NTUC Assistant Secretary-General Patrick Tay recently spoke in Parliament about three key priorities for workforce development, which he calls the “3 ‘S’s”. These priorities focus on supporting Singaporeans, strengthening the Singaporean Core, and building a Skills-First Singapore. Patrick Tay’s speech comes at a time of significant uncertainty for workers, as disruptive technologies like AI are transforming the workforce and many are worried about job security and career progression.
According to the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Future of Jobs Report, 92 million (or 8%) of all current jobs will be displaced globally in the next five years. At the same time, 170 million new jobs will be created, leading to a net growth of 78 million jobs. This is attributed to drivers such as the race toward renewable energy and AI, which have already been cited for mass retrenchment exercises both globally and in Singapore. Generative AI, in particular, has the potential to displace entry-level knowledge work by automating mundane or repetitive tasks, which will significantly impact Singapore’s knowledge-based workforce.
The future of work is changing rapidly, and it’s understandable for Singaporean workers, especially Professionals, Managers, and Executives (PMEs), to feel anxious. Disruptive technologies like AI are transforming the workforce, and many are worried about job security and career progression. But in every challenge lies an opportunity, and the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) is committed to helping workers navigate these changes and thrive.
By prioritising the 3 ‘S’—Supporting Singaporeans, strengthening the Singaporean Core, and a Skills-First Singapore, we honour workers and commit to helping them earn a better living and live a better life.
NTUC Assistant Secretary-General Patrick Tay
Supporting Singaporeans
NTUC believes we need a Just Transition that prioritizes the re-skilling and re-deployment of workers, ensuring no worker is left behind in the adoption of new technologies. NTUC has been a strong voice for training allowances and subsidies for mid-career and older workers, financial support for those who are involuntarily unemployed, and government-funded traineeships for young graduates. These calls have been answered by the Government with the launch of the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme, Jobseeker Support Scheme, and the Graduate Industry Traineeships (GRIT) Programme.
Despite these efforts, one-third of over 2,000 workers surveyed by NTUC in 2025 expressed concerns about losing their jobs or not having their contracts renewed in the next three months. In light of these anxieties, NTUC is calling for the Government to:
- Consider extending the Jobseeker Support Scheme to involuntarily unemployed PMEs, especially those earning above the current $5000 salary threshold.
- Take stronger action alongside unions against employers who do not practice fair and responsible retrenchment.
- Form a Tripartite Workgroup on Safeguarding Workers in the Age of AI to encourage companies to adopt Just Transition practices, prevent algorithmic discrimination, and ensure responsible use of AI-powered human resource (HR) tools.
- Review the Employment Act to provide more clarity on company restructuring and require employers to give explicit reasons for termination.
Strengthening the Singaporean Core
The Singaporean Core must be a Singaporean-led Core, ensuring that local PMEs are not sidelined in their own economy. NTUC has been a long-time advocate for measures to level the playing field for local PMEs, including the Workplace Fairness Act, a foreign PME dependency ratio, and stricter Employment Pass (EP) application conditions, continuous enhancements to the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF), and many others.
While these protections are a good start, many Singaporean workers feel sidelined as foreign talent dominates senior and leadership positions. NTUC is calling on companies, especially Multi-National Corporations (MNCs), to invest in local talent pipelines and groom our PMEs for leadership roles before looking abroad. One suggestion is to incorporate the proportion of Singaporeans in management positions as a bonus criterion in the Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS) for EP applications. NTUC also believes that the
Institute for Human Resource Professionals (IHRP) certification should be made mandatory for HR practitioners to ensure they have the essential competencies and understand Singapore’s tripartite industrial relations framework.
A Skills-First Singapore for All Workers
The traditional idea of a linear career path is a thing of the past. In this new landscape, degrees and diplomas can no longer be the only measure of your worth. Instead, a Skills-First approach is needed, one that prioritizes your skills and competencies over your formal qualifications.
This means that a history major who has demonstrated coding skills should be confident in applying for a programmer job. It also means that two workers with the same skills and performance should have the same opportunities for career advancement, regardless of whether one has a diploma and the other a degree. A Skills-First approach empowers a diverse range of learners, including older workers, freelancers, and people with disabilities, to showcase the value of their work and find new opportunities.
To make this a reality, NTUC is advocating for several changes:
- Robust Frameworks: The Government needs to create strong frameworks for skills accreditation and transferability across institutions and industries.
- Leading by Example: The Public Service should lead the way by implementing skills-based hiring and progression.
- Progressive Employers: Employers should list the necessary skills in job descriptions instead of just formal qualifications and consider things like skill certifications and performance appraisals for career progression.
NTUC and its unions are committed to standing in solidarity with workers. They believe that by championing a Skills-First approach, safeguarding the Singaporean Core, and pushing for a Just Transition, they can ensure that every worker is valued for what they can do and has the chance to earn a better living and live a better life.
