Schemes Supporting Gig Workers Who Wish to Transit to Regular Employment and Challenges Involved Supporting this Group

NOTICE PAPER NO. 733 OF 2021 FOR THE SITTING ON 5 OCTOBER 2021  

QUESTION NO. 1171 FOR WRITTEN ANSWER

MP: MR YIP HON WENG

To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) how many gig workers like food delivery workers who wish to transit to regular employment have benefitted from Government schemes; and (b) what are the challenges involved in supporting this group.

Answer:

Platform workers are a diverse group and we are committed to support them in their plans. Many say they prefer such work because of the flexibility and autonomy it affords. For them, our recently established Advisory Committee on Platform Workers will consult widely and examine how they can be better supported.

For those looking to transit to regular employment, WSG and NTUC’s e2i offer career matching services including career coaching, employability workshops and job fairs. For example, in 2021, e2i conducted several Career Reinvention Workshops in collaboration with National Private Hire Vehicles Association (NPHVA) and NTUC Learning Hub to help platform drivers explore new career pathways. In addition, digital services like MCF can be accessed at all hours of the day. The whole range of SGUnited Jobs & Skills support is also available to them. We know that it is challenging for platform workers to transit to regular employment, and WSG will continue to put in its best effort to support their job search.