National Day Rally 2025: What Workers Need to Know

Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has announced a series of measures aimed at strengthening job opportunities and supporting workers, as the nation navigates growing global economic uncertainty and rapid technological change.

Speaking at the National Day Rally on 17 August at ITE College Central, Mr Wong pledged that helping Singaporeans secure good jobs would remain the Government’s “number one priority.”

“This is what our economic strategy is all about, helping every worker progress and succeed … We may not be able to match other countries in size or scale, but we will stay ahead in ideas, in innovation, and in our collective will to move forward—together as one united people,” he said.

New traineeship programme for graduates

A government-funded traineeship scheme will be rolled out for students and graduates from ITE, polytechnics and universities. The initiative, led by the Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce (SERT), is designed to give young people real-world work experience while receiving allowances.

Mr Wong said that while companies still do offer traineeships, the additional support from the Government will allow businesses to offer even more training opportunities.

“We will begin with a more focused rollout. If the economy worsens, we will scale up the programme,” he added.

SERT will provide more details on the programme soon.

Expanding job matching and career fairs

To help more workers secure employment of their choosing, Mr Wong shared that the Government will be stepping up on its job matching services and it will also launch a new job-matching initiative at the town level.

The Government will also step up job-matching efforts by hosting more career fairs within tertiary institutions and launching new community-level job services.

As for the job-matching initiative at the town level, it will be led by the Community Development Councils (CDC).

Community Development Councils (CDCs) will lead the town-based initiatives, tapping a network of local merchants, SMEs and community partners.

“They are well placed to match jobseekers with vacancies, especially those who prefer to work closer to home,” he said.

The mayors for the various towns will provide an update on this initiative in due course.

Enhancing the SkillsFuture Level Up programme

Upskilling and reskilling workers continues to be a focal point of the Singapore Government.

Mr Wong shared that since the introduction of the SkillsFuture Level Up programme in 2024, the Government now has more experience to introduce two more enhancements to the programme.

“First, we will allow a portion of the training allowances to be claimed for part-time courses. Second, we will [also] expand the course offerings,” he said.

While most of the courses today are currently offered by the Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs), the Government will also include courses offered by industry leaders and private training providers.

Working with unions in the age of AI

The Prime Minister also addressed anxieties over artificial intelligence and automation, emphasising that workers would not be left behind.

Mr Wong reiterated the Government’s commitment to helping workers—through job redesigns and equipping workers with the necessary skills to remain empowered.

He cited PSA Singapore, where crane operators retrained to manage multiple automated cranes remotely. The change boosted productivity while creating safer and better-paid jobs.

The Government is currently studying implement AI and automation at Changi Airport as well for tasks like baggage handling and other airside operations.

“We’ll work closely with unions and workers, [and] we’ll redesign jobs, and equip and empower our workers,” said Mr Wong.

“It’s [job redesign] a huge boost in productivity for the company. With safer and higher-paying jobs for workers, it’s a win-win for everyone,” said Mr Wong.

Seniors will not be left behind

While there are many initiatives to ensure that young Singaporeans remain relevant in tomorrow’s global economy, Mr Wong shared that seniors too will not get left behind.

Support for Seniors

Today, about 20 per cent of Singapore’s population are above 65. This figure is expected to rise to 25 per cent in the next decade.

To tackle this, the Government will expand on its Age Well SG initiative, and build Age Well Neighbourhoods.

Age Well SG is a national programme led by the Ministry of Health (MOH), Ministry of National Development (MND) and Ministry of Transport (MOT) to support seniors to age well in their homes and their communities.

Age Well Neighbourhoods will make physical touchpoints more accessible, expand home-based services, and bring healthcare services closer to the seniors.

“We will start in Toa Payoh and one or two other areas with a higher concentration of seniors. We will test new ideas, learn what works, and scale up progressively,” said Mr Wong.

MND and MOH will share more details when ready.

Mr Wong added that these efforts will ensure that seniors can age with dignity and purpose, helping build a Singapore where we all can support one another.

“That’s how we will grow old. Not in isolation, never alone, but always together as one Singapore family,” he said.

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