Singapore Will Create 100,000 Jobs In 2020, Help Citizens Digitalise To Survive In Covid-19 World
As Singapore reels from the Covid-19 pandemic, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing promises that the government will take care of all Singaporeans by creating new jobs and helping businesses to adapt.
The speech delivered on Sunday (14 Jun) and titled “Making A Living In A Covid-19 World”, focused on how things will change in the near future.
A focus is on jobs — which the government promises to create to help those who have lost their jobs or are struggling to find one.
Creating 100,000 jobs and traineeships in 2020
More than a hundred billion dollars over 4 Budgets was committed by the government to help save businesses and jobs, Mr Chan said.
A part of this will go into creating 100,000 jobs as well as traineeships, especially for fresh graduates and those retrenched amid the past few months.
This is 3 times the usual number, as said in the speech. Between 2015 and 2018, 60,000 jobs were created.
Mr Chan said they’re creating jobs in the following industries:
- Healthcare
- Early childhood education
- Transport
- ICT
- Financial services
100,000 may not even be the upper limit if the situation worsens, and more jobs may be created then.
Singaporeans need to adapt to post-Covid-19 world, digitalise
Some Singaporeans may have to pick up new skills to secure employment, since the way we do things will have to change.
Mr Chan emphasised that digitalisation will accelerate in the coming days and months.
Promising that this generation will be “transformed through digitalisation and data”, they’re encouraging businesses to go digital and use digital solutions to overcome the challenges we see today.
The Digital Ambassador Corps, comprised of 1,000 people, will help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) digitalise, as well as senior citizens. This too, is part of the 100,000 jobs created.
The message is clear: one can upskill and adapt, regardless of age.
Adapting requires agility
Mr Chan summed it up when he said:
Survival favours not the strong, but the agile
In order to move forward and help Singaporeans, Singapore has to create jobs as well as attract businesses to set up shop here.
We also have to move with the times and embrace the digital before others do, hence “agile”.
Hopefully, the jobs created will allow Singaporeans to tide through this crisis.
Featured image adapted from Facebook.Â
