A truncated version was published on the Voices section of TODAYonline.
Gilbert Goh / Writer
The current retraining scheme by the Workforce Development Agency has failed to help more sophisticated jobseekers.
I refer to the article “There’s a course for everyone: WDA” (Today 6 June).
(Photo: Jobseeking PMETs need specialised help. Courtesy of Jarrod Stone / Creative Commons)
Firstly, I find it strange that many people flock to the government asking for retraining and work as if it is the government’s job when this should be the personal responsibility of individuals. We may have already developed a dependence on the government to ask for anything and everything, thus weakening our own self reliance and survival instincts.
The Community Development Councils (CDC) and Workforce Development Agency (WDA) have done their best in trying to match retrenched workers with the right training course and reemployment. However, Singaporeans should not solely depend on such government agencies for employment purposes.
CDCs and WDA are not recruitment agencies and they have limitations here due to their manpower constraints and screening expertise. For the professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMET), it takes more than a simple job match to satisfy both the requirement of the employer and the job seeker. There are other considerations like career path, salary adjustment, potential for grooming to higher appoitnment among others. It is not as simple as matching for a security guard or a cleaner who have a simpler job scope.
In fact, I find that our CDCs and WDA should relinquish their job matching duties to professional recruiters especially for PMETs. PMETs, being more complex and detailed in their job search, should not be treated the same as other jobseekers.
The PMET jobseeker needs a more detailed comprehensive approach which require the expert skills of a headhunter or a human resource expert. CDC career consultants currently, I feel, lack such human resource skills to handle the expectations of PMETs.
Perhaps due to the huge volume of PMET cases faced by CDCs, many jobseekers also faced the unpleasant task of mishandling by the counselor. Worse still, they may not get a response, which should not be the case.
Moving forward, it may be good for CDCs/WDA to focus on their core duties of helping the rank-and-file jobseekers. As for the PMETs, more can be done to liberialise the kind of courses that they can take up on their own.
For an engineer who has lost his job, a diploma in hospitality may not appeal to him much even if it is offered free of charge but a post graduate course relevant to his discipline may be more appropriate.
A small budget can be made available to the jobseeker who wants to go on a course of his choice that is not found on the current WDA retraining list. Many I am sure will appreciate a tweaking of this retraining scheme which so far has being receiving quite alot of criticism.
So, still going to vote the same people who sell you out? Those who haven’t fallen into this situation, it may be your turn next so do yourself a favour and save yourself on the ballot paper.
42) To the Frequently Debunked KopitiamApek
//// Eh, #39 is talking to you lah Apek.////
Really. Please check again.
//// the Frequently Debunked ////
by whom? you? than it is ok, considering the stuff you wrote ” give me 30 cups of kopi hum mai hum, stirled not shaken. wash your hands after u visit the loo for hygiene of all kopi takers” it is not deserving of a reply. You are humilaiting no one but yourself.
I will respond to intellectual challenges to my view point, when I read one.
Thank you.
I think policy makers deserve to be given a chance to demonstrate that their scheme is working for PMETs. Ok, I’ll wait. The fact is I have been waiting since Day 1 when the scheme is launched and I saw nothing.
I may sound real arrogant and self-centered, but there are 1001 ways to convince the public with both quantitative and qualitative results, but I saw none of the arguments displayed. My apologies if I refrain from making mention how this could be done, because I do not even want policy makers to view my ideas here, and implement to their own credit. Anything details further than this will have to be on a commercial basis :-)
i do feel that many questions if not all questions posed here on TOC are never given a reply by ‘them’. Unless, someone can prove to me those replies. Ok, even if prolly 1 or 2, But out of how many million questions asked?
Whatever CLAIMED by them, they should be able to show independent party assessable and certifiable results. How they come up this and that numbers.
Trust is fine. I also can say i trust them. but in this day and age, especially after the min bon bons and losses, this 5 letter word is now banned in my dictionary and replaced by evidence.
Put it this way, I beg to be impressed with evidence. solid and beyond reasonable doubt, fully verfiable by truely independent 3rd party.
hi kf,
yeah, be careful of anyone challanging anyone else online to come up with a better idea. such people may be the ‘runners’ sent by elites to source for free ideas.
Never Degrade Yourself and Beg for a Job less than S pass $1800.
