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SINGAPORE: A new community job matching initiative driven by the five Community Development Councils (CDCs) in Singapore was launched on Thursday (Oct 23) to help unemployed residents find job opportunities closer to home within their local communities.
The Jobs Nearby @ CDC initiative was launched by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
CDCs play a role in bridging the gaps at the local or community level when it comes to the issue of jobs, which is “one of the most pressing concerns which Singaporeans have”, said Mr Wong at the initiative’s launch at Taman Jurong Community Club.
“We will continue to do all we can at the national level, and we have plans to do more. But national efforts alone are not enough. They have to be complemented by community initiatives."
Some job seekers have specific needs, such as working near home to better balance work and family responsibilities or more flexible work arrangements, said the prime minister.
At the same time, heartland businesses are also looking for workers, but may lack the resources to find them effectively, and their vacancies may also not be reflected in the national jobs bank, added Mr Wong, who is also the finance minister.
JOB SEARCH WITHIN THE COMMUNITY
The initiative was first piloted by the South West District on Aug 31.
Under the scheme, each district will have a job bank - separate from the national job bank - that residents can use to find opportunities near their homes, including full-time, part-time and flexible jobs.
Job ambassadors will also be deployed to provide residents with customised assistance and end-to-end guidance throughout the whole process.
There will also be community job clinics in heartland spaces such as community clubs, Resident Network Centres and coffee shops, to better connect job seekers directly with employers.
Mr Wong said that these will complement efforts at the national level through SkillsFuture, Workforce Singapore, the National Trades Union Congress' (NTUC) Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) and tripartite efforts.
“As a small open economy, Singapore will always be exposed to global ups and downs. When the world is going well, we feel the boost. When the world slows down, we feel it very quickly as well,” he said.
“We have no control over these external swings, but with our combined efforts, we can mitigate the impact on our people. Whatever the state of the world or whatever the state of the global economy, we will ensure that jobseekers and workers in Singapore will always be supported and cared for. That is our commitment.”
Mr Wong said that today, there are still job vacancies and unemployment remains low, but there is a sense that the job landscape is changing, leading to rising anxieties.
This is partly due to near-term uncertainty created by the United States’ tariffs, which means businesses are holding back on expansion plans and new hirings, he said.
It is also because new technologies, like artificial intelligence (AI), are changing business processes and job requirements, added Mr Wong.
“So how do we respond to all these new trends? Our starting point and most important focus is to keep our economy strong, dynamic and vibrant, and to ensure we can navigate the rapid changes in the external environment,” he said, noting the work of Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong and the Economic Resilience Taskforce and the Economic Strategy Review committees.
“But at the same time, we can’t just leave the creation of good jobs and the matching of skills to new demands to the market. These things don't just happen by chance, we have to be proactive about this.”
Efforts on this front include expanding SkillsFuture to help Singaporeans reskill and upskill, and stepping up career counselling and job matching services to help fresh graduates find jobs.
SHAPING A “WE FIRST” SOCIETY
Present at Thursday’s event were the five mayors: Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry and for Culture, Community and Youth Low Yen Ling, Minister of State for Transport and for Culture, Community and Youth Baey Yam Keng, Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth and for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash, Ms Denise Phua and Mr Alex Yam.
Ms Low, who is mayor of the South West District and also chairperson of the Mayors’ Committee, said the CDCs will support and enable Singaporeans to play an active part in shaping a “We First” society, something Mr Wong spoke about during this year’s National Day Rally.
“We will empower individuals and organisations to shape the future through volunteerism and participating in the growth and development of the communities in each of our districts,” she said.
The CDCs’ job fairs had found that some residents, like seniors, caregivers and stay-at-home mothers, need more hand-holding in their job search, while some companies offering jobs in the heartlands have trouble reaching jobseekers, said Ms Low.
“This is where the CDCs can bridge the gap between jobseekers and employers in the neighbourhood. We can help meet each other’s needs, improve livelihoods and sustain businesses,” she said.
