Featured photos by Ministry of Digital Development and Information and Central Provident Fund Board
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong delivered his first National Day Rally speech on 18 August 2024 at the ITE Headquarters in Ang Mo Kio.
There is a lot to unpack from what he announced. However, two themes stood out to us – skills and families.
In case you missed it, here are the five things about skills and families announced at the rally that workers need to know.
Skills
- SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support
The SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme has been in the making, with former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong first announcing an upcoming unemployment scheme during National Day Rally 2023.
Now called the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support, Mr Wong said the scheme will focus on helping lower- and middle-income workers.
If workers become unemployed involuntarily, the Government will provide them with temporary financial support of up to $6,000 over six months.
However, to be eligible for the scheme, Mr Wong said that individuals need to do their part, such as signing up for training, career coaching, and job matching services.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will announce more details soon.
NTUC Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) Patrick Tay has been calling for unemployment support since 2014.
His calls reflect regular feedback from NTUC’s and unions’ engagements with workers and union leaders, highlighting the importance of financial assistance for those facing involuntary unemployment.
The regular engagements include the joint NTUC-SNEF PME Taskforce, where the taskforce engaged 10,000 PMEs, union leaders and business leaders, and the #EveryWorkerMatters Conversations where NTUC engaged over 40,000 workers from different worker segments.
Mr Tay has expressed his support in response to Mr Wong’s announcement of the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme.
Mr Tay said: “I’m very heartened that PM Wong and MOM have considered NTUC’s, unions’ and workers’ suggestions and feedback to provide temporary financial support for those involuntarily unemployed.
“I’m hopeful that the new scheme will alleviate their concerns and give them a boost as they look for new jobs.”
- SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme
The Government first announced the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme at Budget 2024 to support mid-career Singaporeans aged 40 and above pursuing a substantive skills reboot.
From next year, the Government will provide a new training allowance under the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme.
With the allowance, workers 40 years and older who take time off work to study full-time will get an allowance of $3,000 per month.
Those getting the allowance can also benefit from it for up to 24 months.
Mr Wong also announced that the Government is going to extend some training allowance to full-time workers attending part-time courses.
Families
- Paternity Leave
Eligible working fathers to newborns are currently entitled to two weeks of Government-paid paternity leave (GPPL). They may also take an additional two weeks of voluntary GPPL if their employers allow them to do so.
From April 2025, the additional two weeks of voluntary GPPL will be mandatory.
Eligible working fathers with newborns on or after 1 April 2025 will be entitled to four weeks of GPPL.
- Shared Parental Leave
Parents will get an additional 10 weeks of shared leave, shared between the father and mother.
The Government-paid leave will be rolled out in two phases so that employers have time to adjust.
From April 2025, parents will get an additional six weeks. The total additional 10 weeks of leave will start in April 2026.
The additional parental leave will be on top of four weeks of paternity leave and 16 weeks of maternity leave.
All 10 weeks of shared parental leave will be paid by the Government, up to the prevailing cap of $2,500 per week.
Since 2012, NTUC has been calling for more support for working parents, including those with young children. The calls include paid maternity and paternity leaves, and a higher uptake of paternity leave amongst fathers.
Particularly, NTUC has consistently called for support to help mothers and fathers share parenting responsibilities.
NTUC ASG and Women & Family Unit Director Yeo Wan Ling said that the announcement by Mr Wong will provide more inroads in the workplace and the normalisation of fathers taking on more family caregiving responsibilities.
She added: “As the needs of society and working caregivers evolve, NTUC will continue to champion our workers’ interests and develop an ecosystem of support for a Singapore Made for Families.”
- Childcare Fees
The Government will provide additional subsidies to lower-income families for childcare services at government-supported preschools.
Less well-off families can soon see their monthly childcare expenses be as low as $3.
Other Announcements by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong
Besides the help and subsidies to help workers and families, Mr Wong also announced other measures to help Singaporeans in housing, education and the sporting culture.
For more information on Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s National Day Rally speech, visit the Prime Minister’s Office website.