Over half of PMEs feel the need to upskill amid AI disruptions: NTUC survey
The labour movement will push for enhanced support measures as workers express anxiety and concerns
Add BT as a preferred sourceJermaine Fok
[SINGAPORE] More than half of professionals, managers and executives (PMEs) in Singapore feel the need to upskill to remain relevant amid disruption caused by artificial intelligence (AI), a National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) survey has found.
The labour movement said on Monday (Feb 9) that the findings reflect growing concerns among PMEs that “their current skills and career pathways may not be keeping pace with AI disruptions”. It added that it has been “keeping pulse on PMEs’ anxieties and concerns”.
NTUC secretary-general Ng Chee Meng, speaking to the media during a visit to SIN Assurance PAC, a public accounting firm, said that feedback from the ground shows growing anxiety among PMEs over skills relevance and job security.
Speaking ahead of Budget 2026, which will be delivered by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Thursday, Ng said that AI-driven disruption has become a “real concern” for workers across sectors, including PMEs.
“Our PMEs are prepared to adapt, but they need timely training and tangible support, both in employment and in the event of retrenchment, so that they do not have to navigate these challenges alone,” he said.
Against this backdrop, NTUC will call for “stronger job security measures and improved transition support for workers, particularly PMEs”, in the upcoming Budget as AI continues to reshape workplaces.
Among the proposals the labour movement will raise are the advancement of “mandatory retrenchment notifications and strengthening job support from companies to help retrenched workers access more jobs”.
It will also push for enhancements to existing government schemes, such as the Jobseeker Support Scheme.
Said Ng: “We want AI to be enabled in our economy that will give us new possibilities for our Singapore economy to go up to a new level, and we want to bring all workers, including white-collar professionals.
“We will be seeking to advocate support for them in upskilling and in the eventuality of retrenchment.”
Further support
To complement these measures, Ng highlighted NTUC’s Company Training Committee (CTC) as a platform to support both business transformation and workforce upskilling.
Through the CTC and the CTC Grant initiative, NTUC works with employers to develop company-level transformation plans and support workers in becoming “future-ready”.
The committee supports companies in adopting technology and AI to enhance productivity, particularly for PMEs.
As at December 2025, more than 800 CTC Grant projects had been approved to enhance business and workforce productivity.
About one in six of these projects were related to finance, accounting and procurement roles. These are expected to benefit close to 1,700 workers, many of whom are PMEs.
As demand in these sectors grow, more projects are expected to follow.
On Monday, SIN Assurance PAC – one of five accounting firms that have tapped the CTC Grant – shared how it leveraged NTUC’s support to adopt AI-related technologies to streamline audit processes.
Among others, it implemented an online quality-management tool that centralises key audit and accounting requirements and activities.
The firm also adopted robotic process automation within its quality-management processes and deployed an AI-enabled chatbot to improve efficiency and accuracy, NTUC said.
Eer Jia Han, manager at SIN Assurance PAC, said that the company can now focus on higher-value work.
“We are better able to apply our professional judgment to higher-risk and more complex areas, strengthening audit quality and the reliability of our assurance conclusions.”
She added that tasks which previously took about an hour, such as processing 50 e-mails, can now be completed in about four minutes with the help of AI, saving significant time by automating repetitive manual processes.
Dax Teo, managing partner of SIN Assurance PAC, said the firm is looking to scale further, rather than replacing workers, by incorporating technology and AI.
He noted that the firm currently has 11 employees, 10 of whom use AI in their work. “We do not regard AI and automation as threats to employment, but as enablers of higher-value work,” he added.
For more of BT’s Budget 2026 coverage, go to bt.sg/budget26
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