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Singapore to issue new pass to workers
Singapore, Feb 29: Singapore said a new pass for skilled foreign workers to be issued from July would be limited to five percent to avoid a floodgate situation, according to a news report.
Singapore, Feb 29: Singapore said a new pass for skilled foreign workers to be issued from July would be limited to five percent to avoid a floodgate situation, according to a news report.
Acting minister Dr Ng Eng Hen said the S-pass would come in handy for industries such as aerospace and healthcare which were facing a shortage of skilled workers.
With the five percent quota, we're not opening up the floodgates, Dr Ng was quoted as assuring Singaporeans that they would not be left out.
But he stressed that the aerospace industries never had a ready supply of skilled technicians and engineers and such jobs would never have gone to them as they were not qualified.
The new work pass also aims to encourage skilled workers to settle in Singapore and allows those earning at least 2,500 dollars a month salary to bring in their dependants, according to local reports.
The S-pass is the part of Singapore plans to relax its foreign labour policy soon as demand for skilled workers is far outstripping its supply.
Dr Ng said the job market was looking up again but new jobs would require higher skills, especially nurses, biomedical laboratory assistants and aerospace engineers.
Our foreign worker policy must be loosened to allow companies access to skilled workers and we have to see both local and foreign skilled workers as one package, Dr Ng had said earlier this week.
It does not mean if you stop foreign worker from coming in, you will save one job. We start from the basis that we want companies to have access to skilled workers, how we do it, calibrate it, is a fine balance, he said.
Bureau Report
With the five percent quota, we're not opening up the floodgates, Dr Ng was quoted as assuring Singaporeans that they would not be left out.
But he stressed that the aerospace industries never had a ready supply of skilled technicians and engineers and such jobs would never have gone to them as they were not qualified.
The new work pass also aims to encourage skilled workers to settle in Singapore and allows those earning at least 2,500 dollars a month salary to bring in their dependants, according to local reports.
The S-pass is the part of Singapore plans to relax its foreign labour policy soon as demand for skilled workers is far outstripping its supply.
Dr Ng said the job market was looking up again but new jobs would require higher skills, especially nurses, biomedical laboratory assistants and aerospace engineers.
Our foreign worker policy must be loosened to allow companies access to skilled workers and we have to see both local and foreign skilled workers as one package, Dr Ng had said earlier this week.
It does not mean if you stop foreign worker from coming in, you will save one job. We start from the basis that we want companies to have access to skilled workers, how we do it, calibrate it, is a fine balance, he said.
Bureau Report