• About Us
    • Fact Checking Policy
    • Ownership & funding information
    • Volunteer
  • Subscribe
  • Letter submission
    • Submissions Policy
  • Contact Us
The Online Citizen Asia
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
The Online Citizen Asia
No Result
View All Result

HR expert raises concern on Singapore’s education system on developing its workers and how locals are forced to take up transactional jobs

by The Online Citizen
16/07/2021
in Labour
Reading Time: 4 mins read
43
HR expert raises concern on Singapore’s education system on developing its workers and how locals are forced to take up transactional jobs

Singapore schools are teaching theories and not practical applications, resulting in its inability to produce capable local workforce, opined Senior Consultant at HRmatters21, Martin Gabriel.

He explained that local universities and polytechnics need to change their method of teaching as applying practical knowledge in various situations is quicker in producing quality future workforce, as compared to teaching theories based on memorising.

“I think the days of just learning theories and based on memory are gone. Today we’re at a stage where we need to learn things that are more practical. It’s the application to situations that really count,” said Mr Gabriel in a live chat with TOC on Wednesday evening (14 July).

He added, “Situations are always changing so the applications need to address these changes. I think our universities and polytechnics need to change.”

Mr Gabriel also went on to note that education institutions in Singapore have to also work hand-in-hand with different industries, and not just rely on internships. Most interns are performing menial tasks during their internships and they don’t really learn anything beneficial, he said.

As such, the HR expert recommended that the “learning between universities and industries has to be tightened”, adding that high-value jobs should also be increased.

If that’s not all, Mr Gabriel also advised Singaporeans to always learn and keep themselves equipped with the rapid changes brought by technology. This is because, he said, job description has evolved over time and technology has accelerated the change.

For instance, someone who’s a photographer in those days was only required to know how to take good photographs using a camera. However, at current times, they will also need to know how to operate a drone as that technology has come into the market.

“So for us Singapore citizens, we have to learn and keep learning.”

When asked on why companies are reluctant to hire locals when Singapore education has been touted as one of the best in the world, Mr Gabriel said that it is due to its “structured” layout with less room for innovation.

“This is the conditioning from school days (where) the thinking is very structure, the laws are very express, and the boundaries are clear. It’s a trade-off.

“You have this very structured way of education but at the same time, you’re less innovative and expressive. I would really want to see an education system that will the students to ‘go and learn, and come back and show us what you’ve learned’,” said Mr Gabriel.

Locals are pushed into transactional jobs to make ends meet

In the current situation here, local employees are finding it more and more difficult to secure PME employments as employers are hiring foreigners to fill up these positions.

Given that the number of foreign PMEs have grown exponentially over the years, it is resulting in locals taking up transactional jobs such as food delivery riders and taxi drivers in order to make ends meet, said Mr Gabriel.

“When our people got nowhere else to go, they go for transactional jobs like delivering food and driving taxis. This is doing more harm to our competitiveness,” said the HR consultant with over 30 years of experience in the industry.

In Singapore, jobs like food delivery riders and private-hire drivers can only be applied by Singapore citizens.

Adding to this, Mr Gabriel also noted that individuals who are above 40 are also finding it extremely tough to look for a job.

When they exit from their job, they could be earning around S$4,600 – which is generally the median salary for people in that age bracket. However, when these individuals try to re-enter the workforce, employers are only offering them slightly more than S$2,000, said Mr Gabriel.

He added that those in their 40s are the ones with the highest financial responsibility as they have to fund their kids’ education, who most likely are teenagers or entering university, as well as take care of their elderly parents with high medical bills.

Separately, Mr Gabriel also pointed out that there’s lack of transfer skills in the industry, which means foreigners who are brought into the country fail to teach locals and impart the necessary knowledge in them so they will be able to take over the position in the future.

“If the Government feels that these skills are lacking in Singapore and they bring in these foreign workers, then I would say, where is the transfer skills? At the end of the day what you want is to learn from them, but we don’t learn from them,” said Mr Gabriel, adding that this practice cannot go on.

He continued, “We have to ensure that when they are here, we have someone to learn from them, and at the same time we improve. If we cannot learn the skills from universities, then we learn from those who come in so we can ensure we improve.”

