The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability) hosted NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng and Minister for Manpower Dr Tan See Leng at e2i’s Career Coaching Series today. The event was attended by about 80 participants.
At the event, Minister Tan shared additional details about the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support (JS) scheme, following Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s announcement of this scheme at the National Day Rally (NDR) 2024. PM Wong earlier announced that the scheme would provide temporary financial support of up to $6,000 over a period of up to six months, to help support lower- and middle-income workers who become involuntarily unemployed due to retrenchments or company closures. He added that workers need to do their part too by proactively pursuing training, career coaching and job matching, to secure better job opportunities.
NTUC’s Response to SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support Scheme
In response to the announcement of the JS scheme details, NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng said, “I thank Minister Tan and MOM for taking in NTUC’s inputs on the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme. NTUC has been advocating for unemployment support for workers for many years. Truth be told, there were disagreements in NTUC's early negotiations with MOM. We had deep discussions with MOM and we didn’t see eye-to-eye. It took us 10 years. I appreciate very much the Government’s willingness to reset their approach and design this new policy. Together with the $72,000 over a 24-month period under the SkillsFuture Level-up Programme, this JS scheme is a good first step in supporting our workers. NTUC will continue to lean in to assist jobseekers according to the changing needs of our workers. We will also continue to innovate and work with our tripartite partners to champion workers' interests."
Unemployment Support First Mooted by NTUC in 2014
The SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme is a good first step in providing support for involuntarily unemployed workers. The JS scheme reflects NTUC’s decade-longstanding advocacy for some form of unemployment support for workers affected by retrenchments and those navigating career transitions, particularly in an evolving job market. NTUC Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) Patrick Tay’s repeated calls since 2014 for some form of unemployment support for workers stemmed from feedback gathered through NTUC’s and unions’ engagements with workers. The union leaders underscored the importance of having some form of financial assistance for those facing involuntary unemployment as they faced pressure to make ends meet while they find new jobs.
NTUC Assistant Secretary-General Patrick Tay said, “The SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme reflects my repeated calls in and out of Parliament for the past decade for some form of unemployment support to help workers. I thank Minister Tan and MOM for listening to some of NTUC’s suggestions and proposals for the scheme. The scheme marks a first step in the right direction to support involuntarily unemployed persons with financial support, as they would take time to bounce back from employment setbacks. With support from the JS scheme, our workers can focus on upskilling, reskilling, and securing meaningful employment without the immediate pressures of financial insecurity.”
Presently, jobseekers can reach out to NTUC’s e2i for employment assistance and use the self-help resources on their website to enhance their employability.
A Continued Partnership between Tripartite Partners
The JS scheme is an important component of our renewed Workers’ Compact, designed to address the evolving needs of every worker in Singapore. NTUC remains committed to innovate and working closely with the Government, and Singapore National Employers’ Federation (SNEF), to enhance the scheme as the needs of our workers evolve. NTUC will continue to advocate for policies that support all workers, including Professionals, Managers, and Executives (PMEs), so that no worker is left behind in their career journeys, because Every Worker Matters.
