A Board of Governors has been appointed to oversee and guide the development of NorthLight School.  The Board members will serve a two-year term and will bring to the School their collective wealth of experience and expertise from the people, private and public sectors.

Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Minister for Education and Second Minister for Finance, will be visiting Vietnam from 6-8 September 2006.

New “Grow” Package Strengthens Teacher Development and Recognition

The Ministry of Education (MOE) will be spending $250m over the next three years, to ensure that the teaching profession continues to attract, motivate and retain good teachers, capable school leaders, and dedicated specialists. 

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Five exemplary teachers will receive the prestigious President’s Award for Teachers from President S.R. Nathan at the Teachers’ Day reception at the Istana on Friday, 1 September 2006.

The theme of the Teachers’ Day Rally this year is “Nurture Lives, Make Our Future” and teachers will get to hear Prime Minister’s views on the roles of teachers today, the challenges ahead and how they can engage the young in an ever-changing globalised environment for our future.

Job seekers who have been unemployed for six months or more now have a dedicated place to turn to for assistance - the CareerLink Plus Centre. Offering counselling service to job seekers, the Centre focuses on changing the mindset of the Long-Term Unemployed (LTU) and/ or Low-Wage Workers to help them cope with the changing demands of the job market.

Singaporean parents who work abroad can look forward to easier re-entry into the local education system for their children when they return to Singapore, under the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) enhanced school admission framework for returning Singaporean children.

The Ministry of Education is setting up a Committee on National Education (NE) to look at ways to further strengthen the heartware and rootedness of our young, and encourage them to shape the character and life of the society they will inherit.

The Special Awards are given out in recognition of students’ achievements in both the academic and non-academic spheres.  This year, 89 awards were presented to students at the 2006 Special Awards Presentation Ceremony on 22 August 2006.  These awards include the Lee Kuan Yew Award for All-Round Excellence, the Prime Minister's Book Prize, the Lee Kuan Yew Award for Mathematics and Science, the Lee Kuan Yew Award for Outstanding Normal Course Students, and the Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship To Encourage Upgrading (LKY-STEP award).

Singapore’s first manufacturing skills and qualifications system is launched for the Precision Engineering Industry today.  Aimed at equipping Singapore workers with portable skills to ride the restructuring of the manufacturing sector, PE WSQ is jointly developed by the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) and the Precision Engineering Industry Skills & Training Council led by Dr Moh Chong Tau, President and CEO of Makino Asia.

Mr Shanmugaratnam will meet his counterparts, Malaysia Education Minister Y.B. Dato’ Sri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, Malaysia Higher Education Minister Dato’ Mustapa Mohammad and Malaysia Second Finance Minister Nor Mohamed Yakcop.

Raffles Junior College has emerged as Champion of the Junior Colleges Debating Championship 2006, which began with preliminary rounds on Saturday, 15 July 2006 and culminated in the Finals on Saturday, 5 Aug 2006. The finalists from Victoria Junior College and Raffles Junior College debated the motion, “This House believes that trade rights should be linked to human rights.” There were 19 teams in total, comprising teams from 17 junior colleges, Millennia Institute and Anglo-Chinese School (Independent). The defending champion was Raffles Junior College. 

The search for Singapore’s most passionate learners at this year’s Lifelong Learner Awards (LLA) will be extended to cover productivity to drive home the message that lifelong learning and skills upgrading, will not only enhance employability, but will add value to Singaporeans and companies.  More than 20 awards will be given out to individuals and companies in recognition of their efforts to raise skills for greater employability and productivity.

Alan Koh Koo Yong and Sam Koh See Kwang, former director and CFO respectively of Wan Soon Construction Pte Ltd (“Wan Soon”), each pleaded guilty today in the Subordinate Courts to 20 counts of failing to pay salaries to their workers in 2004.  They were fined $1,000 on each count, totalling $20,000 per person.  Each also had 263 charges taken into consideration for sentencing.  Both accused persons paid half of the fines due today.  The Court granted their application to pay the remainder of the fines by instalments.

