoral move to create the electronic or electrical trade framework. In my cut, I suggested to do a national master trade accreditation framework. Why not do that? Why not do that national rather than a specific sectoral, because I think we may be too slow if we do on a sectoral basis. I do not know, maybe can hear from Minister his view on that, given that the medium- to long-term manpower projections for critical skilled trades might be in need.
The last question I have is in terms of the life-cycle investment scheme. I asked a question in my cut, whether the scheme will allow for flexibility in selecting target retirement dates as we extend working lives and members may retire later than age 65. Whether there is some flexibility in terms of that?
Dr Tan See Leng : To his first question, for GRIT, we have originally, as of the outset, sized up about 800 of them, so the majority will be at GRIT; and then there is a smaller quantity, number of places at GRIT@Gov.
We have as of the outset about 4,000-plus applications, but I do not have the exact numbers with me, but the vast majority of them actually found jobs while they were applying for GRIT, because they contemporaneously also apply for jobs. And we are happy for that, because the whole objective of GRIT was to place them into permanent jobs. Having said that, today, 400 have come on board. There are still quite a substantive number out there that are undergoing on board clearance, including some security checks as well. What we are heartened to see is that by the end of January and into February, like I said, the majority of the original GRIT applicants have actually found jobs. [ Please refer to " Clarification by Minister for Manpower ", Official Report, 3 March 2026, Vol 96, Issue 23, Correction By Written Statement section. ]
But having said that, we continue to maintain the scheme. We will extend it to include the 2026 cohort as well. And given the uncertainty that just, the tensions that just came up — actually, the war that just came up over the weekend, we will not sunset the scheme. We will continue to hold it and, depending on the requirements, we may expand it if necessary.
For the Overseas Markets Immersion Programme, we are also very heartened by the response. What we are now doing is to expand it to more companies, to even potentially to younger employees as well who join companies. The most important thing that we require the companies who participate in the the Overseas Markets Immersion Programme, the funding is actually quite generous, it is up to 70%, it is for them to have a clear business plan. There must also be a very clear career path. What are the roles that they are going to transition post that overseas attachment? With that, with our programme partner and WSG dispersing the grant itself, we hope to be able to reach out to a larger swathe of the young population.
On the last one, the CPF Investment Scheme, and then maybe the Member could tell me what was the second one. The investment scheme is meant to provide a longer-term horizon for younger CPF members at the point of either starting or maybe very early on in their careers when they have a runway. What we have taken, with getting consultation with many of the investments consultants and advisors is that, we wanted to set it such that that life-cycle product allows for first, an automatic rebalancing without the member having to actively manage the portfolio with age; and the second part is obviously once they reach a certain age, then there would be a liquidation, a phased liquidation.
As far as what is that time horizon and whether we can extend it, today, we are just about to talk to the different providers. When we get more information, and once the scheme runs over the course, not the entire course at this time, once we have got the experience in working with some of these providers, we would be able to continue to refine and tweak the scheme further.
Having said that, even at our Payout Eligibility Age of 65 today, we find that quite a number of our CPF members have opted to get the payout at 70. And in fact, many of the members have asked us, can we extend beyond 70? So, ostensibly we understand, we take all this feedback into consideration. We are all living longer, hopefully healthier and these are the considerations that we will constantly take back and review.
What was the second? The national masters trade. We wanted to start with three sectors, because obviously there are multiple sectors all over. So, the first one we work with was the electrical trade. Part of the reason is that I am very familiar with the electrical trade, because I happen to also cover energy in the Ministry of Trade and Industry. Our licensed electrical workers (LEWs), they are also rapidly ageing. In fact, if I am not mistaken, the median age of our LEWs is about 60, 60 something.
So, I think for our own resilience, for our own security and our own reliability, we have to train this group of people. And earlier on I mentioned Jia Xing, I think he has done very well. So, we want to start that on a very firm footing.
The other two trades that we have identified is plumber and then the third one is air-conditioning technicians. These are all very important, key. And I think the Member knows the size of our population. If we want to try to spread it too thin, then obviously how to differentiate according to the importance and so on, I think that impact would be a lot more less impactful compared to being very focused on these three. So, we are starting off with these three first. [ Please refer to " Clarification by Minister for Manpower ", Official Report, 03 March 2026, Vol 96, Issue 23, Correction By Written Statement section. ]
The Chairman : Assoc Prof Jamus Lim. You had two cuts for eight minutes.
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim : Chair, if I heard Minister Tan correctly, he indicated the Government generally subscribes to the principles of on-the-job training through a traineeship programme, such as GRIT. May I confirm if this means that the Government will indeed be looking not just to expand the depth of the programme in terms of numbers, but to also go beyond science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and finance in terms of field coverage for all graduates from our ITEs, polytechnics and autonomous universities. And if so, does he anticipate that there will be a clear timeline for this expansion? And finally, in terms of GRIT, will this henceforth be administered under the new SSG, WSG Statutory Board?