You not only insult yourself but NUS, NTU degree!
With Pride with Live and I can even sell my HDB as I don’t have sense of belonging in this country.
Why 95% male bare Arm just to protect 5% of elite who got no challenges in elections! Let them taste what is a competitive economy like in the real world!
just to add, maybe that is why opposition party just shut up & sit down when “somebody” makes a blunder.
“who spill the milk, go take mop ownself clean up his/her own mess.”
no mollycoddling!! :P
So what Retraining is Required!
LKY is a Lawyer and does he had to be Retrain to be a Doctor or
A Engineer had to be Retrain to be an Accountant!
All is about Market Forces and Not Certificate! Singaporean being trained under PAP fall to realise that very simple logic!
Even MOM is setting that kind of Guideline based on Cert not Skill Sets in Foreign Talents!
53) kf
//// Anything details further than this will have to be on a commercial basis////
real arrogant and self-centered, in your own words.
you do know yourself well.
“//// Anything details further than this will have to be on a commercial basis////
real arrogant and self-centered, in your own words.
you do know yourself well.”
i thought this was similar to the money-for-high-talent mantra occasionally echoed by your supermen. does this arrogance and self-centreness also apply to them.
52) KopitiamApek on June 12th, 2009 9.01 pm
“I will respond to intellectual challenges to my view point, when I read one.”
They are becoming scare as more and more are being laid openly onto the table for all too see. Socialization of challenges and intelligence (oops your view of course).
60) KopiMai???
2 wrongs do not make 1 right.
Your answer is irrelevant.
“2 wrongs do not make 1 right.
Your answer is irrelevant.”
If that is the case, why not you spend more time educating them (supermen) as they are setting a very bad example for lesser people to follow. If supermen can say one thing and get away (creating more visibility of bad example) and still expect non-supermen to do otherwise, how can ? Standard is precisely set in this manner with different branches of arms slowly grabbing & enveloping each strata of society.
So is the answer still irrelevant.
63) KopiMai???
Yes.
I think I am having an exchange with someone out there with a split personality : )
“Yes”
surprise, surpise on such glaring double-standard. well, the show must still go on.
seems like this KopitiamApek is very frequently hijacking this thread.
here is the real kopitiamahsoh: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKczsruXZcM
funny moments:
@ 2min 36 seconds
@ 3min 20 seconds
injoy!
67) Kopi O neng liab MAI neng kak
////is very frequently hijacking this thread////
So views that are no similar to yours is hijacking? You want all similar views here? What a contradiction to all your ranting.
“So views that are no similar to yours is hijacking? You want all similar views here? What a contradiction to all your ranting.”
Having not similar views are ok. but when it is to the extent of readily accepting double standard, what do you call this ? senile (for lack of better words) ? perhaps you may have that kind of kopi wisdom of not calling your own double standard as contradiction but as intellectual challenge.
69) KopiMai???
OIC, so aviews that are not similar to yours is hijackingccepting or double standard
I still think I am having an exchange with someone out there with a split (and progressing to mutiple) personality : )
Be couragous, stick to one nick
Correction with apologies:
OIC, so views that are not similar to yours is hijacking or double standard
kekekekeke hahaahaha
look who’s talking? Oh, its Apek again!
“Be couragous, stick to one nick” kekekekek hahahaha
words from a guy called “KopitiamApek” asking people to use 1 nick?
“a split (and progressing to mutiple) personality ”
using a nick is that not multi-personality? your regular self and name and another personality called KopitiamApek?
hmmmm…… sometimes, i really thought u are simply trying to be funny.
in case u wondering, i am not Kopimai.
TOC About us :///It is our hope that through the honest and civil exchange of views, all of us will benefit and perhaps take public discourse, especially on controversial issues, to a higher and mature level.///
“Civil exchange” and “mature level” can be seen in quite a number of the posts by regulars,
but to a certain extend, TOC gets dominated by those who are not tops at “Civil exchange” and “mature level”, and many posts tend to denegerate into government bashing irrespective of the subject, personal attacks of dissending views, and religous quarrelling.
My 2 cents worth of observation.
Apek, show us your real identity in order to walk the talk .
Else, u know what to do. Go Forth.
So What if I know Partial Differentiation Equations, Modelling of 2nd Order System or Artifical Intelligent but dont know how to innovate product like iPhone is useless!
