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92% of Singapore employees seek government incentives for upskilling

In the latest quarterly Randstad Workmonitor global survey released today, 92% of Singapore employees said that the government should offer incentives to employees if they choose to develop their professional competencies or remain in the workforce.

The survey also revealed a higher expectation of the government from the female population (94%) than men (87%). Experienced professionals are also more eager to receive these incentives than the younger population as they are likely to pay more for training programmes to deepen their professional capabilities.

On that note, Jaya Dass, managing director of Randstad Singapore said: “It is critical for the workforce to constantly keep up with the rapid rate of change necessary to advance in their careers.”

“Singapore employees can tap into public initiatives such as SkillsFuture and Professional Conversion Programmes (PCPs) to deepen their capabilities and acquire relevant skills and experiences required to deliver higher value to their jobs,” she continued.

She also highlighted that local institutions are already providing subsidised courses to encourage professionals to upskill and re-skill. She said: “With the acquisition of new knowledge and deeper capabilities, employees will also be able to command a higher salary and benefits package due to limited talent in high-demand sectors.”

Meanwhile, employees in Hong Kong have a similar expectation around incentives as Malaysian employees. In fact, 91% of Hong Kongers believe that the government should offer tax rebates or subsidies to encourage employees to stay employable or to develop their professional competencies.

There is also a slightly higher expectation from the male population (92%) than women in the workforce (90%). The younger employees between the age of 18 and 34 expect more financial support from the government to acquire highly demanded skills to potentially offset or better manage the high cost of living in Hong Kong.

In comparison, nine in 10 Malaysian employees expect more incentive support from the government to encourage them to retain their employment status. Despite it being higher than the global average, this is the lowest across the three markets.

Meanwhile, more women in the workforce said that the government should offer policy incentives (92%) as compared to men (89%). Unlike Hong Kong, there are more experienced professionals in Malaysia (93%) seeking policy incentives from the government to ensure employability.

Randstad

Globally, eight in 10 employees across the world said the government should offer incentives such as tax rebates and subsidies if they choose to further develop their professional competencies. This sentiment is higher in Southeast Asia, as 90% believe that they should receive incentives if they remain employed or have upskilled themselves.

Lead Photo / Randstad

Infographic / Randstad

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