For just US$7.50 a month, sign up as a subscriber on The Online Citizen Asia (and enjoy ads-free experience on our site) to support our mission to transform TOC into an alternative mainstream press.

Related Posts

WHO panel in talks on COVID emergency status
AFP

WHO panel in talks on COVID emergency status

27/01/2023
AFP

Two years after Myanmar coup, UN says situation ‘catastrophic’

27/01/2023
Grab driver supposedly earned $5,227.82 in a week prior CNY, netizens voice worries over his health
Community

Grab driver supposedly earned $5,227.82 in a week prior CNY, netizens voice worries over his health

27/01/2023
Philippines to appeal ICC resumption of drug war probe
AFP

ICC grants new inquiry into Manila’s deadly ‘war on drugs’

27/01/2023
Minister refutes claims of Malaysia consulting Singapore on housing policy due to its inefficient civil service
Housing

Minister refutes claims of Malaysia consulting Singapore on housing policy due to its inefficient civil service

27/01/2023
457 civil society organizations call on ASEAN to move beyond the Five-Point Consensus
AFP

Myanmar junta sets out tough new rules for political parties

27/01/2023
Subscribe
Connect withD
Login
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
Notify of
Connect withD
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
43 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Latest posts

WHO panel in talks on COVID emergency status

WHO panel in talks on COVID emergency status

27/01/2023

Two years after Myanmar coup, UN says situation ‘catastrophic’

27/01/2023
Grab driver supposedly earned $5,227.82 in a week prior CNY, netizens voice worries over his health

Grab driver supposedly earned $5,227.82 in a week prior CNY, netizens voice worries over his health

27/01/2023
Philippines to appeal ICC resumption of drug war probe

ICC grants new inquiry into Manila’s deadly ‘war on drugs’

27/01/2023
Minister refutes claims of Malaysia consulting Singapore on housing policy due to its inefficient civil service

Minister refutes claims of Malaysia consulting Singapore on housing policy due to its inefficient civil service

27/01/2023
457 civil society organizations call on ASEAN to move beyond the Five-Point Consensus

Myanmar junta sets out tough new rules for political parties

27/01/2023
Thai ruling party names deputy PM as main election candidate

Thai ruling party names deputy PM as main election candidate

27/01/2023
Mrs Teo says SG continues to invest in training local talent while MNCs transfer staff to work in SG

Mrs Teo says SG continues to invest in training local talent while MNCs transfer staff to work in SG

27/01/2023

Trending posts

Two Indian nationals paid about S$330 and S$730 respectively for forged certificates submitted in their S-Pass application

MOM found issuing EPs meant for foreign PMETs to PRC waitress and general worker

by Correspondent
26/01/2023
34

...

Ho Ching breaks silence over Temasek’s write down of its US$275 million investment in FTX, says it “can afford to be contrarian”

US regulator questions VCs’ due diligence work prior to investing in FTX; Ho Ching says Temasek can afford to be contrarian

by The Online Citizen
24/01/2023
28

...

Indian rupee falls 60% since signing of CECA while Singapore becomes top investor in India

by Correspondent
25/01/2023
52

...

HR expert raises concern on Singapore’s education system on developing its workers and how locals are forced to take up transactional jobs

HR expert raises concern on Singapore’s education system on developing its workers and how locals are forced to take up transactional jobs

by The Online Citizen
16/07/2021
43

...

Temasek and GIC reportedly in talks with Adani Group accused of “brazen” market manipulation and accounting fraud

Temasek and GIC reportedly in talks with Adani Group accused of “brazen” market manipulation and accounting fraud

by The Online Citizen
26/01/2023
46

...

“党籍不会过期失效”  前进党称已就党籍终止知会卡拉

AGC asked to explain purposes of 68 private letters of inmates illegitimately forwarded to prosecutors

by The Online Citizen
21/01/2023
16

...

July 2021
M T W T F S S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
262728293031  
« Jun   Aug »
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Letter submission
  • Contact Us

© 2006 - 2021 The Online Citizen

No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Civil Society
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
  • Politics
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Subscribers login

© 2006 - 2021 The Online Citizen

wpDiscuz