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SINGAPORE: Good jobs should not be an afterthought in economic strategy, but a core part of the plan, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong said on Thursday (Aug 27).<\/span><\/p>\n They are not simply a social outcome to be addressed because productive work gives people agency, dignity, social recognition and confidence \u2013 beyond just providing an income, he said.<\/span><\/p>\n Mr Gan was speaking at the Economic Society of Singapore\u2019s 70th anniversary dinner at Orchard Hotel Singapore, where he also participated in a dialogue session.<\/span><\/p>\n His comments come amid discussions about whether <\/span>artificial intelligence-led growth<\/span> will lead to <\/span>better outcomes for the broader economy <\/span>and workers.<\/span><\/p>\n The government’s economic strategy was also recently debated in parliament after the Workers’ Party moved a motion that called for an economy of the future that works for all Singaporeans.<\/span><\/p>\n Mr Gan on Thursday said Singapore\u2019s economic strategy will involve adopting technology to allow people to do more valuable work, take on broader responsibilities, earn better wages and progress in their careers.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe need to identify early roles that are potentially exposed to AI and create effective career bridges into work that builds on existing skills,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Targeted training, guidance, job matching and actual placement should be combined, said Mr Gan, who is also minister for trade and industry.<\/span><\/p>\n 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Employers, training institutions, unions and the government need to act together, he said.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cLearning must remain closely connected to work, and support must begin before workers are affected,\u201d said Mr Gan.<\/span><\/p>\n Singapore\u2019s strategy must also cover a broader range of jobs because not everyone will or should become an AI engineer, he said.<\/span><\/p>\n He pointed to roles in care, allied health, early childhood education, skilled trades and essential services that technology can support but cannot easily replace.<\/span><\/p>\n These jobs depend on judgment, dexterity, trust and human interaction, he said.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe 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,\u201d he added.<\/span><\/p>\n 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 <\/span>produce more with fewer workers.<\/span><\/p>\n That sentiment was echoed by Mr Gan. \u201cWe cannot assume that the same rate of growth will generate the same number of jobs as before.\u201d<\/p>\n But he added that as some existing jobs change, shrink or disappear, new tasks and roles will emerge.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is no need to be alarmist. This is not likely to lead to immediate, economy-wide job losses,\u201d he said. \u201cBut neither should we be complacent. We need to manage this transition well.\u201d<\/p>\n Mr Gan also said that Singapore\u2019s openness helped it to attract investments and create new markets, but that is no longer enough.<\/span><\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cA hub that is merely convenient or efficient can be bypassed for many of these conditions,\u201d he said. \u201cSingapore must therefore move from just being open, to being relevant.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nJOBS OUTSIDE OF AI<\/span><\/h2>\n
STAYING RELEVANT IN A CHANGING WORLD<\/h2>\n