Jeraldine Phneah
Adulting BOOTCAMP
  • About
  • Videos
  • Work
  • Learn
  • Money
  • Family
  • Wellbeing
  • Environment
No Result
View All Result
Jeraldine Phneah
  • About
  • Videos
  • Work
  • Learn
  • Money
  • Family
  • Wellbeing
  • Environment
No Result
View All Result
Jeraldine Phneah
No Result
View All Result

How effective is MyCareersFuture.sg?

in Work
6 min read
Home Work
9.1k
SHARES

This article has been edited to reflect the new name of the portal – MyCareersFuture.sg which was formerly known as Jobs Bank.

Over the recent years, there has been a few initiatives to combat discrimination against Singaporeans in the workforce. One of which is the MyCareersFuture.sg which was introduced in 2014.

To ensure that Singaporeans are fairly considered for jobs before firms hire foreigners, companies are required to advertise jobs on MyCareersFuture.sg for at least 14 days before they can submit an employment pass (EP) application.

Despite this initiative, I was concerned to learn that total of 500 companies have been put on the Fair Consideration Framework watch list for unfairly favouring foreigners in their hiring.

Minister for Manpower Mr. Lim Swee Say recently announced that this rule will be extended from 1 July 2018 to cover firms with at least 10 workers and for jobs paying under $15,000 a month.

In the past, this was restricted to firms with 26 workers and for jobs paying under $12,000 a month.

While more firms would have to post on MyCareersFuture.sg, I am unsure this is really an effective measure against cases of some hiring managers working in Singapore sometimes favour people from their home countries, hiring them for roles in the companies that they work in.

Photo credit: TODAY

1) There is a loophole in the system

Firstly, employers are not required to provide any evidence that they fairly considered Singaporeans for the post. They just need to advertise on the MyCareersFuture Singapore for 14 calendar days before applying for an Employment Pass.

As some commenters pointed out, there is a loop hole in the system: Employers could simply post the job there and ignore resumes, then hire the candidate that they had in mind all along.

If we are unable to prevent such a method of gaming the system, then how effective is MyCareersFuture Singapore really?

It is no wonder that even with MyCareersFuture Singapore, the situation has seemed to worsen. In 2014, only 38 firms were being placed on the watch list for unfairly favouring foreigners in their hiring. This year, it was reported that a total of 500 firms were being placed on the watch list. Essentially the number has doubled from 250 on the list in 2017.

Till date, I do not personally know any Singaporean who has successfully gotten a job via MyCareersFuture Singapore. Perhaps it could be due to my social circle as many Millennials use job portals like LinkedIn.

However, if anyone has had success with it, would you please share your experiences please so that others can learn from it?

Photo credit: The Straits Times

2) The success of MyCareersFuture Singapore has not been proven

I recalled during last year COS 2016 debate, Workers Party MP Faisal Manap asked two important questions:

  • What is the actual number of Singaporeans who have successfully found jobs through the Jobs Bank in each year since its inception in 2014?
  • What proportion of the overall number of postings on the Jobs Bank is this?

In his main speech main speech at the Committee of Supply 2017, Mr. Lim Swee Say replied that he did not have the statistics.

RELATED POST

5 Investing Lessons which I’ve learned in my 20s

5 Investing Lessons which I’ve learned in my 20s

SGUnited Traineeships Programme: How can we better protect our youths?

SGUnited Traineeships Programme: How can we better protect our youths?

I work in the private sector and here, the success of projects and initiatives are measured based on KPIs. I am not sure how things work on Workforce Singapore but I wonder:

  • If we do not have the statistics to measure the success of Jobs Banks, how do we know if it has been effective?
  • If we’ve invested resources and taxpayers money in this initiative, why aren’t we measuring the project’s effectiveness and success?

I understand that former Minister of Manpower, Tan Chuan Jin shared in 2014 that

“Even when Singaporeans apply for a job that they see on the Jobs Bank, we cannot directly track this. For example, job seekers may apply through firms’ in-house HR portals”

My suggestion would be why not we ask employers who post advertisements on the MyCareersFuture Singapore to let the stat board or ministry know exactly whether those positions were filled, and if so, by Singaporeans or foreigners? And if they selected the candidate based on applications from MyCareersFuture Singapore?

This would be a more accurate way to track each company’s compliance with the Fair Consideration Framework and Job Bank’s effectiveness.

 

3) It is 2018 and discrimination against Singaporean workers in their home country still persists

Finally, it really concerns me as a local PMET to note that a total of 500 companies have been put on the Fair Consideration Framework watchlist over the past two years for unfairly favouring foreigners in their hiring.

It is sad to hear that some companies have “pre-conceived ideas that local PMETs are either unable or unwilling to do the job…so, they write them off without even considering them fairly”

This “nationality bias” exists despite having the Fair Consideration Framework in place to attempt to correct this disturbing phenomenon.

The question I am really asking myself is: Is there any other country where locals are discriminated against by foreign employers in their own country? 

I personally feel that it is a huge shame that we even have such a problem in the first place.

While we’ve made some progress on workers rights by extending the employment act to cover all workers, I hope that more effort and thought could be put into reducing discrimination against Singaporeans in the work place.

Ending off, I would like to clarify that while I am voicing my doubts about MyCareersFuture Singapore, this does not in any way mean that I dislike foreigners.

