Singapore Labour Journal

The labour force is experiencing an increased proportion of mature workers, alongside a slowdown in the number of young entrants joining the workforce. Many organisations will need to adapt their workforce management strategies to cushion the reduced labour supply in the workforce. This paper explores the implication of this demographic development by utilising a multimethod approach to examine current and future trends in the labour market as well as the key factors that can influence the decisions to remain in the labour market for mature workers and women with caregiving responsibilities. Forecasting methods were applied to explore how various demographic scenarios could impact specific industries. We found that the labour market is generally expected to recover based on the forecasted increase in the job vacancy-to-unemployment ratio and fall in the unemployment rate. At the industry level, however, the manufacturing industry is expected to experience some headwinds in employment growth, which is expected to be weak, while the construction industry is expected to see a decline in employment growth. Finally, job vacancies across all industries are expected to decline over time. From the qualitative study, we found mature workers and women with caregiving responsibilities face challenges such as having limited and unequal access to employment, facing skills gap barriers, and struggling to balance between their personal commitment and professional demands. By addressing the unique needs of mature workers and women with caregiving responsibilities, organisations can adopt successful workforce management strategies to cultivate a diverse and inclusive workplace.

This paper examines the strategic importance of fostering a multigenerational workforce to enhance the competitiveness of Singapore’s manufacturing industry in the face of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Addressing common myths about age and technological adoption, our mixed-methods study reveals that the integration of the diverse strengths of an age-diverse workforce is not only beneficial but also necessary for innovation and sustainable growth. With Singapore’s manufacturing workforce rapidly ageing and fresh talent dwindling, the industry faces challenges like knowledge transfer, automation, and the risk of skills dilution. We argue that a multigenerational approach that combines the expertise of older workers with the digital fluency of the younger generation can create a resilient talent pool essential for continuous expertise and complex problem-solving. The aim of this paper is thus to debunk several myths around an ageing workforce that currently stand in the way of fostering a multigenerational workforce in Singapore’s manufacturing industry. We end the paper by arguing that such a workforce will become increasingly important for other industries as well.

The world of work is dynamic and emergent, demanding different approaches to learning in, through, and for work. The main focus of this paper is to address the question of how we can think differently about learning in the workplace and supporting learning. Supporting learning is a pedagogical act in its broadest sense. Given the landscape of dynamic change in which individuals and firms work, pedagogies and ways of thinking about pedagogy need to be future-oriented. We need to develop people and firms that are able to thrive in constantly changing circumstances, to be able to work with emergence. In this paper, I put forward a framework for Future-Oriented Pedagogies based on mixed methods research work completed at the end of 2023, at the Institute for Adult Learning. Specifically, I consider how the National Trades Union Congress Company Training Committees could use the Future-Oriented Pedagogies framework to ensure the quality of offerings for formal learning in workplaces and how the Future-Oriented Pedagogies framework can be used to enhance a culture of learning that goes beyond formal arrangements for learning (training, undertaking online courses or sessions, and on-the-job training).

With the rise of remote working due to the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, organisations today increasingly adopt mobile collaborative technologies such as instant messaging platforms, enterprise social media, and project management software to facilitate a variety of work and communication practices. While previous studies on workplace digital transformation have surfaced the wide-ranging implications of digital technologies for organisational functioning, the complicated process of integrating new technologies into an organisation’s workflow, especially in Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) settings, is hitherto understudied. Given the pressing need of digitalisation and the myriad challenges faced by SMEs, it is imperative to uncover the complexity of collective decision-making, interaction, and negotiation during the process of implementing digital technologies in the workplace environment of SMEs. As an effort to shed light on this missing link, we conducted an in-depth ethnographic case study on the dynamic process of implementing a self-developed mobile management software in a construction SME in Singapore. Drawing on technology domestication theory, a five-stage workplace technology domestication framework was developed in which various stakeholders, including the company’s CEO, office staff, shop floor workers, and the developer team, engaged in ongoing and multifaceted negotiations revolving around the application of the new technology and the changes it heralded. During the domestication process, the functionality and meanings of the software as well as employee acceptance and user experiences were continuously reconfigured by a constellation of technological, individual, organisational, and sociocultural conditions. This study uncovers the iterative and participatory nature of technology design and implementation in the workplace, thereby opening up a promising approach for SMEs to maximise benefits from digital transformation with limited resources available.

As companies plan for the future of work, one key challenge is ensuring they have workers with relevant skills in order to thrive in the years ahead. A major driver of this challenge is that new digital technologies are quickly rendering some workers’ skills obsolete and shortening the half-life of others.

Artificial intelligence, automation, and other advances are also forcing executives to reconsider which roles humans are best suited to and which skills they will need to support companies’ digital ambitions. Answering these questions effectively will ensure companies have the talent to stay competitive and seize new opportunities for growth and profitability.

Internships serve as a valuable tool for students to develop their skills and knowledge, preparing them for a smooth transition into the workforce. The participation in internships amongst students in Singapore has increased as students recognise the need to distinguish themselves from their peers in the job market. Additionally, there is a common belief that employers prioritise fresh graduates with extensive internship backgrounds from reputable organisations. The Singapore National Employers Federation conducted a survey to challenge this belief and examine employers’ perspectives on the internship experiences of fresh graduates. A total of 208 organisations, with a combined workforce size of nearly 250,000, responded to the survey conducted from December 14, 2023 to February 20, 2024. Results suggested that a majority of employers do not consider the number of internships completed and profile of internship organisation as priorities. This paper sheds light on what employers look out for when assessing the internship experiences of fresh graduates. It also discusses the implications for other stakeholders, including students and Institutes of Higher Learning.

