EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS SYSTEM (Rationale for implementation)

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EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS SYSTEM:

(Rationale for implementation): 7.

Mdm Ho Geok Choo asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what is the rationale for the implementation of the recently announced Employability Skills System (ESS); and (b) how can it be ensured that this new framework that costs $900,000 will be effective in facilitating the unemployed and workers at risk of displacement in their search for jobs.

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Manpower (Mr Hawazi Daipi) (for the Minister for Manpower): Sir, employability skills refer to the generic or foundational skills that every worker should possess. They include literacy, being able to communicate effectively, as well as to use information communication technologies (ICT), identify and solve problems, adapt to changes and so forth. These foundational skills are distinct from occupational or technical skills. However, employers recognise them as equally important to workplace effectiveness.

WDA has, in consultation with employers and industry partners, mapped out the sets of employability skills that are relevant and useful. These will be particularly helpful in raising the employability of the lower skilled workers. For example, without workplace literacy, it would be very difficult for the lower skilled worker

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to learn new occupational skills to take on a new job. In other words, some workers may not be literate enough to read instruction manuals for new machines in the workplace. The customised training does not aim to help them read widely but focuses on their ability to read relevant instructions at their work to upgrade themselves.

Apart from setting out the key employability skills, the ESS comprises appraisal tools that enable career counsellors, employers and training providers to identify the competency gaps of job seekers and employees. The results are used to determine the type of training required for the worker. After training, the competencies of trainees would be re-assessed and they will receive certification as evidence of their new skills acquired.

The system is currently being piloted and 15 training modules will be fully implemented from January 2005.

Mdm Ho Geok Choo: Sir, I would like to ask the Senior Parliamentary Secretary who were the employers and industries that were involved with WDA in this project, and how were they selected. What are some of the workforce development best practices around the world on which this particular model was supposed to have been benchmarked against? Can the Senior Parliamentary Secretary enlighten the House as to what are some of Singapore's workforce specific development needs? And how are these needs being addressed by this particular programme?

Mr Hawazi Daipi: Sir, the WDA has conducted focus group discussions on employability skills as well as conducted surveys involving more than 450 respondents and 43 participants. They

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come from different industries and sectors. The list is long. I would not bore Members with the full list. They include 77th Street (Singapore) Pte Ltd, A&P Maintenance Pte Ltd, and they come from all industries and sectors.

On employability skills that we are focusing on, we taught about 10 employability skills, in particular, eg, workplace literacy and numeracy, information communication technologies, problem solving and decision making, initiative and enterprise, communications and relationship management, life-long learning, global mindset, self-management, work-related life skills, health and workplace safety. These are areas in which we expect every worker to have some knowledge in and some competency so that they can learn better and contribute better to the companies.

In benchmarking ourselves, we have taken a look at practices in many countries. We have taken a look at the Australian Business Council's employability skills standards. We have also taken a look at the Conference Board of Canada on employability skills 2000 plus the UK's Qualification and Curriculum Authority's key skills and the practices in the United States. All I can say is that we have taken a look at the best practices in the various countries and have come out with the 10 employability skills that we think would be very useful for our workers.

What is also important is that we have reached out to companies and training providers to find out what are the relevant employability skills that they think their workers and our workers would need. So we have come out with a set of 10.

Mdm Ho Geok Choo: Sir, I would like to ask the Senior Parliamentary Secretary how the outcomes of the trainees are to be measured. Eventually, who will actually be measuring these outcomes?

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Mr Hawazi Daipi: It is early days yet, Sir. We are still piloting it. We have just started. We will do this until the end of the year and we will roll out the whole scheme in January 2005.

Workers who undergo the employability skills training will be assessed before their training starts and at the end of the training course. This will be conducted by the trainers.