Tan See Leng on Skills and Workforce Development Agency Bill

Developing Singapore’s human potential and tackling its workforce challenges in the decade ahead - that is the aim of the proposed new Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA). It is a merger of SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) and Workforce Singapore (WSG) into a new statutory board, jointly overseen by the Ministries of Education and Manpower. Manpower Minister Tan See Leng said the impetus for the move is three-fold - unprecedented technological advances, geopolitical shocks reshaping the global economy and the relentless pace of demographic change in Singapore. Dr Tan said the SWDA will build up a comprehensive offering of tools, services and programmes to help workers take purposeful action to stay adaptable through different stages of their lives. It will better support employers in recruitment, training and workforce transformation. It will also strengthen the ecosystem of career and employment service providers. This work has already begun, Dr Tan noted, with nine pilots underway to test innovative models targeting underserved groups. He spoke in parliament on Tuesday (May 5).