Singapore forms tripartite council to guide workers through AI-driven job disruption

Singapore has established a new tripartite body to coordinate workforce upskilling and enterprise job redesign in response to accelerating disruption driven by artificial intelligence (AI), the government announced on 29 April 2026.

The Tripartite Jobs Council will bring together the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), and the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) to act as a centralised node for existing and new programmes targeting workers and businesses across every sector.

Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng co-chairs the council alongside NTUC secretary-general Ng Chee Meng and SNEF president Tan Hee Teck. Additional members and detailed work plans are expected to be announced in the coming months.

Concerns about job security and skills obsolescence

Speaking at a press event held at NTUC Centre on 29 April, Dr Tan acknowledged widespread anxiety among workers and businesses about the pace of technological change.

"We recognise that there are many workers and businesses that are both anxious and uncertain about what lies ahead," he said, noting that concerns about job security, the relevance of skills, and the risk of obsolescence are being taken seriously.

The council's formation comes as AI increasingly automates functions that were previously performed by humans, including writing, coding, and data analysis. Dr Tan, who also serves as Minister-in-charge of Energy and Science and Technology, said the body aims to harness the combined reach of unions, employers, and government to help every worker and business adapt.

Survey reveals low AI adoption among local firms

Dr Tan cited findings from an as-yet-unreleased MOM survey conducted between January and March 2026, which found that 70 per cent of 2,560 companies surveyed in Singapore had not adopted AI for work purposes.

Of companies that had made changes, 6.2 per cent reported reducing headcount, while 18.9 per cent said they were redesigning roles and creating new AI-related jobs. Dr Tan said this indicates that AI is primarily transforming tasks rather than replacing workers wholesale, adding that there is "very little evidence of widespread displacement."

These figures nonetheless point to significant unevenness in adoption. According to the Singapore Digital Economy Report 2025, AI uptake among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) rose to 14.5 per cent in 2024 from 4.2 per cent the previous year, but this still lags well behind the more than 60 per cent adoption rate recorded at larger companies.

SNEF's Tan Hee Teck warned that if the gap is not addressed, the consequences will extend beyond firm size. "If this trend continues, the divide will widen not just between SMEs and larger firms, but between workers as well," he said, noting that SMEs face practical barriers including the cost of AI tools, a shortage of in-house expertise, and a persistent skills gap.

Three areas of focus for the new council

The Tripartite Jobs Council has identified three principal areas of activity. The first is coordinated support for enterprise workforce transformation in step with AI adoption. The second is broad-based and sector-specific training for workers, alongside targeted transition support for those in at-risk occupations. The third is public awareness efforts to encourage more workers to take up available training.

The council will also complement the National AI Council, an inter-ministerial body chaired by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong that is driving AI adoption in four priority sectors: advanced manufacturing, transport connectivity, finance, and healthcare.

Training targets and subsidised AI tools

Earlier in February 2026, the government announced a package of AI initiatives to be progressively rolled out during the year. Among these is a scheme under which Singaporeans who enrol in selected SkillsFuture AI courses will receive six months of complimentary access to premium AI tools. The specific qualifying courses and tools are to be announced later in the year.

A broader target has been set to train some 100,000 workers to be "AI bilingual" by 2029, equipping them with the knowledge to apply AI tools in solving workplace problems and redesigning work processes. Initial programmes will be tailored for workers in the accountancy and legal sectors.

SkillsFuture Singapore is also developing a self-diagnostic tool to help workers assess their AI skill level, which is expected to be made available online later in 2026.

From May 2026, NTUC members will be able to access a suite of more than 20 eligible AI tools at up to 50 per cent off subscription costs through their Union Training Assistance Programme benefits. The eligible tools cover tasks such as content creation and writing.

This forms part of the AI-Ready SG initiative launched in February 2026, which also provides AI training pathways tailored to workers' skill levels, occupations, and sectors. NTUC reported on 30 April that more than 4,000 workers have already enrolled in AI training courses since the initiative's launch.

Fresh graduates and older workers among key focus groups

NTUC's Ng Chee Meng acknowledged that young people are concerned that academic qualifications and existing skills may no longer be sufficient to secure entry-level employment, while older workers worry about long-term job security in an AI-transformed economy.

Dr Tan said matching young graduates to available jobs will be among the council's priorities, encompassing fresh graduates from universities, polytechnics, the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), and private educational institutions. He said the council will work closely with Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) under the labour movement and with SNEF.

In his budget wrap-up speech on 26 February, Prime Minister Wong sought to reassure Singaporeans that economic growth driven by AI would translate into better employment outcomes rather than job losses. "We will exploit AI to grow the economy, and we will ensure that growth translates into good jobs and better wages," he said.