This practitioner note provides an overview of developments in the SkillsFuture movement. Particularly, it details how innovations in the skills ecosystem are shifting lifelong learning to a higher gear and enabling greater ownership of one’s skills and career health. Frequent tech disruptions, shortened half-life of skills and knowledge, and new job roles emerging every day mean our workforce must retool at scale and at speed. To be nimble and adaptable enough to support the timely reskilling and upskilling of Singapore’s 2.5 million resident workforce, SkillsFuture Singapore is working with training, industry, and tripartite partners to enhance the understanding of what skills we need as a national workforce, and use this knowledge as an advantage to stay ahead of the curve. However identifying skills in demand is not enough in this dynamic job market. To achieve agility and responsiveness of the skills ecosystem, there are collective efforts with industry leaders, training providers, and skills-tech providers to strengthen the skills demand-supply coordination. As part of the Forward Singapore agenda, this collective awareness of skill trends and enhanced demand-supply coordination will ultimately strengthen Singapore’s competitive advantage, and workforce mobility and resilience.

Each workforce generation grapples with distinctive challenges, and the contemporary job market introduces new complexities with the integration of artificial intelligence. The impact of artificial intelligence on organisational productivity is noteworthy, especially as it provides opportunities for lower-skilled workers to enhance their capabilities, albeit with potential implications for the development of tacit knowledge. Despite prevailing generational judgements, insights from various studies and reports reveal that the younger generation in Singapore values workforce acceptance and hard work, and exhibits resilience. Concurrently, the 2022 National Population Health Survey by the Ministry of Health highlighted a significant proportion of individuals aged 18–29 years experiencing poor mental health. Managing the well-being and productivity of the younger workforce becomes crucial, with the introduction of a growth mindset offering a potential solution. A growth mindset refers to the belief in one’s capacity for development and the malleability of human attributes. Three key strategies are identified for fostering a growth mindset and well-being in the workforce: regular constructive feedback, organisational responses to project failures, and adopting a “not yet” approach to unmet goals. Furthermore, the implementation of workplace coaching and mentoring emerges as a strategic solution, targeting individual and organisational performances, and sustainable well-being. Within workplace coaching, bridge mentoring is proposed to address diversity gaps and positively impact employee learning and development.

When airports around the world were brought to a standstill by the pandemic, Singapore Airlines (SIA) Group was faced with its biggest challenge—management of its almost 30,000-strong staff in trying times which called for resource cuts. Nevertheless, the SIA Group successfully surmounted these challenges and emerged as one of the most resilient airlines in the post-pandemic landscape. The collaboration between the SIA Group and unions was pivotal in skilfully navigating a balance between a compassionate approach towards its workers and strategic measures aimed at ensuring organisational survival. Through the collaboration, schemes rooted in the SMART Strategy model—comprising Job Support, Job Matching, Job Advocacy, and Job Re-creation and Training—were developed to safeguard the livelihoods and bolster resilience within the workforce. This paper offers valuable lessons for other organisations at risk of technological disruption or industry transitions, and as layoffs become more commonplace.

This practitioner note recognises Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs) as instrumental in supporting workers with caregiving responsibilities, especially working women, in sustaining and developing their careers. Survey findings reveal that workers in full-time positions often find it necessary to take time off from work, but that this negatively impacts their performance, well-being, and career prospects. FWAs therefore benefit workers by helping them manage both caregiving and work responsibilities without the fear of facing unspoken penalties at work. Drawing on two successful case studies of companies committed to empowering women to reenter the workforce, this practitioner note shares key insights into the implementation process of FWAs, which includes job redesign, management support, and a shift towards outcome-based deliverables. These findings and strategies show that job redesign and support from top management are key factors for the successful implementation and maintenance of FWAs, which by extension supports women’s and caregivers’ equal participation and career advancement in the workforce.

Between 2008 and 2023, there had been a fairly stable level of retrenchment of an average of 7.0 retrenched resident employees per 1,000 resident employees in Singapore. During times of crisis or rough economic conditions, the incidence rate rose, as seen in 2008–2009 during the Global Financial Crisis and 2020 during the onset of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic with higher rates of 13.8 and 11.1 retrenched resident employees per 1,000 resident employees, respectively. Delving deeper into retrenchment figures in 2023, an upward trend was observed from a low of 3.4 per 1,000 resident employees in 2022, suggesting stronger economic headwinds and indicating softening labour market conditions. Examining retrenched employees who partnered with the National Trades Union Congress’ Employment and Employability Institute (NTUC’s e2i), we found retrenched employees took longer to be placed in 2023 compared to 2022. However, the situation was not entirely bleak as the proportion of placed retrenched employees with similar or better pay remained largely the same in 2022 and 2023. Evidence suggests that retrenched employees who take the first job that comes along and employees who lack relevant skills and as a result take more than 5 months to find their next job tend to receive lower wages. As such, the Singapore government’s suggested transition support scheme is timely, especially when taken in the context of other efforts by the Labour Movement, including engaging companies to transform to reduce eventual retrenchment numbers and strengthening the NTUC’s e2i’s career coaching capabilities to help employees better chart their career pathways.