The favourable economic environment continued to bolster employment creation.  Preliminary estimates show that employment grew by 36,500 in the second quarter of 2006, higher than the 31,700 gains in the same period last year.  This is lower than the robust gains of 45,000 in the previous quarter.  Total employment in the first six months this year rose by a record high of 81,500. This is about two-thirds more than the 49,500 gains in the same period in 2005. 

70 organisations honoured for success in Work-Life strategies that enhanced business performance

The biennial Work-Life Excellence Award (WLE Award) recognises employers who have successfully implemented effective strategies to help employees better manage their work goals and personal needs thereby enhancing corporate performance.

The Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA), at-sunrice The Singapore Culinary Academy and Spice Garden and SIM University (UniSIM) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today to form a culinary education alliance to further professionalise and develop talent for the culinary industry.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed today between the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), the Association of Aerospace Industries (Singapore) (AAIS) and the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA), underscoring their commitment to work together to facilitate the smooth transition and conversion of RSAF servicemen into the commercial aerospace industry upon the completion of their tenure with the RSAF.

First national retail scholarship to groom new talents for the burgeoning retail sector

With many new exciting retail developments like VivoCity, the Warehouse Retail Scheme, integrated resorts and revamp of Orchard Road coming on stream in the next few years, there will be an increase in demand for retail workers. These developments could also bring many more diverse employment opportunities.

The foreign worker levy (FWL) had been substantially reduced in 1998 and 1999 to help companies tide over the difficult economic environment. Robust economic conditions over the past two years have resulted in healthy job growth and a rising demand for labour.  In 2005, the number of new foreign work permit holders increased by 43,000, the largest increase since 1997. As the economy has recovered and to moderate the strong industry demand for foreign workers, the Ministry of Manpower is partially restoring the levy cuts. As of 1 January 2007, the skilled foreign worker levy will be raised from $100 to $150 for all sectors.

• SME-dominated Food & Beverage (F&B) industry gets a boost from national qualifications system to raise culinary and F&B service standards.
• Preparation of traditional cuisines such as dim-sum, prata and teh-tarik to be professionalised.
• Gears the industry up to realise strong growth, with 50% increase in employment opportunities expected by 2015.

The professionalising of the Tour & Travel Services is given a boost with half a million dollars from the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) to fund training under the Tourism Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) system.  The funding support will provide 100 training places for new entrants into the industry, and 700 training places for in-employment upgrading of existing workers over the next two years.

Singapore’s largest retail recruitment initiative featuring more than 70 tenants and partners of VivoCity

5 July 2006, SINGAPORE: VivoCity kicks off major recruitment efforts with a Job Fair from 14 to 15 July 2006 to fill more than 3,000 positions in food and beverage, retail and entertainment.  This will form part of the estimated 7,000 workers required by Singapore’s largest multi-dimensional retail and lifestyle destination when it opens in October 2006.

To ensure that comprehensive risk assessment and proper safety measures are in place for forklift operations, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is embarking on a Programme-based Engagement (ProBE1) on forklift operations. In the month of June 2006 alone, there were three fatal accidents2 involving the use of forklifts, as compared to a total number of four such fatal accidents for the whole of 2005.

Jobs requiring professional and specialist skills continue to command higher salaries, reflecting the premium employers place on knowledge and skills. In June 2005, professionals received the highest median commencing gross wage at $2,500 per month followed by technicians and associate professionals at $1,703. New entrants in less skilled jobs started at lower wages eg. clerks at $1,335, sales and service workers at $1,100, plant and machine operators at $1,250 and cleaners and labourers at $755. Among employees across all years of experience, the median gross wage ranged from $1,000 for cleaners and labourers to $5,699 for managers.

Age-Friendly Employment Practices Guide

The Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) has published an Age-Friendly Employment Practices guide to encourage employers to adopt human resource practices that can help them better tap on the strengths of older workers. 

Celebrating 40 years of vibrant performances and events by students, the Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) this year is set to reach out to new participants and audiences while casting a fond look back at the past.  In the spirit of “Reaching Beyond”, the theme for SYF this year, the Festival will also break away from convention by going into the heartlands and involving participants from Special Education (SPED) schools.

