How can Singapore ensure that its workforce will remain one of the most updated and most capable in the world?
Key to achieving that desired outcome is to have the best education and best Continuing Education and Training (CET) system in the world, according to NTUC Secretary-General (SG) Lim Swee Say.
He said this in an interview given in conjunction with the launch of a commemorative publication titled Learning for Life at the official opening of the Lifelong Learning Institute on 17 September 2014 by Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Minister for Finance Tharman Shanmugaratnam.
CET 2020 LAUNCHED
Also launched at the event, the CET 2020 Master Plan will support the work of the new tripartite committee led by DPM Tharman to implement the recommendations made by the Applied Study in Polytechnics and ITE Review (ASPIRE) Committee.
SG Lim explained that the objectives of CET are to help the country remain competitive and be able to create enough jobs for Singaporeans.
It is also about helping workers to have enough skills to stay pace with challenges at the workplace so that they can remain employable.
“We have to keep making sure that our workers are the selling point, to be a major selling point to attract investments to come to Singapore,” said SG Lim.
ECONOMY IN TRANSITION
He also reflected on a topic which he has often raised at various tripartite forums – the transition that the Singapore economy is currently making towards a 2% growth in productivity and a 1% growth in workforce.
“The slowdown in manpower growth and corresponding increase in productivity growth require a more skilled and capable Singapore workforce to bring about economic success in the future.
“Any country that runs faster in jobs, slower in CET will have structural unemployment. Any country that runs faster in skills upgrading and slower in job creation will have unemployment.” said SG Lim. Continuing Education and Training aims to help workers have enough skills to stay pace with challenges at the workplace and also to remain employable.
(Source: NTUC This Week)