Dr Tan See Leng : Let me clarify to Assoc Prof Lim. We, at this current moment, do not intend for it to be a national institutionalised programme for on-the-job training, because we think that, given the current employment situation, at least up to last year, or even up to January, there are still more job vacancies than there are jobseekers. A big part of it, of course, is the expectations may not match the type of jobs that are available in the market today. What we are considering for GRIT is for a group of graduates who may need the additional internships.
Having said that, there are many graduates who have already arranged their own industrial attachment and internships while they are in flight, whether it is through ITE, Polytechnics or in the IHLs. So, we do not have plans to develop this into a national programme. Suffice to say, today, we already have a whole series of all these programmes available – GRIT, Overseas Markets Immersion Programme, and these are for junior level persons. Beyond that, even at the mid-career level, we have also got different types of attachment programmes. So, let me set that record straight.
A large part of these programmes will be administered by the newly formed WSSG indeed. When it comes to the finance sectors and so on, I believe that WSSG would have to work with the Monetary Authority of Singapore, with the Institute of Banking and Finance Singapore and maybe other specialised institutions to get traction and to make sure that our reach and our impact is optimised and maximised for our locals.
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I think we all want the same thing for our people. We want to ensure that we deliver the best outcomes for them. We cannot deliver equal outcomes for everyone, but we want to deliver the best outcomes for them. I think the fundamental difference is that, today, we want to see a more differentiated, a more targeted and a more surgical approach towards each sector, rather than a blanket nationalised programme.
The Chairman : Ms Jessica Tan.
Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo : Thank you, Mr Chairman. I would like to ask the Senior Minister of State, with regard to the mid-career renewal and the various programmes that he has talked about. Would MOM consider expanding a Company Training Committee-style support, specifically for mid-career PMEs, who face possible disruptions and to enable employers also to redesign the roles and redeploy staff more proactively, because the Company Training Committee support could act like a enterprise-wide thing to allow for the health diagnostics, career health diagnostics, then the co-funding of the renewal and then the multi-stage career planning. So, I would like to ask if that would be possible?
The other is in terms of planning ahead and integrating a multi-stage career, would MOM explore sector-specific adaptations of the multi-stage career pathways particularly for sectors that are facing disruptions, for example, structural shifts, manufacturing, professional services and ICT?
And finally, on caregivers, there has been a lot of discussion about giving caregiver support for employment. But for those who have already been disrupted and are trying to enter the workforce, what additional support could be given to them, to help them re-enter the workforce?
Dr Koh Poh Koon : Sir, on the Member's first question about whether we will consider a Company Training Committee-style support. The answer is yes, because the Company Training Committee structure and the format is really a means to an end. So, if there are companies today, even before we start with the Career Longevity Centre, for example – even today, any company that is keen to do a more systematic transformation of their workplace in the business model, together with bringing workers along, can already approach NTUC, where there is a team of dedicated industry training officers that can guide a company through a Ops-Tech road mapping process and then chart out the road map for them to do a Company Training Committee-style transformation. That can affect the whole entire company's workforce, not just for the mid-careerists.
The second question on whether there will be sector-specific multi-stage pathways. That is one area of thinking we are looking at as well, because as I said in my speech, there is no one-size-fits-all model that will work for all companies or for all sectors. So, in order to have a little bit more of a targeted, tailored-made kind of a pathway for companies, we think that the AfA concept of what we are doing by having companies from different sectors piloting some of the ways in which they help to transform into a multi-generational workplace. They could then start to share their learnings with fellow companies in the same sector. So, that is one approach that we can take.
How we can actually then enlarge this could be through the various trade associations and chambers or even through the Career Longevity Centre, where employers themselves can conduct conversations and workshops, share their own experience, so that SMEs and companies of different sizes can learn together, have a community of practice and that then takes away some of the fears of even embarking on this transformation of the workplace, by the companies. So, that concept is exactly what we are thinking of. How we operationalise it, is something that is still in discussion and we are open to ideas.
The third one on how we can help caregivers. If we can get our career and employment support ecosystem, as Minister and myself had articulated, up to speed, crowding in a lot more of the private sector players in this space as well, some of the resources that we put forth, not just for the senior workers, can also be useful to those caregivers who have left the workforce for some time, who needed maybe a bit more of a skills uplift. So, the concept of the Career Longevity Centre or the combination of WSG and SSG coming together can do, is indeed in that direction, to put a one-stop kind of service for those who may need not just upskilling, but also have a bit more planning on how they can re-enter the workforce, and eventually find a better way to manage their entry into the workforce, perhaps even consider a case management-type of approach.
In other words, the caregiver who may have been out of the workforce for some time, you cannot just leave the person alone to just, "Oh, here is a job, and good luck to you. It is between you and your employer."
Maybe a case management approach to check in on the person, to just find out how you are doing after the first few months, to just make sure you handhold not just the individual, but maybe work with the HR in the company to understand how the HR for the company can better support this person who may need a lot more guidance, being away from the workforce for some time. So, these are ideas we are all exploring right now.
The Chairman : Mr Patrick Tay, for your five cuts, totalling seven minutes.
Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan : Firstly, on Mandatory Retrenchment Notifications, and secondly, on the ONE Pass.
