RETRENCHMENTS

Mdm Claire Chiang See Ngoh asked the Minister for Manpower if he will give an update on the number of persons who are over 45 and who have been retrenched; and what mechanism, training programmes and types of job placement opportunities are in place to enable these older persons to participate in the economy.

Dr Lee Boon Yang: More than one third (36%) of the retrenched local workers in the first half of 1998 were aged 45 and above. Nearly one-fifth (19%) were aged 50 or older. In a softening labour market, older workers affected by retrenchment would experience more difficulty finding new jobs compared to their younger counterparts. The Ministry is concerned over this group of job seekers. We have been urging employers to refrain from discriminating against older workers.

As far as employment assistance is concerned, the Ministry of Manpower's Employment Service Department (ESD) provides employment assistance to Singaporeans and Permanent Residents regardless of their age. All the nine Community Development Councils (CDCs) and other self-help and voluntary welfare organisations also have employment assistance schemes to help their residents/members look for jobs. They are linked to ESD's JOB System through the Ministry's LabourNet, which allows on-line registration and job matching for job seekers.

The Ministry has also formed an Employment Facilitation Team (EFT) to proactively reach out to displaced workers and companies still recruiting workers. The EFT keeps in contact with industries and companies that have the potential to offer new employment opportunities. EFT officers meet with industry and company personnel to assess their employment requirements. The EFT visits companies that have decided to carry out retrenchments so as to determine the assistance needed by affected workers to obtain alternative employment, and provide any necessary counselling. The EFT also organises industry job fairs, often in cooperation with the CDCs, in order to bring together job seekers and prospective employers at a convenient location.

With regard to training programmes, the older and less-educated workers who are forty years old and above are a target group of the Skills Redevelopment Programme (SRP). The SRP was launched in December 1996 by the National Trades Union Congress as a tripartite initiative to enhance the employability of the local workforce by encouraging employers to undertake skills upgrading for their employees. In promoting training among the older workers, the aim is to extend their employability by 10 to 15 years in their current companies, or for suitable jobs in other companies. Of the 6,115 workers who either have completed training or are currently being trained under the SRP, more than 2,800 workers or 46% are aged forty years and above.