Introduction
Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise in support of the Skills and Workforce Development Agency Bill.
When the Workforce Development Agency was split in 2016 to form SkillsFuture Singapore and Workforce Singapore, it was the right move for that time. Each agency had a clear mission. SkillsFuture Singapore focused on kickstarting and building lifelong learning and continuing education among Singaporeans. Workforce Singapore focused on job matching and employment support. Both agencies have made real contributions over the past decade.
But the question before us today is whether our institutions are still suited to the labour market that Singaporeans now face. This Bill is a timely and necessary response to a changed world of work.
In the past, we could treat "skills" and "employment" as two separate journeys. You went to school to get skills, and then you went to the job market to find work.
But today, skills and work are tied together in an ongoing journey. Based on NTUC’s survey, more than 3 in 4 workers expect to make career switches in their lifetime. They see a winding path filled with change, new responsibilities, and the need to be ready for what the future holds. This is why the merger matters. It recognises that career security is the new social compact.
This does not mean workers expect the Government to guarantee every job. Singaporeans understand that change and disruption are part of modern working life. But they do expect something fair and fundamental. If they work hard, learn, and adapt, they should have a fair chance to progress, to move into new opportunities, and to provide for their families with dignity and confidence.
Career security is not a promise of no disruption. It is a promise that workers will not be left alone to navigate disruption.
Back in 2016, I argued that training and job outcomes must stay connected. I still believe that today. The true test of our policy is not how many people attend a course or how many certificates are handed out. The real test is whether workers can move into better jobs and feel more confident about their future.
Right now, the system can feel a bit fragmented for some workers. They might get career guidance in one office. They go to another place for training advice. They look for job support somewhere else entirely.
When you are in the middle of a stressful career change, this fragmented journey makes things harder. You are left to bridge the gaps yourself. The new SWDA seeks to change this by bringing everything under one roof. It will link business transformation, training, and employment support into a smoother workstream.
We must remember that training by itself is not enough if the jobs themselves are not being redesigned. Skills training must match how work is actually organised in the real world. By merging these agencies, we ensure that training is always tied to real industry needs.
Mr. Speaker, the anxieties in the workplace are also changing. Many workers are not only worried about losing their jobs. They are worried about falling behind. They are worried that the skills they have today may not be enough for tomorrow. When workers make the effort to upskill but cannot see how that leads to better jobs or real mobility, confidence in the system starts to weaken. And when effort no longer appears to lead to opportunity, the issue is not just economic, it is social as well.
One area that deserves close attention is what some have called the "broken rung" — something I spoke about during my Budget speech. Many academics and research have spoken about this matter, and you will find increasing literature on this topic. For young people, the first foothold in the labour market matters. It shapes confidence, habits, skills, and future earnings. It often sets the direction of an entire career. But today, that first rung is becoming less secure.
Entry-level work is changing. Employers are rethinking junior roles. New technologies, including AI, are changing what firms expect even from those just entering the workforce. For some young workers, the challenge is no longer simply finding a job. It is finding a start.
If the first rung weakens, it affects progression, wage growth, and long-term mobility. The old assumption — that one can simply enter, learn on the job, and move up steadily — can no longer be taken for granted. New entrants may need stronger career guidance earlier. They may need better information on where demand is growing and training that is tied more closely to real workplace needs. They may also need more support in moving from school to work, and from first job to a sustainable career.
This is where a more integrated agency can make a real difference. When the same system can connect career guidance, training advice, labour market signals, and employment support, it becomes easier to help younger Singaporeans where they are most likely to fall through the cracks.
Mr. Speaker, Sir, no statutory board, however well designed, can build career security on its own. This effort will require the full strength of tripartism. Government can shape policy and provide systems of support. Employers create jobs, redesign work, and invest in their people. Unions bring worker voice, trust, and a deep understanding of how change is felt on the ground. Training providers help turn broad ambition into practical capability. All parts of this ecosystem matter.
We recently announced the Tripartite Jobs Council (TJC) on May Day. This council will help workers and businesses navigate the big changes brought by AI. It will work hand-in-hand with the SWDA to make sure that as businesses adopt new technology, their workers are trained and supported to move into new roles.
The Labour Movement stands ready to support this effort in concrete ways. NTUC has a long-standing partnership with Government on business transformation, training, and worker support. Through our unions and our work on the ground, we see where anxieties are rising and where support is most needed. We can help workers and employers understand where opportunities lie and navigate the path from uncertainty to action.
e2i will continue to deepen its partnership with the new agency. Over the years, WSG has transferred various career, jobs, and skills centres to e2i, enabling it to serve more jobseekers on the ground. Building on this foundation, e2i can work closely with the new agency to translate national strategies into practical support — through direct engagement with workers and businesses on career guidance, job matching, and workforce transformation.
This is especially important for younger workers. As the broken rung becomes a more real concern, support should begin earlier. Career guidance should not start only after a young person struggles to find work. It should begin before graduation and continue through the early career years, when expectations are shifting quickly and confidence is still being formed.
Let me share two examples:
• First, e2i can bring its labour market knowledge, employer network, and ground sensing into partnerships with institutes of higher learning.
• Its recent MOUs with NUS and SIT show how this can strengthen students' career readiness, connect them to a broader range of opportunities, and help them understand the skills needed in a changing workplace.
Second, NTUC can scale up our AI Career Coach. This tool has already seen over 9,000 sign-ups, providing 24/7 help to young people as they take their first steps into the workforce.
Mr. Speaker, NTUC will also continue to support workers making career transitions.
• For many mid-career workers, the fear is often not change itself, but the cost of change.
• A transition may mean temporary income loss, uncertainty for the family, and real doubt about whether a new path will work out.
• Workers need support that lowers the friction of transition and gives them greater confidence to make a move when change becomes necessary.
The merger of these agencies, we should consider a few things:
• First, we should expand "Place-and-Train" programmes.
• This is where a worker is matched to a job before they start training.
• This gives them the certainty of a paycheck and a clear path forward, reducing the stress on their lives.
NTUC LearningHub can further support this new social compact by helping workers and employers translate transformation into capability.
• We know training only works if it is tied to a real job.
• Through our Company Training Committees (CTCs), we help companies — especially small businesses — figure out how to redesign their work and help their workers improve.
NTUC LearningHub (LHUB) can play a vital role here.
• They do not just offer random courses; they build "skills pathways" that industries actually value.
• For example, the Tech Talent Academy (TTA) works with tech firms like AWS, Microsoft, and Google to train and place workers in tech jobs.
Since 2024, the TTA has trained over 53,000 workers. About 4,000 of these were people switching careers through the SkillsFuture Career Transition Programme. More than half of them have already found new jobs in a softening job market. This shows that when we link training directly to employment, better things can happen.
Mr. Speaker, the success of this Bill will be judged by whether workers experience a system that is more coherent, more responsive, and more relevant to their daily lives. If this new agency can help Singapore move closer to that goal, it will build a new social compact for a new era of work.
The Government has an important role, but it cannot do this alone.
• NTUC will continue to work with the new Skills and Workforce Development Agency to strengthen career security for workers at every stage of life.
• Career security is the new social compact.
• This Bill is an important step towards building that compact for the workers of today and tomorrow.
Mr. Speaker, I support the Bill.
