‘Support must begin before workers are affected’: Gan Kim Yong says jobs at centre of Singapore’s economic strategy

Beyond individual efforts to be adaptable, the system must also respond faster, use better information, link training to real jobs and help people to adapt before disruption turns into prolonged unemployment. 

Employers, training institutions, unions and the government need to act together, he said.

“Learning must remain closely connected to work, and support must begin before workers are affected,” said Mr Gan.

JOBS OUTSIDE OF AI

Singapore’s strategy must also cover a broader range of jobs because not everyone will or should become an AI engineer, he said.

He pointed to roles in care, allied health, early childhood education, skilled trades and essential services that technology can support but cannot easily replace.

These jobs depend on judgment, dexterity, trust and human interaction, he said.

“The task is not merely to preserve these jobs as they are. It is to raise their productivity, improve their design, strengthen progression and support better wages,” he added.

At a dialogue session on Wednesday, Dr Tan See Leng, Minister for Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) said AI and automation may allow companies to produce more with fewer workers.

That sentiment was echoed by Mr Gan. “We cannot assume that the same rate of growth will generate the same number of jobs as before.”

But he added that as some existing jobs change, shrink or disappear, new tasks and roles will emerge.

“There is no need to be alarmist. This is not likely to lead to immediate, economy-wide job losses,” he said. “But neither should we be complacent. We need to manage this transition well.”

STAYING RELEVANT IN A CHANGING WORLD

Mr Gan also said that Singapore’s openness helped it to attract investments and create new markets, but that is no longer enough.

The world is more fragmented, and trade and investment will not always flow along the most efficient route, he said, highlighting factors like reliability, security and strategic alignment as being important.

“A hub that is merely convenient or efficient can be bypassed for many of these conditions,” he said. “Singapore must therefore move from just being open, to being relevant.”

To do so, Singapore should concentrate on areas where it can build hard-to-replicate advantages and become integral to supply chains and operations.