Adjournment motion on a winning global talent strategy
The Ministry of Manpower will pilot a Settling-In Programme for new S Pass holders next year to help them get familiar with working in Singapore and encourage positive interaction with locals. Manpower Minister Tan See Leng said this in response to an adjournment motion by NMP Raj Joshua Thomas in Parliament on Monday (Nov 7). Currently, these programmes are not compulsory. Dr Tan said the aim is to strike a balance between promoting integration and not being overly prescriptive. Employers also have an important part to play in supporting foreign employees who are new to Singapore. He said there are clear benefits if work pass holders are well-integrated into Singapore's society. A healthy respect for Singapore's laws, culture and local colleagues will make for less friction in the workplace and produce stronger teams, he said. As for Singapore's future workers, overseas exposure is key to taking up leadership positions later, especially in global companies. There are programmes to start such capability building early. The Ministry of Education works with Institutes of Higher Learning on initiatives for students, such as overseas internships and educational exchanges. Dr Tan said the Government will do more with unions, workers and companies to ensure that Singapore will be "brimming with opportunities" for its people. In his adjournment motion, Mr Thomas stressed the need to make clear that Singapore's relationship with global talent is "transactional". The initial impetus should not be about immigration, bolstering population numbers or immediately settling in as residents but to fill the gaps in the economy, he said. This "transactional first instance" would be a testing phase to "see if they like us and we like them", he added. If it is a match, they can be invited to become permanent residents and citizens. Mr Thomas said emphasising a transactional initial relationship will not affect Singapore's attractiveness as a magnet for global talent. He stressed that foreigners seeking to settle here must respect and accept Singapore's national identity, shared values and way of life. This "testing phase" could occur while an expatriate in Singapore is on the work pass or during permanent residency, he added.
The Ministry of Manpower will pilot a Settling-In Programme for new S Pass holders next year to help them get familiar with working in Singapore and encourage positive interaction with locals. Manpower Minister Tan See Leng said this in response to an adjournment motion by NMP Raj Joshua Thomas in Parliament on Monday (Nov 7). Currently, these programmes are not compulsory. Dr Tan said the aim is to strike a balance between promoting integration and not being overly prescriptive. Employers also have an important part to play in supporting foreign employees who are new to Singapore. He said there are clear benefits if work pass holders are well-integrated into Singapore's society. A healthy respect for Singapore's laws, culture and local colleagues will make for less friction in the workplace and produce stronger teams, he said. As for Singapore's future workers, overseas exposure is key to taking up leadership positions later, especially in global companies. There are programmes to start such capability building early. The Ministry of Education works with Institutes of Higher Learning on initiatives for students, such as overseas internships and educational exchanges. Dr Tan said the Government will do more with unions, workers and companies to ensure that Singapore will be "brimming with opportunities" for its people. In his adjournment motion, Mr Thomas stressed the need to make clear that Singapore's relationship with global talent is "transactional". The initial impetus should not be about immigration, bolstering population numbers or immediately settling in as residents but to fill the gaps in the economy, he said. This "transactional first instance" would be a testing phase to "see if they like us and we like them", he added. If it is a match, they can be invited to become permanent residents and citizens. Mr Thomas said emphasising a transactional initial relationship will not affect Singapore's attractiveness as a magnet for global talent. He stressed that foreigners seeking to settle here must respect and accept Singapore's national identity, shared values and way of life. This "testing phase" could occur while an expatriate in Singapore is on the work pass or during permanent residency, he added.
Popular Shows
