Committee of Supply 2026 debate, Day 4: Saktiandi Supaat on valuing skilled trades pathways

Does the Ministry of Manpower track medium- to long-term manpower projections for critical skilled trades, especially those supporting digital infrastructure and the green transition? Are there any emerging gaps from a wage and productivity perspective? Are there already signs of wage compression in middle-skilled technical roles and how might this affect the attractiveness of these careers to Singaporeans? MP Saktiandi Supaat raised these questions in parliament on Tuesday (Mar 3). He stressed that Singapore must invest adequately in skilled trades to avoid having high-end innovation without sufficient operational depth.