Singaporeans must take charge of careers by identifying new opportunities: Tan See Leng

EVEN as the government invests in schemes to help Singaporeans seize new opportunities, workers must also learn to identify opportunities in the economy, set long-term career goals and take proactive steps towards achieving them, said Manpower Minister Tan See Leng on Wednesday (Nov 2).

Dr Tan made these comments while addressing professionals, managers and executives at a dialogue session under the Forward Singapore national exercise, where he outlined how the government plans to create economic opportunities and provide assurance to Singaporeans throughout their lives — the two themes that have emerged from the dialogues.

Firstly, the government will ensure that all Singaporeans have a strong start, through access to quality education and diversified pathways in schools.

Secondly, Dr Tan reiterated that a strong economy remains the “essential foundation and key driver” of creating opportunities for Singaporeans. The government will continue to build on this through several ways: setting the country’s long-term economic vision through the Singapore Economy 2030 plan, keeping pace with disruptions through the Industry Transformation Maps and Job Transformation Maps, and staying open to global talent.

The government will also ensure that Singapore builds an inclusive labour market that can support multiple pathways of progress, said the minister. “We have traditionally valued ‘head’ work, but ‘hands-on’ and ‘heart’ work are important and can require deep skills too,” he added.

To empower Singaporeans to take charge of their “career health”, the government plans to harness data and artificial intelligence to generate “personalised career insights” so that workers have information on what career opportunities are available to them, as well as the pathways to get there.

GET BT IN YOUR INBOX DAILY

Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox.

Sign UpVIEW ALL

This personalised career plan will be regularly updated to keep abreast of industry developments, as well as the workers’ own evolving needs and interests. The government is also looking into providing quality career coaching to more Singaporeans.

“We want you to be brave and curious in seeking out new opportunities, including those beyond our shores,” said Dr Tan.

As the economy becomes more volatile and prone to shocks, the government is looking into how to provide better support to displaced workers to help them bounce back quickly. “The goal is to help as many workers as we can to bounce back into a job, by encouraging them, inspiring them to be persistent and by enabling them to be effective in their job search,” said the minister.

Lastly, while career health requires a “whole-of-society effort”, involving employers, unions and stakeholders, Dr Tan stressed that Singaporeans must take responsibility for their career health. “You must be the one to walk this journey. You must take charge,” he said.