Employers and workers welcome SPUR scheme
By Cheryl Lim, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 21 November 2008 2236 hrs

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SINGAPORE: Employers and workers have welcomed the Skills Programme For Upgrading and Resilience (SPUR).

After working in a local shipping firm for 20 years, 46-year-old Anna Lim is now unemployed after her boss dissolved the company last month.

She is one of the 110 people who signed up for the South West CDC's retail job fair. With two school-going children to support and a husband on the brink of retirement, Anna said she is not picky about jobs.

She said: "We cannot ask the boss not to retrench us. So we have to swallow whatever they give out. We are the ones that get hit first."

The introduction of SPUR should help create more employment opportunities to those like Anna and it's a move that's welcomed.

"I wish the government would have done it earlier," said one woman.

The new scheme will also help in some companies' retraining efforts.

Irene Tan, human resource and admin manager, VGO Corporation, said: "We have to retrain our current pool of staff to enhance their product knowledge and their customer service.

"Currently, we have engaged a new trainer and we are training our staff to improve their standards and product knowledge. So basically, with the government's introduction of this new scheme, I think we can benefit from it with all the claims."

Most Singaporeans said job security remains their top focus for now. But with more months of economic uncertainty ahead, they are hoping next year's budget will also help reduce the rising costs of daily necessities. - CNA/vm