Firstly, for the Mandatory Retrenchment Notification. Even as early as last month, I had another company that informed of a retrenchment exercise a day before. I think we were scrambling trying to help the workers, so I urge MOM to relook at the Mandatory Retrenchment Notification to MOM specifically, prior to the retrenchment exercise, so that we can act on it. And for those who breach Mandatory Retrenchment Notification requirements, not just a slap on the wrist, but more enhanced penalties and not just merely administrative penalties.
Second clarification is on the new ONE Pass (AI and Tech) track. How does it differ from the current Tech.Pass, and who are we really hoping to attract?
The Chairman : Who is taking this? Minister Tan.
Dr Tan See Leng : Mr Chairman, I will take both in the interest of time. The short answer is, for the Mandatory Retrenchment Notification advance notice, we are undertaking the review of the Employment Act and we will look at all that comprehensively. So, rest assured.
On the second part, with regard to the ONE Pass. The construct of the ONE Pass is meant to bring the movers and shakers, the rainmakers, the network brokers, here. We believe that the three most valuable traits that we have collectively is our one people, the trust that we have built over the years and the credibility that we have as a hub. And of course, today, in the uncertain world that we live in, the safety, the predictability, the transparency and the frameworks that we have here, and the type of robust debates, the constructive debates that we were able to have here, in the House, all put us in a very good position to attract global talent to be here.
And with that, they can spawn multiple enterprises. They can uplift the calibre of all, by transferring cutting-edge technology, thought processes and so on to our locals. Then I think we would have arrived and achieved our end objective.
The Chairman : Ms Yeo Wan Ling, you had four cuts, totaling 10 minutes.
Ms Yeo Wan Ling : My clarification is for the Minister. In the Labour Movement, I have seen first-hand how PWM brings dignity, structured progressions into our workers lives when previously there was none.
In this House today, I heard differing views questioning the relevance and efficacy of our PWCS and, thereby, impacting the PWM productivity and upskilling intents. When something has demonstrably improved livelihoods for thousands of Singaporeans is portrayed as burdensome or ineffective, it risks eroding confidence in policies that have made actual differences on the ground. There has been a diversity of views expressed today, including specific suggestions to policies, how will the Government take all of these on board?
Dr Tan See Leng : I recognise and I respect the diversity of the views that have been expressed, not just today, but I think in many of our sessions. And there are also many different views, huge dichotomy and also many tensions between the views that have been expressed. For example, some would want AI to move faster and then others urge more caution. We have even had Mr Gerald Giam and Assoc Prof Ho, who called for rapid AI democratisation, put AI skills into every workers' hands, as quickly as possible.
On the other hand, Mr Pritam Singh cautioned against unfettered expansion, urge for tighter guardrails, stronger regulation; and Ms Yeo Wan Ling, Dr Wan Rizal, Ms Mariam Jaafar have similarly echoed views to ensure that AI adoption actually translates into real wage growth and not jobless growth. Then, we have got other examples where some want to raise productivity skills and wages in the domestic sectors, while others ask to support lower productivity sectors with easier access to foreign workers.
Ms Yeo Wan Ling spoke about the limits as to how much we can expand our foreign workforce and yet, Mr Gerald Giam warns of the dangers of a dual-speed economy. However, at the same time, with some Members, for instance, like Assoc Prof Jamus Lim and Mr Mark Lee, have called for more leeway for domestic-oriented sectors, including F&B and retail, to access foreign workers, to help our SMEs cope with cost pressures.
Members of the House, Mr Chairman, these are examples that reflect the fundamental trade-offs that we must all square off. As with all policy decisions, we strike a very careful and a very delicate balance between all of these competing priorities. As the Government of the day, we are entrusted with the responsibility to navigate these complex issues. We have to reconcile all of these tensions into coherent, fiscally sustainable and forward-looking and practical policies for all of our fellow Singaporeans.
So, we consult widely. We consult widely with workers, with employers, with unions, with industry partners and we try as much as possible, to ensure that the voices and the concerns are heard. We have this singular objective. We want to empower Singaporeans through all stages of life and we want to ensure that they are equipped to succeed in this changed world.
We also have to contemporaneously ensure that our businesses continue to thrive in this transformed landscape, so that we can continue to foster an environment where innovation, where opportunity continues to be accessible to all.
So, we balance all these priorities. Sometimes, certain, very expedient and clear pathways may seem so intuitive. Why is it that we are not able to do it? It is because whatever policy that we come up with and implement, it will trigger a cascade of ramifying effects, much further, laterally and down the line. And hence, we walk on a very tight rope and we hope that with your support, with that focus on singularly building a better future for all of our Singaporeans and our future generations that will come after us, we will continue to work hard to build a Singapore that is prosperous, that is full of optimism, resilient and safe for all. So, I thank the Member for her understanding.
Mr Chairman : I am sorry. We have reached the guillotine time. So, can I invite Ms Yeo Wan Ling, if you would like to withdraw the amendment?
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Ms Yeo Wan Ling : Thank you to all who were involved in this very robust and rich discussion. Chairman, with that, I seek leave to withdraw my amendment.
[(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The sum of $3,920,999,400 for Head S ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The sum of $178,690,100 for Head S ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]