Singapore is continuing to expand reskilling and employment support for mid-career workers and fresh graduates, while government data shows that flexible work arrangements are associated with stronger retention and productivity outcomes among participating companies.
In parliamentary replies on August 4, Acting Minister for Manpower Jasmin Lau said workers in their 50s who voluntarily leave their jobs to pursue new employment can access a range of employment facilitation, training and career transition programmes.
Singaporeans aged 40 and above can access the SkillsFuture Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy, which covers up to 90% of selected course fees.
Workers seeking a more substantial career transition can also use the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme, which provides a S$4,000 SkillsFuture Credit top-up and a monthly training allowance of up to S$3,000.
The Skills and Workforce Development Agency also provides programmes including Career Conversion Programmes (CCPs) and the Mid-Career Pathways Programme (MCPP).
MOM said the outcomes for older workers who take part in these programmes have been relatively strong. Over the past five years, close to nine in 10 CCP participants aged 51 and above remained employed 24 months after starting the programme.
For the MCPP, which was launched in April 2022, more than six in 10 participants aged 51 and above found employment within six months of completing or exiting the programme.
MOM, NTUC and the Singapore National Employers Federation are also studying additional measures through the Tripartite Workgroup on Senior Employment. Recommendations are expected later this year.
Flexible work arrangements are another area under review. Responding to questions about concerns that employees may face informal workplace deterrence when requesting flexible work arrangements, MOM said it takes an educational and enabling approach to implementation.
The Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests provide guidance to employees and employers on how requests should be made and considered on reasonable business grounds.
MOM said employees who believe their requests have not been properly considered can approach the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP), which can assess the case and guide employers on compliance where necessary.
Government survey-based studies found that about seven in 10 companies offering flexible work arrangements reported improved employee retention, while six in 10 reported higher productivity. The effects were more pronounced in the financial and insurance services and information and communications sectors.
At the same time, Singapore said the employment outlook for fresh graduates remains resilient despite the changing labour market.
The number of entry-level PMET vacancies increased slightly from 32,500 in December 2025 to 32,800 in March 2026.
Of around 18,000 fresh graduates from Singapore’s autonomous universities who recently graduated, about 3,600 were still seeking employment as of June 2026. Around 9,100 had found jobs, while 5,400 were outside the labour force, mainly because they were pursuing further education or taking a break before entering employment.
For the 2025 university graduate cohort, around nine in 10 found employment within 12 months of graduation, broadly in line with previous cohorts.
The government is also using work-based learning and traineeship programmes to help graduates transition into employment, particularly in sectors experiencing faster AI adoption.
These include the Infocomm Media Development Authority’s TechSkills Accelerator and AI Apprenticeship Programme, as well as the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s programmes supporting talent development in financial services.
The GRaduate Industry Traineeships (GRIT) and GRIT@Gov programmes, introduced last year, are also being used to help graduates gain industry experience and improve their prospects of securing full-time employment.
Of the 800 GRIT places available, more than 550 trainees had been recruited as of the end of June. Both programmes have been extended to the 2026 graduate cohort.
Meanwhile, the government is monitoring how AI adoption is changing jobs across companies of different sizes.
MOM data showed that 27.2% of firms with fewer than 200 employees had adopted AI in 2026, compared with 54.8% of mid-sized firms and 76.4% of larger companies with more than 500 employees.
AI-adopting firms reported workforce outcomes including job redesign, the creation of new AI-related roles and employee redeployment rather than reductions in employment.
The government said it would continue to monitor AI adoption and its impact on workers while supporting businesses in creating new opportunities through technology.