The Signature Series: Dr. Koh Poh Koon

The Chamber was very pleased to host Dr. Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment and Ministry of Manpower once again this afternoon as our distinguished speaker. All things manpower related were on the agenda within the context of the 2024 Committee of Supply (COS) debate announcements by MOM. Following opening remarks, Dr. Koh and the audience engaged in a closed-door dialogue moderated by Ms. Dawn Tan Ly-Ru, Chairwoman, SICC. Here are our key takeaways from the dialogue:

🌟 MOM’s COS announcements build on those of previous years (just like each Singapore Budget does) with clear commitments to help upskill our local workforce. The Chamber thinks we Singaporeans have every reason to feel confident of our continuing employability provided we maintain a positive work attitude and utilize all the advantageous schemes on offer. SICC clearly sees both the intent and the fit for purpose nature of domestic policy in Singapore. Here, again, this country is an outlier in the best sense when compared to other jurisdictions.

🌟 Ageism remains a knotty problem here as elsewhere but demographics will help resolve this as the multi-generational workforce expands. The other factor to remember is workers in their 50s and 60s today are better educated than previous cohorts and have more to offer. That said, there is still much mindset change needed by businesses, HR professionals and hiring managers to leverage the multi-generational workforce. Workforce Fairness Legislation is a clear signal as are the planned increases in the retirement and re-employment ages. But mindsets need to change now!

🌟 Businesses have a responsibility to ensure the lived experience of all local workers is positive and global workers are well integrated. (The Chamber has been advocating for positive workplace culture as a key business and individual enabler for years and will continue to do so.)

🌟 Dependent Pass holders who want to work can also apply for a work permit if they do not earn enough for an EP/S Pass, or want to work part-time or in NGOs, the arts or education.

The Chamber thanks Dr. Koh for his time and high level of engagement and interaction with the audience during and after the event. Our thanks, too, go to Chamber member Newcastle Australia Institute of Higher Education for being our venue partner and to the audience for its willingness to dialogue.