THE Government's next move to help the retrenched find jobs will target specifically professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs), Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced yesterday.
These are the better-educated workers, with at least a diploma, who are forming an increasing proportion of the retrenched compared to earlier recessions.
Laid-off PMETs say that even if they are willing to take a lower-paying job, bosses tend to prefer younger and less-qualified workers. These former middle-income earners also have deep financial commitments.
Commenting on the plight of PMETs, Mr Lee said: 'PMETs sometimes say: 'The Government always takes care of the lower-income, the poor. We are not poor but we also need help.' I think it is right that we should not neglect them'.'
He announced that a new Professional Skills Programme (PSP) will help them upgrade their skills so that they can stay within the same industry.
Some existing measures, such as one that helps jobless PMETs switch careers, will also be brought under the umbrella of the PSP.
Mr Lee made the announcement at a tripartite forum attended by more than 500 unionists, employers and government officials.
Elaborating later, Acting Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong said that more PMETs are expected to be laid off compared to previous recessions because their ranks have swelled.
They formed 51 per cent of the resident workforce last year, up from 41 per cent a decade ago. At stake are the jobs of some 945,000 PMETs, with about 706,000 in services.
- The Straits Times
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