Rising share of EP holders in infocomms, but local PMET numbers up too: Tan See Leng
EVEN as information and communications (ICT) accounts for a growing share of Employment Pass holders (EP), the sector is also seeing an increase in local professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs), said Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng on Monday (Oct 3), making the point that the entry of foreign talent is “not a zero-sum game”.
Dr Tan was responding to parliamentary questions on three areas of Singapore’s foreign manpower policies: ensuring a complementary foreign workforce; developing local talent; and safeguards to ensure fair consideration during the hiring process.
Asked for data to show that Singaporeans are “succeeding in getting quality jobs in key sectors”, and for EP holder numbers in the ICT sector compared to others, Dr Tan noted that the ICT sector accounted for one-fifth of the EP stock in 2021, up from one-sixth in 2016.
But the sector’s growth has also created more jobs for locals, with the number of local PMETs in ICT growing by 34,4000 in the same period, he said, adding: “Median local wages in the sector continue to increase. Therefore, we can see quite clearly that it is not a zero-sum game.”
“We have managed to create good employment outcomes because we continue to be an attractive place for companies to do business,” said Dr Tan, warning that companies might leave Singapore if they “do not have access to the complementary foreign manpower that they need”.
On fair consideration, Dr Tan reiterated that the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) does not tolerate unfair hiring practices. Between 2017 and 2021, the ministry took enforcement action against some 300 companies found to be discriminatory, such as issuing warnings and barring them from hiring or renewing passes of foreign workers.
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At the same time, MOM works with companies who have a high share of foreign PMETs to improve their workforce profiles. Since 2016, the ministry has engaged more than 1,700 employers under the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF).
Workers’ Party MP Pritam Singh asked if the upcoming Complementarity Assessment Framework (Compass) will help to reduce the number of companies on the FCF’s watchlist over time, given that it includes diversity-related criteria.
To that, Dr Tan replied that Compass – which comes into force from Sep 1, 2023 – will allow for a more “differentiated” strategy. It assesses candidates on four criteria: two relating to the candidate’s individual attributes such as qualifications, and two related to the employer, such as its proportion of PMETs that are of the same nationality as the candidate.
“Because it is almost a set of interlocking gears, whatever you move in one criteria will affect the rest,” said Dr Tan. “Our sense today... is that this is a good framework which will help to differentiate our workforce. And it also allows us to review from time to time, how we can be more responsive to the type of jobs (and) type of talent our country and our economy needs.”
As for developing Singapore’s local talent pool, Dr Tan reiterated that the government will continue to work with tripartite partners to train local workers and expose them to new opportunities.
For example, the government has worked with industry stakeholders on the Industry Transformation Maps for 23 sectors, and set aside S$70 million for the National Trades Union Congress Company Training Committees grant.
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