Adopting a skills-based approach to define job fit and competencies

Josephine Teo, Singapore’s Minister for Communications and Information, said this at a panel discussion about creating a global skills framework at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Such conditions also support the three labour market outcomes the government wants: high employment, low unemployment, and sustainable wage growth, she said.

“When employers obviously have a very large pool to select from, they are much more likely to want plug-and-play,” she said.

A tight labour market is also prompting employers to look at candidates more closely and make the effort to top up their skills – out of necessity as they seek to meet their manpower needs, added Teo.

Earlier this month, Singapore’s Manpower Ministry said it would support the hiring of mature workers who have not worked for at least six months, people with disabilities and former offenders, by extending the Jobs Growth Incentive for employers to September.

Employers can also tap programmes such as the SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme to provide mature workers with on-the-job training and evaluate their suitability for the role. 

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At the discussion, panellists said there is growing recognition from both employers and workers of the need to shift to a skills-based approach of looking at competencies and job fit, not least because jobs are changing faster than ever, according to The Straits Times.