Singapore’s workers get help finding jobs in five strongest sectors

Singapore’s government has chosen five high-growth sectors it wants to help jobseekers find work in.

The five sectors expected to provide jobs in the coming years are financial services, professional services, healthcare, wholesale trade and infocommunications and media.

Five ministers, including Second Minister for Manpower Josephine Teo, will head up a team matching Singaporeans to jobs in industries that are growing but also going through changes that require retraining or new skills.

“Even against global headwinds, these five sectors in Singapore are growing and creating new jobs for professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs),” said Teo in a Facebook post. “Our goal is to help Singaporeans access these opportunities.

“Over the next few years, 25,000 to 40,000 jobs will be created each year; about half are expected to be PMET jobs in these five growth sectors.”

PMETs accounted for 70 per cent of residents made redundant last year, according to Ministry of Manpower (MOM) figures.

The Minister for Manpower, Lim Swee Say, announced the plans during a rebranding of Singapore’s career centres. He said that other sectors would not be neglected but these particular five would be crucial in expanding the country’s economy.

"These five sectors will either have tremendous potential for future job creation - meaning they are likely to create more jobs, or are the sectors facing the greatest threat in terms of restructuring," said Lim.

Last week it was revealed that Singapore’s National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) is trialling a ‘Returners Programme’ to get PMETs who took a break from working back into jobs.