0
0
Today Singaporeans commemorate the first anniversary of the passing of Founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.
One of his most popular quotes include one where he urges the young and not-so-old to follow the rainbow and chase their dreams. This was in a speech delivered some 20 years ago.
But NTUC Director for Youth Development Unit Desmond Choo,in his latest blogpost, said things are different today.
“We have many work options. It is no longer about that one rainbow, but which one and how to get there.”
He says the common gripe of youths these days include not knowing what careers or jobs that want to go into, while employers are saying that ITE, Poly and University grads do not have the relevant skills.
He recommended two ways which will help youths to better decide which career they should pursue and how there can be better matching of skills and jobs.
Guiding youths to choose the right paths
Examples of this, could be in the form of the Government sponsoring professional bodies and the Labour Movement to conduct industry networking and workplace visits.
Broadening Apprenticeship
According to Choo, while pursuing higher education is valuable, jobs are being transformed so quickly that employers are having difficulty finding workers with the skills.
Hence, there is a real need to broaden the apprenticeship system to better prepare youths for work.
Choo also cited Playmoolah!’s Audrey Tan as an example of Singaporeans having a go at working overseas and bringing the best practices back to Singapore. He said millennials and Generation Z need to have that sense of adventure and gumption to take on the world.