Like many Singaporeans, I welcome foreign workers who are keen to contribute to our economy and have the right talent and skills (as long as they do not look down on locals or abuse our system to benefit their own friends). If there is anyone who leaves xenophobic comments with hate speech against foreigners on my posts, I would remove these immediately.

I do not claim to be any kind of expert in manpower policy. Rather, I am simply sharing some doubts that I have from the perspective of a young PMET. Should you have any feedback or additional knowledge and insights about MyCareersFuture Singapore, please kindly share them with me.

Looking to find your first job or land a better-paying one? Stand out in this competitive job market by following best practices for CV/resume, with the Canva resume maker tool.

SendShareShare3733Share626
Previous Post

A Millennial’s ideas on how to increase birth rates in Singapore

Next Post

How to better engage the middle-ground Singaporean?

Related Posts

5 Investing Lessons which I’ve learned in my 20s

5 Investing Lessons which I’ve learned in my 20s

by Jeraldine
0

I am 29 years old and one of the best things I did for myself in my 20s is learning...

SGUnited Traineeships Programme: How can we better protect our youths?

SGUnited Traineeships Programme: How can we better protect our youths?

by Jeraldine
0

The SGUnited Traineeships Programme is a well-intentioned and good initiative. For those who have not heard of this scheme, the...

As a Fresh Grad, should you work for the Public Service, MNC or a startup?

As a Fresh Grad, should you work for the Public Service, MNC or a startup?

by Jeraldine
0

One of the common questions I get from readers on my Instagram is "As a fresh graduate or young working...

Next Post
How to better engage the middle-ground Singaporean?

How to better engage the middle-ground Singaporean?

Latest Youtube Video

https://youtu.be/1L8zWa9KzZM

jeraldinephneah

👍👍👍 Such valuable advice 👍👍👍 Such valuable advice
So true! So true!
Don't just work hard...put yourself in an environm Don't just work hard...put yourself in an environment where your skills and expertise are valued as well.
What a great feeling to be able to pamper my ah ko What a great feeling to be able to pamper my ah kong with this gift! 🛵 It is boring for the elderly to be when stuck at home with just newspapers and the TV, especially for an outgoing person like ah kong. Hope he will enjoy his new ride. 🎁
One of my core values is Gratitude. I believe it b One of my core values is Gratitude. I believe it breeds resilience, humility, and more positive relationships.  As 2020 comes to a close, I'd like to take stock of some of the things I am grateful for:

1. My day job
Working in Saas is one of the best decisions in my life. Finding out the path I wanted in my mid-20s is really a blessing. Salary aside, other factors like flexibility and working with progressive people is really a blessing. Being in this field also gave me the conviction to invest in Saas and eCommerce companies early on.

2. My Family
Super thankful to have a really united extended family. Every Saturday is like Lunar New Year. As I grow older, I begin to appreciate my Dad so much more. I've not spent as much time with family as I wanted when I was busy hustling but this year I really made it a point to do so weekly and would be keeping up this consistency.

3. Digital Age
Growing up in the internet era has enabled me to learn useful career and financial advice from platforms and bloggers when I was starting out. Our generation is equipped with so many resources to learn, connect with like-minded people, and to get our life in order. I am also thankful for social media which has been a great platform for me to add value to our generation. 

4. Friends
My close friends come from a wide range of backgrounds and age groups from 20s to 40s. The close ones have helped me to keep my progress in check, provide me with mentorship, and advocate for me. This year I was really touched as one of them came twice to visit me when I was down, despite staying in Pasir Ris!

5. Youth and health
Life is not perfect and does not go the way we want despite doing our best. Youth and health give us time to change things or wait for tides to change and everything to falls into place. :)
Load More... Follow on Instagram
  • 5 Reasons Why Chinese Tourists Are So Rude

    5 Reasons Why Chinese Tourists Are So Rude

    368974 shares
    Share 147719 Tweet 92190
  • How you can save your first $100,000 before 30?

    128937 shares
    Share 51577 Tweet 32234
  • 5 Differences between Neighbourhood and Elite Schools in Singapore

    111968 shares
    Share 44794 Tweet 27989
  • It’s ok to not be skinny: Curves are attractive too

    108751 shares
    Share 43505 Tweet 27186
  • 10 Important Lessons for Millennials when renovating your flat

    97975 shares
    Share 39187 Tweet 24492
  • Is It Disadvantageous To Graduate From A Private University In Singapore?

    56584 shares
    Share 22640 Tweet 14144
  • What is the average cost of living in Singapore? – For a young working adult

    55013 shares
    Share 22082 Tweet 13721
  • 7 Reasons Why You Should Not Visit Thailand’s Tiger Temples

    38689 shares
    Share 15480 Tweet 9670
  • What are the best job portals in Singapore for Millennials ?

    34426 shares
    Share 13770 Tweet 8606
  • How I keep my utilities bill below $50 every month?

    33974 shares
    Share 13692 Tweet 8451

  • About
  • Videos
  • Work
  • Learn
  • Money
  • Family
  • Wellbeing
  • Environment

© 2021 Jeraldine Phneah

No Result
View All Result
  • About
  • Money
  • Work
  • Learn
  • Wellbeing
  • Family
  • Environmental Issues
  • News

© 2021 Jeraldine Phneah

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist