\n<\/p>\n
Mr Tay also spoke on the Graduate Industry Traineeships (GRIT) scheme that was launched last October.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He suggested launching an enhanced version of the scheme in high-growth and high-demand sectors, with opportunities ranging from one to two years and with monthly traineeship allowances on-par with starting salaries.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The scheme is intended for fresh graduates from universities, polytechnics, the Institute of Technical Education and other educational institutions who have no prior work experience. It is also open to graduates with master’s degrees or doctorates.<\/p>\n
\u201cHost organisations must convert trainees into permanent full-time employees unless a valid reason and supporting evidence are submitted.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe government can also set aside more resources to groom early-career professionals by sending them for overseas work postings,\u201d Mr Tay said.<\/p>\n
MP Jamus Lim (WP-Sengkang) spoke about how AI is upending Singapore’s approach to educating its future workers.<\/p>\n
“The advent of AI will mean an erosion of the edge in knowledge and ability that our schooling system had previously been able to confer,” he said.<\/p>\n
“We must not be now lulled into a false sense of security by our nation’s current unemployment rate, which has yet to capture the potential displacements of jobs that could result when AI and robotics become more entrenched in the economy,” he added.<\/p>\n
“The future is much better inferred from the unemployment rate of new workers,” he said.<\/p>\n
MPs also raised concerns about the challenges faced by workers on fixed-term contracts as well as PMEs.<\/p>\n
NMP Mr Tiwari said the continued use of fixed-term contracts, particularly annual renewals, places pressure on workers.<\/p>\n
He noted that the share fell slightly in 2025, with over 90 per cent of resident employees now in permanent roles. However, about 7 per cent remain on fixed-term contracts, with older workers disproportionately represented along one-year contracts<\/p>\n
\u201cFor them, renewal uncertainty makes long-term planning and upskilling harder, which puts them at risk of falling behind.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis issue is felt acutely by mature workers who already face longer job searches. Their reality should push us beyond administratively convenient renewals towards clearer pathways to permanency where work is ongoing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Tiwari called for greater transparency on contract terms, renewal patterns and pathways to permanency.<\/p>\n
Echoing these concerns, Mr Tay asked the government to encourage employers to place fixed-term contract workers in permanent roles after two cycles of contract renewals.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n