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Written Answer by Mr Lim Swee Say, Minister for Manpower, to Parliamentary Question on additional assistance besides the $500 SkillsFuture grant available for retrenched PMETS

Skills, training and development

Notice Paper No. 68 Of 2016 For The Sitting On 29 February 2016 Question No. 46 For Written Answer

MP: Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang

To ask the Minister for Manpower whether there will be any additional assistance, besides the $500 SkillsFuture grant, available for retrenched PMETs to re-train and upgrade themselves for re-employment.

Answer

  1. The Ministry of Manpower is committed to actively support retrenched workers, including PMETs, to secure new employment. Besides helping them to improve skills through the SkillsFuture Credit, the Government also offers the SkillsFuture Mid-career Enhanced Subsidy for Singaporeans aged 40 and above to receive up to 90% subsidy of course fees for WDA-supported courses and at least 90% of programme cost for MOE-subsidised full-time and part-time courses. 
  2. PMETs, including those retrenched, who wish to undergo skills conversion and change their professions, can tap on Professional Conversion Programmes (PCPs). Salary support of up to 70 per cent of the monthly salary (subject to a cap of $2,000) is given to employers who hire them, with enhanced funding support for mature and long-term unemployed PMETs.  
  3. To help match job-seeking PMETs with suitable positions in SMEs, the P-Max programme supports SMEs in the recruitment, training and management of PMETs with job-matching services, workshops, and an Assistance Grant of $5,000. 
  4. In addition, the Career Support Programme (CSP) launched in October last year, helps Singaporean PMETs aged 40 and above to have better access to mid- and higher-level jobs while learning on-the-job. Under this programme, employers are given wage support for employing mature PMETs who have been actively searching for jobs for at least six months with a monthly gross salary of at least $4,000. 
  5. Above all, WDA and e2i also help connect retrenched and at-risk PMETs to potential employers through platforms such as the Jobs Bank portal, job fairs, recruitment and networking events. The Ministry is also monitoring the current economic and labour market situation closely, and stands ready to strengthen employment support for all workers.