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Speech at ASEAN Human Resource Summit 2008

Mr Gan Kim Yong, Acting Minister for Manpower, Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore

Excellencies, fellow ASEAN Labour Ministers

Dr Soeung Rathchavy, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN

Distinguished Guests, Tripartite Partners,

Ladies and Gentlemen


Good morning. A very warm welcome to the inaugural ASEAN Human Resource Summit, especially to our ASEAN friends and overseas guests. Singapore is pleased to be the host for this Summit, the first event of its kind with a focus on progressive HR practices in the ASEAN region. We are meeting amidst an increasingly challenging global economic environment, with the global financial crisis still unfolding. Our discussions at this Summit on HR practices in ASEAN have therefore taken on the added importance of positioning ourselves for the recovery from this downturn.

Progressive Labour Practices for ASEAN

2.   The 19th ASEAN Labour Ministers' Meeting held in Singapore in 2006 endorsed six projects to strengthen HR capabilities in the region and facilitate ASEAN integration in the area of HR development. These projects are concrete steps adopted by the ASEAN Labour Ministers towards realising an ASEAN Economic Community by 2015. Singapore took on two of these projects and I am pleased to report that there has been good progress in these projects.

Inaugural ASEAN Human Resource Summit

3.   The first of the two projects undertaken by Singapore was to organise a dedicated ASEAN platform to facilitate the sharing of progressive HR practices and research outcomes from the region. With the strong support of our fellow ASEAN members and social partners, we have organised today's inaugural ASEAN Human Resource Summit, with the theme "Progressive Labour Practices for ASEAN". This event has attracted a good representation of ASEAN tripartite partners, government officials, social partners and private-sector participants. We will have the opportunity to network and build rapport with one another. Experts from various ASEAN countries will also share their experiences in the area of labour and HR practices.

Study on ASEAN's Labour Practices

4.   The second project undertaken by Singapore was to commission a study on labour practices in the ASEAN countries. The purpose of the study is to examine the importance of progressive labour practices in enhancing the competitiveness of ASEAN. It also identifies areas where each ASEAN country could better prepare its labour market and develop its human capital in order to derive the maximum benefits from regional integration. The findings are useful both nationally and regionally, as we continue to develop and adopt progressive labour practices to meet the challenges and take advantage of opportunities of globalisation.

5.   The study has been completed and the findings were presented and endorsed at the 20th ASEAN Labour Ministers Meeting held in Thailand in May this year. Mercer, which was commissioned to carry out the study, will share the details of the findings later this morning.

ILO's Report on Labour and Social Trends in ASEAN 2008

6.   Over the years, the ILO and ASEAN have cooperated in many areas of mutual interest, such as occupational safety and health, industrial relations and vocational training. I am also pleased to note that the International Labour Organisation, or ILO, will be giving a presentation on their latest report on Labour and Social Trends in ASEAN. One of the aims of the report was to provide analysis and policy recommendations to facilitate the discussion on progressive labour practices at this Summit. I would like to thank the ILO for sharing the study findings with us. ASEAN will continue to work with the ILO in areas of mutual interest, in the spirit of the Cooperation Agreement signed between the ASEAN Secretariat and the ILO in March last year.

Maximising ASEAN's Attractiveness to Investment by Developing HR

7.   We hope that the Summit will help strengthen HR capabilities in the region, help us position our economies for sustained growth in the long run. This would in turn maximise ASEAN's attractiveness to foreign investment. The HR capacity of ASEAN countries is also an important factor in helping us ride out the current economic turmoil and emerge stronger. One of the aims of the ASEAN Charter is: "To develop human resources through closer cooperation in education and lifelong learning, and in science and technology, for the empowerment of the peoples of ASEAN and for the strengthening of the ASEAN Community." As we forge toward closer economic integration, we need to consider how we can best achieve this mission stated in the ASEAN Charter.