Singapore is good at training Management Idols who push other to do but don’t know themselves! Leverage on others or Mass exploitation like the elite!
That why China Chinese rather deals with the Taiwanese!
Hope this Recession will bring a total collapse in this so called Singapore System and let the elite wake up their idea!
PMETs, are you in your 40s or 50s, retrenched and jobless?
Have you save enough to last the rest of your life?
If so, just retire and live a simple life.
Thanks all for your kind comments. I have read them all.
Moving forward, Singaporeans need to be extra sensitive to the world economy and not allow our govt to dictate what we should work for and what kind of retraining to go for.
To me, retraining could be a short term solution to a serious problem in our economy.
An article here also spoke about the damage of a heavy dependence on an export economy.
We all perhaps need to plan for oursevlves abit moe than depending on the govt to hand us jobs.
I am sure they are at their ends’ wit and pretty unsure of what to do next.
If there are jobs for the unemployed in the 1st place, there would not be as much unemployment problems.
Its the Ability to create jobs for all.
Delivering news papers, anyone can do. this $500 job a month will not enough to survive nor retire. Unemployment rate can still be zero , theoretically, if for each unemployed , say manager, there is 1 newspaper delivery job paying $500.
Did anyone fail to see my point?
Its the ABILITY to create meaningful jobs for citizens who DO HAVE the qualifications that are more than just news paper delivery.
another example : employ all unemployeds for $1 basic salary with commission for insurance sold. There is no unemployment problem based on this model. There is or may be still INCOME and livelihood problem even if 100% Employment rate.
Can someone please solve this?
USA pls save me.
#78,
As long as majority (66%) have jobs that fit their ability, PAP don’t worry whether you are unemployed, employed below your ability, underpaid or whatever.
Because if majority are satisfied they will vote PAP and PAP will win the election.
Also Singaporeans dare not become opposition or protest on the streets, so there will also be 50% walkovers and the streets are peaceful.
And with that PAP has 98% of the seats every time. So much so they feel “paiseh” (embarassed) and will give 9 NCMPs to the opposition at the next election!
“OIC, so aviews that are not similar to yours is hijackingccepting or double standard.”
views that are not similar to one can be considered hijacking (if it is lah), it is ok lah (post of hijacking was not mine lah) as long as the platform to freely rebut is there lah.
views that are not similar to one can be considered double standard lah (some of the posts above clearly say so lah). somemore want to argue unless the nick kopitiam has also been used by several people or someone with split personality lah. maybe it should not be called double standard but kopitiam apek standard lah.
I am about to take up a job offer that pays 800 a month.
I have an incamp training for about 9 days soon. I told the employer this . He told me he will employ me after the ICT.
I said, during that period, there will be no choice on the employer but the employer insist to defer my employment date. I am so sad. I will not be compensated during this ICT.
I called the MOM line and its busy.
I just i just have to makan myself.
Errata:
“I am about to take up a job offer that pays 800 a month. It suppose to start this week.
I have an incamp training for about 9 days 2 weeks after the supposed start-date. I told the employer this . He told me he will employ me after the ICT instead.”
Errata2:
“I said, during that period, there will be NO Salary COST to the employer as army will pay for it but the employer insist to defer my employment date.”
in the eyes of gov.sg
FTs are wired
sinkees are tired
older sinkees are expired
83) Employer deferred employment due to ICT NS
It’s just bad timing. You have your valid points, and I am sure the employer decided not to take you b ased on his own valid points.
Move on, do not stop looking, perhaps, philosophically, you were meant for a better job than this one, thus this obstacle was placed on your path.
One day you may look back and say it was good timing.
There was once an old man who lived with his only son at the border of the state. They were fond of horses and often let them graze freely in the meadow.
One day a servant reported to the old man, “A horse is missing.”
His friends felt sorry for him, but the old man was not bothered at all by the loss. As a matter of fact, he said, “Who knows? The loss may bring us good fortune.”
A few months later a servant reported to the old man, “The missing horse has returned and has brought with it a fine horse from the neighbouring state.”
When his friends heard the news, they congratulated the old man on his good fortune. But the old man said, “Who knows? This may bring us ill fortune.”
You may have read this story:
One day when the old man’s son was riding a horse, he accidentally fell off the horse, broke his leg.
