Improving career resilience and management in Singapore

Employees in Singapore have been encouraged to take a more active role in managing their careers, while the government continues to design unemployment support schemes that strike a balance between ensuring adequate income support and encouraging active job search.

Speaking at a citizen panel discussion on employment resilience, Tan See Leng, Singapore’s Minister of Manpower said, “In an increasingly uncertain and volatile world, the risk of displacement and involuntary unemployment is very real. What we hope to achieve is to get people to start to take ownership and give them understanding and insights into how global and industry trends are evolving, and how they can continue to stay relevant.”

Drawing an analogy between health and employment resilience, the minister urged employees not to wait until they are at risk of unemployment to start thinking about career planning. Like physical health, careers require hard work and consistent effort to maintain, particularly when considering that Singaporeans are living longer and receiving better education, allowing them to pursue multiple career paths, he said.

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The citizen panel discussion, organised by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), is one of four to provide more insights and recommendations on strengthening employment resilience in Singapore. Final proposals will be presented to the government during the final session on March 25 this year, the Straits Times reported.