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SINGAPORE: The Workers\u2019 Party (WP) has proposed wage subsidies to encourage firms to hire fresh graduates in apprenticeship roles, warning that entry-level roles are at risk of being squeezed out by the growing use of artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n
In its Labour Day message posted on social media on Thursday (Apr 30), the opposition party said the rapid proliferation of AI is reshaping the labour market, with some employers expecting technology to perform entry-level functions at a lower cost.<\/p>\n
WP chief Prtiam Singh said such an approach is “self-defeating”, and cautioned that if young graduates are unable to gain the necessary experience, Singapore will not be able to develop the pool of professionals that the economy needs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He called for more pathways to help young workers attain real experience and confidence.<\/p>\n
“The Workers\u2019 Party proposes targeted, temporary wage subsidies to reduce the risks for firms to hire new graduates in apprenticeship roles.,” said Mr Singh.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“This support will better ensure that our youth are not left behind as industries adapt to technological disruption.”<\/p>\n
The proposal was part of a broader May Day message focused on strengthening support for workers in the era of AI.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The party also reiterated its call for a redundancy insurance scheme to protect workers facing job displacement in a volatile global economy.<\/p>\n
Such a scheme has to extend to all income levels to provide a “meaningful cushion against financial pressure”, said Mr Singh, who is Member of Parliament for Aljunied GRC.<\/p>\n
“True security comes from a clear pathway: from redundancy to reskilling and finally to employment. We believe that retraining must be coupled with an assurance that such efforts will translate directly into new, stable jobs,” he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“With restructuring exercises and retrenchments increasingly likely, the redundancy insurance scheme provides an automatic stabiliser for the economy, ensuring that workers can sustain their families while they look for new work.”<\/p>\n
Moreover, without a strong safety net to meet basic needs, workers are less likely to take risks or innovate – the exact qualities needed in a transformative era, he added.<\/p>\n
“The Workers\u2019 Party remains committed to offering rational and constructive proposals in parliament to move our society forward,” said Mr Singh.<\/p>\n
On Friday, Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong delivered his May Day speech to more than 1,600 union leaders and tripartite partners at Downtown East.<\/p>\n
Mr Wong warned of the “massive” impact of AI, which he said will disrupt and reshape entire industries.\u00a0<\/p>\n
However, he also pledged that new and better jobs will be created – and that every worker will be supported through the transition.<\/p>\n
He added that the authorities will take “deliberate steps” to ensure the benefits of AI are shared broadly. These include bolstering SkillsFuture and merging Workforce Singapore and SkillsFuture Singapore into a new entity.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe government will provide the tools, the pathways, and the support. But we also need Singaporeans to step forward. Do not let anxiety or uncertainty hold you back from learning and using AI,\u201d said Mr Wong.<\/p>\n
\u201cAI is here to stay. So, embrace it, learn it, use it and master it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n