Staying on the job

THIS WEEK'S TOPIC What are the pros and cons of the new Career Support Programme and other initiatives to enhance the employment of Singaporean professionals, managers and executives (PMEs)?

Victor Mills Chief Executive Singapore International Chamber of Commerce

SUPPORT for PMEs over 40 is welcome as this is the group which has suffered most from age discrimination. If retrenched workers over 40 maintain a positive attitude by focusing on their skills, there is now more than sufficient help for them to get a new job. The cons are that we need to incentivise employers to do the right thing in a tight labour market.

By tightening the rules of the Fair Consideration Framework, the government is doing its job by looking after its citizens. Most businesses want to employ Singaporeans as it is more cost effective than employing foreigners. The cons are an unintended deepening of a misplaced sense of en…