That year, all the able-bodied men were drafted to fight a war and most of them got killed. The old man’s son was not drafted because he was still recovering from his injury, and so his life was spared.
What seems like misfortune may turn out to be a blessing in disguise.
Stay positive.
hi Employer deferred employment due to ICT NS on June 15th, 2009 4.04 pm,
i was in a similiar situation before, maybe will be again this year. just too bad for those with annual NS commitment. however short, it is very disruptive to jobseeker.
no S’porean advatage here….
“That year, all the able-bodied men were drafted to fight a war and most of them got killed. The old man’s son was not drafted because he was still recovering from his injury, and so his life was spared.”
aiyoh. such a lame story. maybe you could see quite a number of fortunate few who get to ride the horses (white horse ?) without falling and yet will not get drafted when the war comes.
If you can see such scenario already being unshamelessly played out in peace time, what do you think will happen in war time. just to expand on your kopitiam wisdom (double-standard ?) a little bit.
“Move on, do not stop looking, perhaps, philosophically, you were meant for a better job than this one, thus this obstacle was placed on your path. One day you may look back and say it was good timing.”
Apek, you sure can talk c**k. it is like saying it is OK if you lose tons of money, because you will definitely make tons of money another day. Amazing c**k theory
I could not agree more with the writer, to make the SPUR programme more liberal for jobless PMETs. And, the course providers should make the application process much easier and the subsidy to be more generous in order to really help the needy lots.
Why SAF don’t take in Unemployed Singaporean and Pay them Market Rate of at least $2K/month!
Flat Hope!
Can anyone pls enlighten me or give a few examples of the SPUR courses. Does this include say letter writing, report writing, marketing or website development, optimisation or design, professional photography etc type of courses? If not what type of programmes or courses are included in SPUR? Had a look at the website, it tells nothing of specific courses. Its more like advertising the NUS & NTU academic courses.
hi TrueBlood Singaporean on June 16th, 2009 6.05 pm,
SAF should pay reservists who are out-of-job an hourly rate that equivalent of the regular during their ICT.
SAF should not take in unemployment too easily as in the end will still burden taxpayers. unless to weed out underperformers…
86) mice is nice on June 15th, 2009 11.13 pm
>>>hi Employer deferred employment due to ICT NS on June 15th, 2009 4.04 pm,
i was in a similiar situation before, maybe will be again this year. just too bad for those with annual NS commitment. however short, it is very disruptive to jobseeker. <<<<
Sad to hear this happened to a few people at least.
Well, I think #83 may not get the job when he finish the ICT for following reasons (but i hope he gets it):
1. the employer has not given him a contract to sign. The singapore employer postpone the date. Anything can happen in several weeks.
2. the singapore company employer may not need to wait for this resource given that in this recession, tons of freshies are virtually ‘begging’ to be employed at any salary. Further, there is a almost ‘infinite’ supply of foreign workers who regard $800 a month as good enough salary to come here for. PRs family members may be here and gotten PR also and looking for job as well.
That said, I wish that none of these scenarios happen to #83 and the singapore employer honour his words. I hope #83 tape recorded what they promised (hahaha, kidding only). In any case, business operators are ‘king’ and dictate the employment. They can say anything and get away with it as long as they say, “business requirement changed”.
While employers can say no one owes you a living, we expect some integrity and honesty also. Likewise, ‘some people’ elites must be taught a lesson also that “NO ONE OWES THEM A LIVING”, that their ricebowl is not guaranteed as well. They need to have competition and work hard for every cent given to them. This, only the rest of us can ensure they are kept on their toes.
hi Hikari Alfons,
its a pity S’pore is too pro-employer. the needs of employees (except maybe only civil servants?) are too often brushed aside wih little recourse. while i do understand the need for employers to fill positions without delay, its sad that corporate social responsbility is never part of Asian values, at least more so in S’pore’s context.
when employing people, there always is a social dimension to even business decision, i dunno how employers can always say its purely a business decision.
It’s ok. Come 2011, you know who to vote. ;)
e2i, CDC, MPS are all useless! If there really are jobs, people would already be employed.
Also, if they have so many jobs available, are we in a recession period or job-booming period? It’s strange that in this recession suddenly we have thousands of jobs opening up suddenly.