Debate on President’s Address: Desmond Choo on stronger social safety nets for vulnerable workers
With an increasingly volatile global economy, Singapore must press on with efforts to help workers cope with the uncertainties, said MP Desmond Choo. Speaking in Parliament on Monday (Apr 17), he stressed that good growth and jobs, as well as strong social safety nets, are key to helping Singaporeans navigate a rapidly changing economy. He highlighted the need to support three segments of the workforce - Singaporeans born in the 1960s to 1970s, older workers and the self-employed. He suggested two areas of focus to help Singaporeans rebound from the tough times before and after they have lost their jobs. On the pre-loss of jobs, Mr Choo said the key is to reskill to remain relevant in the workforce and to keep abreast of developments. The Government can help employers in allowing workers to reskill while they are still gainfully employed. One way is to increase the absentee payroll (AP) funding and the overall S$100,000 annual cap for companies. This will allow companies to send workers for training while being subsidised for such costs. The funding can be increased based on the age of the employees, with older workers receiving greater support. Workers in the vulnerable and sunset sectors can also be considered for enhanced AP support. Companies which send a larger number of mature workers for training should also qualify for a higher cap. Mr Choo said companies will be incentivised to hire mature workers, and mature workers will be incentivised to go for training. On helping those who have already lost their jobs, Mr Choo suggested introducing unemployment support for workers who are involuntarily forced to leave their jobs, such as retrenchment. This support can be linked to training and job search. Career Conversion Programmes can also be enhanced, with higher allowance and income support during the conversion process. Mr Choo asked if the Government could look into expanding the eligibility of career trials to benefit self-employed persons who may be considering formal employment.
With an increasingly volatile global economy, Singapore must press on with efforts to help workers cope with the uncertainties, said MP Desmond Choo. Speaking in Parliament on Monday (Apr 17), he stressed that good growth and jobs, as well as strong social safety nets, are key to helping Singaporeans navigate a rapidly changing economy. He highlighted the need to support three segments of the workforce - Singaporeans born in the 1960s to 1970s, older workers and the self-employed. He suggested two areas of focus to help Singaporeans rebound from the tough times before and after they have lost their jobs. On the pre-loss of jobs, Mr Choo said the key is to reskill to remain relevant in the workforce and to keep abreast of developments. The Government can help employers in allowing workers to reskill while they are still gainfully employed. One way is to increase the absentee payroll (AP) funding and the overall S$100,000 annual cap for companies. This will allow companies to send workers for training while being subsidised for such costs. The funding can be increased based on the age of the employees, with older workers receiving greater support. Workers in the vulnerable and sunset sectors can also be considered for enhanced AP support. Companies which send a larger number of mature workers for training should also qualify for a higher cap. Mr Choo said companies will be incentivised to hire mature workers, and mature workers will be incentivised to go for training. On helping those who have already lost their jobs, Mr Choo suggested introducing unemployment support for workers who are involuntarily forced to leave their jobs, such as retrenchment. This support can be linked to training and job search. Career Conversion Programmes can also be enhanced, with higher allowance and income support during the conversion process. Mr Choo asked if the Government could look into expanding the eligibility of career trials to benefit self-employed persons who may be considering formal employment.
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