The registration of children for admission to Primary One classes in 2007 will be held from Tuesday, 4 July 2006, to Tuesday, 29 August 2006.
All primary and full schools will be open for registration from 8.00am to 11.00am and from 2.30pm to 4.30pm on Monday to Friday during the registration period.

A hotel veteran for 22 years, Alice Setoh, has a watchful eye and a golden touch.
Jack Loh, 44 years old, Assistant Boutique Manager from Cortina Watch, remembers serving a customer who has inadvertently left her passport in the store.

Alice and Jack are just two of the 10 service workers profiled in the second phase of the GEMS Service Awareness Programme in support of S2006. Launched by the GEMS Mindset Workgroup today, the Programme will show warm interactions and service moments, with the intent to spur our service staff to do their part as gracious hosts.  Our hospitality will truly leave a lasting impression on our 16,000 delegates and visitors, who are coming to attend the Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group in September 2006.

The Board has built up a surplus in the HPS arising from better investment returns, less claim payout than expected and low operating expenses. The Board has decided to distribute a surplus of $480 m to HPS members in July 2006. This will be the fourth time that the Board will be distributing HPS surplus to members, having made similar distributions on three prior occasions in 1986, 1989 and 1997.

With effect from 1 July 2006, construction sites, factories and shipyards can expect the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) to conduct inspections at its workplaces even after regular office hours. This is in line with efforts to enhance workplace safety and health enforcement and raise safety standards in Singapore.

More schools will be provided with Special Needs Officers (SNOs) in 2007 to help students with mild to moderate Dyslexia and Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) integrate better into their school programmes.  This is in line with the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) efforts to incorporate facilities and resources in our national schools to facilitate the learning of children with mild learning disabilities.

With continued economic growth, employment grew strongly by 45,000 in Q1 06, more than double the increase of 17,800 in the same period last year.  All the major sectors registered increases in employment.  The bulk of the employment gains continued to come from the services sector (28,000).  Strong increases were also registered in manufacturing (11,100) and construction (5,600), which saw much higher job gains than the quarterly increases in 2005.

Human Resource Manpower Skills and Training Council sets key work areas for HR WSQ development

More than 50 industry members, many of them veterans in the human resource (HR) field, will be brought together to be part of a WDA initiative to develop a Workforce Skills Qualifications framework for the HR profession.

The changes (i-iii) were first announced by the Government last year on 19 July 05. They are implemented to improve members’ retirement adequacy and help members build up their retirement nest egg. (iv) was first announced by the Government in ‘03.

The Minister of State for Education and Manpower, Mr Gan Kim Yong, is leading a tripartite delegation to attend the 95th Session of the International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland. The delegation comprises Mr John de Payva, President, National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), Mr Lim Swee Say, Deputy Secretary-General (NTUC), Mdm Halimah Yacob, Assistant Secretary-General (NTUC), Mr Koh Juan Kiat, Executive Director, Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF), and labour officials from the Ministry of Manpower.

A strategic alliance among the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA), the Sentosa Leisure Group (SLG), and the Tourism Academy@Sentosa leads the way for the building of a first-class tourism workforce in Singapore with the adoption of the Tourism Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) System for the whole Sentosa Island. This was announced by Dr Ng Eng Hen, the Minister for Manpower and the Second Minister for Defence, at the official launch of Tourism WSQ on 5 June 2006 at Sentosa.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) invites proposals to set up privately-funded schools.  New privately-funded schools will provide new options and choice for Singapore students, while also providing foreign students with further avenues for study in Singapore.

An initiative to promote Singapore’s vibrant manufacturing sector

For the first time, junior college (JC) teachers and career counsellors will have the opportunity to visit some of Singapore’s world-class manufacturing companies.  Through these visits, they will be able to gain a better understanding about Singapore’s vibrant manufacturing sector and the career opportunities it presents.

The Tripartite Committee on Employability of Older Workers had recommended setting up a Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices (TAFEP) to shift mindsets among employers, employees and the general public towards fair and responsible employment practices for all workers.

The Health Promotion Board (HPB) and the Ministry of Education (MOE) will be announcing a joint CHERISH Award from 2008 to recognise schools that strive towards an integrative and holistic approach for the improvement of the health of students, staff and the community at the CHERISH Award 2006 Presentation Ceremony today.

