Minister Lim Hng Kiang's reply on the breakdown of number of locals and foreigners being employed in the 21,300 skilled jobs

Question No 9 in Notice Paper No 108 of 2011

For oral answer

Question

Mrs Lina Chiam: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry in light of a 2010 EDB report which stated that 21,300 skilled jobs were created in Singapore in 2010, what is the breakdown of the number of locals and foreigners being employed in the 21,300 skilled jobs.

Reply

EDB’s focus in job creation is two-fold. First, it seeks to create good job opportunities through the investments brought into Singapore. Second, it helps local workers to build new skills and capabilities so that they are ready to seize these opportunities.

With regard to the Member’s query, the 21,300 skilled jobs reported in the 2010 EDB Annual Report refers to the number of skilled jobs that EDB-supported companies will hire upon full implementation of their 2010 investment commitments in Singapore. The eventual mix of local and foreign skilled workers will depend on a range of factors, such as the companies’ ability to identify and recruit the required workforce locally, and the prevailing labour market conditions at the time of recruitment. Based on the Census of Manufacturing Activities, between 2005 and 2009, more than 7 in 10 skilled jobs in the manufacturing sector were filled by locals. 

Besides creating job opportunities, EDB also works with industry and other stakeholders to ensure that locals are equipped with the appropriate skills for the jobs created. In addition to aligning the curriculum of our tertiary institutions with industry needs, EDB has programmes in place to fund formal and on-the-job training for individuals. These programmes include the Initiatives in New Technology, or INTECH, grant which co-funds training in new technology and new growth areas, as well as the Strategic Attachment and Training Programme, or STRAT, which funds overseas training with leading companies. On average, 3,500 locals were trained annually under these programmes in the past 5 years.

Going forward, EDB will continue to bring in investments and create good jobs for our local workforce, and ensure sustainable economic growth for Singapore.