Tightening the Tap on the Flow of SPass- a Boon for Singaporeans

All incoming taps must be recalibrated to regulate the flow of talent and foreign workers and the control of the SPass is one of those taps. It is a sensible and reasonable move considering that the aggregate job supply will contract with massive job losses especially in the categories of PMETs.

The next 2 quarters of 2009 may see one of our steepest job losses and the possible retrenchment of more PMETs who are better qualified and skilled, will add to the upward momentum of unemployment. SPass was initially mooted in an era of boom where qualified technicians and workers are in shortages and this category of workers are the sandwiched layer between those holding Employment Pass (EP) and Work Permit (WP). The scheme provided great hiring impetus as Singapore was growing and we need all the skilled human resources to compensate for our lack of it in Singapore. They are mostly skilled in the technical areas like in the constructions, manufacturing and offshore and marine industries. The service industry also has its fair proportion of SPass workers over the last 2 years.

1. Raising the bar and entry requirements for new incoming SPass workers inevitable will tightened the tap and unless the employers can show cause that the skills needed are exceptional and lacking within our pool of, increasingly large, jobless Singaporeans, then those foreigners who now enter into our job markets must have those needed skills. Those SPass applicants in the service industry will likely be hardest hit as these jobs are easily replaceable by Singaporeans with training if needed. The learning curve for such skills like sales, marketing, retail merchandizing or even administrative and accounting functions are not as steep as those in the technical areas like safety supervisors, construction foreman or commissioning superintendant where specific technical qualifications are needed.

The employers can pay Singaporean $1800 to do the same job and still enjoy the Jobs Credit from the government. For those skills like customer service or those in the hospitality areas, the jobless Singaporeans especially the PMETs can easier pick up the training subsidy and be trained for the new jobs. In short, SPass workers for the service industry are likely to be screened tighter and the window for them will be smaller so long as the jobs are considered replaceable by Singaporeans.

2. We deal with the hard industries like offshore and marine and manufacturing and these are where specific technical skills are required and where SPass workers are most needed.

3. Experienced die and mold makers, autocad designers, R&D engineers, commissioning foreman and superintendant, safety engineers and other technical positions are not easily replaceable and if the skills have steeper and longer learning curves, it is unlikely that the unemployed PMETs can easily fit into the profile. The job market is already under extreme duress and across most sectors from manufacturing, offshore and marine to construction and the supply of jobs are unlikely to grow to give more employment to the jobless Singaporeans. Apart from skill-based needs for SPass requirements, employers used to have problems hiring Singaporeans for jobs requiring irregular working hours with split and shift works. This "attitude-based" aversion to such jobs in the retail and customer service, hospitality and healthcare can be shifted with the power of hunger to have a change of hearts. With ample training opportunities and the re-structuring of work contents, these jobs may power up the next leg of our economic restructuring which is the service sector.

There are no quick or easy fixes to this crisis and the SPass flow regulation is one of the many ways for MOM to preserve more replaceable jobs for Singaporeans. It is inexcusable and irresponsible for employers to get foreigners in if unemployed Singaporeans, especially the PMETs who are capable for the jobs and may be willing to take a lower pay, be denied the opportunities. I think the issue is about attitude on both sides of the equation. The employer attitudes which must be a willing employer and for as long as any jobless Singaporeans can perform the role, notwithstanding his last job position or experience or even pay. The jobless Singaporeans', especially the PMETs, attitudes must be to pare down expectations with a view to gain new experience. If the equation can balanced off, our employment situation in Singapore cannot be worse off.