The Work Pass Division (WPD) of the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has been awarded the 2006 United Nations Public Service Award for "Improving transparency, accountability, and responsiveness in the Public Service". The Ministry is one of only three government organisations worldwide and the only one in the Asia-Pacific region to be honoured with this recognition by the UN this year. The award recognises WPD for work done to implement the Work Permit Online (WPOL) system.

In celebration of our Customer Appreciation Day on 27 May 2006, the National Library Board will be launching its D.E.A.R promotion once again from 27 May to 8 July 2006.

We hope that our library customers and Singaporeans alike will recognize that reading is as important to the mind as exercise is to the body and that it is a meaningful activity worth setting aside time for.

Come down and experience D.E.A.R at the libraries.

The CPF Board will continue to pay interest to its members at the rate of 2.50% per annum for CPF savings in their Ordinary Account from 1 July 2006 to 30 September 2006. The CPF interest rate is reviewed quarterly.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) arrested a total of 34 foreign workers in an island-wide operation targeting illegal employment syndicates on 18 May 2006. The workers arrested held work permits for the marine sector but were found working illegally as conservancy cleaners and general workers instead. Eight marine companies are believed to be involved in this employment scam.

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! MOE ExCEL Fest 2006 - at 22 venues islandwide, on 7 & 8 July 2006.

Calling all teachers and parents! Come join us for an enjoyable, enlightening and educational time at this year's MOE ExCEL Fest!

The Direct School Admission Exercise (DSA) aims to promote holistic education by giving participating schools greater flexibility in selecting students while holding to the key principles of transparency and meritocracy. For students, the DSA provides them the opportunity to demonstrate a more diverse range of student achievements and talents in seeking admission at the pre-university level.

Minister for Education, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam announced in his keynote address at the PCF 20th Anniversary Dinner on 19 May 2006 that the Ministry of Education would be working closely with partners to take a three-pronged approach to help pre-school children lay a strong language foundation. This will help to give these children a strong start when they enter Primary 1.

READ! Singapore is an annual nation-wide reading initiative launched by National Library Board of Singapore (NLB). The objective is to promote a culture of reading among Singaporeans as it aims to provide Singaporeans an opportunity to rediscover the joys of reading, by creating a common topic of discussion and conversation amongst the people.

The Direct School Admission Exercise (DSA) aims to promote holistic education by giving participating schools greater flexibility in selecting students while holding to the key principles of transparency and meritocracy. For students, the DSA provides them the opportunity to demonstrate a more diverse range of achievements and talents in seeking admission to secondary schools. This year, 47 schools, four more than last year, will be participating in the Direct School Admission Exercise for admission to Secondary One in 2007 (DSA-Sec).

A sustainable wage increase for competitiveness and employability

The Ministry of Manpower expects employment creation to continue to be robust. Based on preliminary estimates, employment grew by 33,400 in the first quarter of 2006, nearly double the increase of 17,800 in the same quarter last year. The seasonally adjusted overall unemployment rate was 2.6% in March 2006, unchanged from December 2005.

The Manpower Research and Statistics Department of the Ministry of Manpower is conducting the Labour Force Survey from 21 May 2006 to 31 July 2006.  The purpose of this survey is to collect data on employment, unemployment and other economic characteristics of the population to help in the planning and formulation of manpower related policies.

The 19th ASEAN Labour Ministers Meeting (ALMM) was convened on 5 May 2006 in Singapore. It was preceded by a preparatory Senior Officials Meeting on 3 May 2006. The 19th ALMM had the theme of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH).

Employment continues to grow at a robust pace, bolstered by the strong economic growth.  Preliminary estimates show that employment grew by a robust 33,400 in the first quarter of 2006, nearly double the increase of 17,800 in the same quarter last year.  This increase is close to the seasonally high gains of 35,300 in the fourth quarter of 2005, unlike previous years when employment creation typically slows down in the first quarter. Employment in Singapore has reached another record high of 2,353,300 in March 2006 compared with 2,319,900 in December 2005.

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