Speech at JobsCentral Career & Learning Fair 2009
Mr Hawazi Daipi, Senior Parliamentary Secretary , Suntec International Convention and Exhibition Centre, Hall 404
Mr Lim Dershing, Chief Executive Officer, JobsCentral Pte Ltd
Ms Huang Shao-Ning, Managing Director, JobsCentral Pte Ltd
Distinguished guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
Introduction
1. Good morning. I am delighted to join you this morning for the opening of the JobsCentral Career and Learning Fair 2009.
Employment Opportunities amidst the Downturn
2. Singapore has not been spared the global economic downturn. Nevertheless, the Government's decisive actions in rolling out initiatives such as Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience (SPUR) and Jobs Credit have helped to cushion the impact of the downturn. These measures, together with the Guidelines on Managing Excess Manpower issued by the tripartite partners, have made a significant impact in helping companies cut costs and save jobs, and enabling workers to upgrade their skills.
3. Jobseekers can take heart that there are jobs available, even in this downturn. With the opening of new shopping malls and hotels, there will be employment opportunities in the retail, F&B and hospitality industries. In addition, the security industry is hiring security officers and supervisors for upcoming developments like the Integrated Resorts and for events such as the Youth Olympics Singapore in 2010. Our ageing population will also generate continued demand for healthcare professionals such as nurses, physiotherapists and pharmacists. Indeed, some 70 employers across various industries are here at today's fair. Whether you are just entering the workforce, or if you have lost your job, or even if you are a mid-career professional, this presents an excellent opportunity for jobseekers to explore exciting career options with the prospective employers.
Importance of Staying Relevant, Re-Skilling and Up-Skilling
4. Employers want employees with the right skills for the job. Working professionals and jobseekers should continually re-skill and up-skill, to improve their employability. It is also important to keep abreast of industry developments and be open to exploring new opportunities. I would encourage all interested jobseekers participating at this career fair to use the opportunity to network not just with the companies present but also with each other. This will help you gain added perspectives on industries that represent interesting new pathways, even if you may not have considered them before.
5. The imperative to help workers re-skill and up-skill has never been stronger. Through SPUR, the Government is providing highly subsidised Continuing Education and Training (CET) programmes to help our workers upgrade and position our industries to take full advantage of the eventual economic upturn. Working professionals and jobseekers interested in upgrading will be pleased to know that the five polytechnics, as well as other higher education training providers present today will be able to advise on options for further education and skills upgrading. Learning is a lifelong journey, and workers need to keep their skills relevant to keep pace with the fast-changing economic landscape.
Enhancing Labour Market Information Dissemination
6. To facilitate a flexible and responsive labour market, the Manpower Ministry is also doing its part to provide jobseekers with more labour market information. I am pleased to announce that the Ministry of Manpower is releasing the Labour Market Highlights 2009 today. The Labour Market Highlights, which are released every year, highlight jobs in demand across various industries. It also provides occupational information that will be of interest to jobseekers, such as the job outlook, expected wages, relevant qualifications and for the first time, training pathways. For example, the report cites that Digital Animation Artists are in demand as games and animation studios continue to hire creative talents for ongoing productions. Jobseekers with a diploma in Digital Animation, Computer Graphics, Visual Arts and Fine Arts can apply for this job and expect to earn starting salaries of between $1,800 and $2,200 monthly. Mid career professionals can also transit into this sector by undergoing the Professional Conversion Programme, or PCP, for Digital Animation Artists and the PCP for Game Artists. Armed with such information, those going into the labour market will be in a better position to make informed career choices. Together with the Career Compass, the Labour Market Highlights will help graduating students and job seekers understand the diverse jobs available in the economy, and make informed choices about your future careers. I urge you to check out the Labour Market Highlights which can be found on the Ministry of Manpower's website at
www.mom.gov.sg. Later this month, we will also make available hardcopies of the Labour Market Highlights for browsing at the Career Centres at the Community Development Councils (CDC), e2i, WDA, and our Post-Secondary Education Institutions (PSEI).
Conclusion
7. The economy will eventually recover from the current downturn, and the labour market along with it, thanks to our strong fundamentals. I am confident that our workers, equipped with the right skills and work attitude towards lifelong learning, will be able to fully tap on the range of good job opportunities and challenging careers that will be created across various industries.
8. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate JobsCentral for staging the fair and I wish all exhibitors and visitors a rewarding experience at Career & Learning Fair 2009.
9. Thank you.
Factsheet on Labour Market Highlights 2009
The Labour Market Highlights is an annual labour market guide jointly produced by the Ministry of Manpower and the Singapore Workforce Development Agency. The guide aims to give jobseekers a better understanding of the opportunities in the current and future job market, thereby helping them make more informed career choices.
The Highlights will be useful to jobseekers in general, including retrenched individuals, workers looking to switch jobs or industries, and recent graduates. Career guidance counsellors will also find the Highlights useful in providing advice to graduating students and adult jobseekers.
Similar to the inaugural edition in 2008, the Labour Market Highlights 2009 provides information on jobs in demand across 16 industry groups within the manufacturing, services (including tourism) and construction sectors. These jobs in demand cover both executive and non-executive positions.
In addition to the listing of jobs in demand, the Highlights also provides industry and occupational information that will be useful to jobseekers. These information include industry trends and outlook, wage range, relevant academic qualifications and training pathways available for each job.