8.   Take education, training and lifelong learning for example. We have to ensure that workers have access to appropriate training so that they have the required skills to benefit from the new jobs that are created. Each country faces different challenges in this aspect and will need to evolve their own solutions. In Singapore, we have invested heavily in our education and training system. This covers both pre-employment education and training for our young people as well as the continuous education and training, or CET, for our adult workers. Singapore's only natural resources are our people, and our education and training system help us maximise our most valuable asset.

National CET Masterplan

9.   In February this year, we announced our National CET Masterplan, which allows workers to refresh their skills and get qualifications from well-established institutions, so that they can move on into new areas of work. Let me briefly talk about our plans in this area. In implementing the CET Masterplan, my ministry works closely with various partners, including the National Trades Union Congress (or NTUC), private sector training providers, polytechnics and the Institute of Technical Education, to build up and expand CET Centres in industry sectors that tap on their expertise and competencies. NTUC's Employment and Employability Institute, for example, is a key CET provider. Workers who want to enhance their employability and employment can go there to get training and career guidance, or even to search for jobs. Through expanding our CET Centres, we intend to quadruple training capacity to 80,000 workers in the next few years.

10.   We are also working with our district-based Community Development Councils to enhance their career services, so that they can serve as access points to the CET infrastructure for Singaporeans. This would make it easier for them to find out more about advancing their skills through the CET Centres. An Institute of Adult Learning has also been set up to develop the capability of trainers and adult educators working in the CET sector and to conduct applied research into adult education and training. This is a long-term investment that will enable us to ramp up our CET capabilities in years to come. And to ensure our CET system and our existing education system complement and build on each other, we are working toward mutual recognition of qualifications based on a common set of standards.

11.   To execute our CET Masterplan successfully, our tripartite partners play a key role. We will tap on the post-secondary education institutions, NTUC's Employment and Employability Institute and good private sector institutions to deliver CET programmes. We will work with industry associations to develop training standards and capabilities that are relevant to employers. And, most importantly, we will tap on our unions to get workers to undertake more CET and continually upgrade and revitalise their skills and competencies.

Re-employment of older workers

12.   CET has been increasingly embraced by workers in Singapore, and this has been particularly relevant to our older workers. In addition to ensuring that their skills remain in demand amidst changing industry conditions, we also aim to help older workers remain economically active and to continue to contribute to their companies. We will implement re-employment legislation by 2012. This would enable more people to continue working beyond the current statutory retirement age of 62. To ensure that the re-employment law will benefit the companies and their workers, and that they are able to make appropriate adjustments for re-employment, we have set up a Tripartite Committee comprising key representatives from our social partners. To help companies put in place the necessary processes and systems for re-employment, a Tripartite Implementation Workgroup has also been set up. The Workgroup recently formulated and issued a set of tripartite advisory to guide companies in their implementation of re-employment.

13.   To date, over 600 unionised companies in Singapore have already committed to re-employing older workers beyond the age of 62. These companies have recognised the importance of age-friendly practices, as older workers are a valuable asset and can continue to make contributions to their organisations. Older workers are also recognising the benefit of staying employed, earning a regular income and saving more for their retirement. Hence they are willing to undertake CET, make adjustments to their job and roles, as well as their expectations for remuneration upon re-employment. The successful implementation of re-employment will also enable Singapore to tap on the experience and expertise of the older generation of workers, who in turn can continue to contribute to the economy.

Conclusion

14.   As we work towards becoming an ASEAN Economic Community by 2015, it is important for each ASEAN country to continue to review our labour policies and practices to enhance our labour market competitiveness. I hope that this Summit is just the first of many more regular events in future, where progressive labour practices from around the region will be shared and implemented. As this initiative involves a wide spectrum of participants, including the tripartite social partners and professional HR practitioners, its impact on the development of progressive HR practices and on ASEAN integration would be significant. This will also help to make ASEAN a more favourable environment for foreign investment, bringing about sustained economic growth and job creation for the benefit of the whole region.

15.   On this note, I wish all delegates a fruitful Summit and a pleasant stay in Singapore.

Thank you.