This document discusses Singapore's skills utilization and development policies. It presents a strategic skills model showing the link between business strategy and skills utilization. Different business strategies in the skills space require very different skills. It also discusses applying institutional logics to change the private security industry, which currently focuses only on tasks with low skills. The document advocates for a sectoral approach to skills development that understands each sector's productive system to improve skills utilization, work practices, and job quality through relevant policies. It analyzes skills and job quality indicators across different sectors in Singapore to identify policy challenges.

1. Institute for
Adult
Learning
Singapore
Skills Utilisation and Skills
Development Policy in Singapore
Prof. Johnny Sung
Centre for Skills, Performance and Productivity, IAL

2. PART 1: SKILLS UTILISATION
Sectoral
Approach to
Skills
Development
Centre for Skills, Performance and Productivity, IAL
The Concept of
Skills
Utilisation

3. SKILLS UTILISATION
The concept has been around for a while:
Sociologists - social construction of skills; new work practices & de-skilling
Industrial/occupational psychologists – workplace behaviour &
performance
Management – ‘scientific management’; ‘human-relations school’
Contemporary interests
Low/sluggish productivity improvement
Persistent low pay
Globalisation, de-regulation and impact of technology
Centre for Skills, Performance and Productivity, IAL
What is it and why is it important?

4. Skills
Needs
Market
Failure
Supply of
Skills
The Productive
System
Productive
System
Based
THE POLICY CONTEXT OF SKILLS
UTILISATION
What is the missing link?
Human
Capital
Based
Skills
Policy
Centre for Skills, Performance and Productivity, IAL
Demand
for Skills
Business Strategy
HR (Recruitment ,
Rewards), Work
Processes, Job
Design, Leadership
& Management ,
Workplace Quality,
Innovat ion
Skills Ut ilisat ion
Sector Specific
Policy to Support
Skills Utilisation
Skills
Policy
Skills deficit
Does not focus on
skills utilisation

5. THE STRATEGIC SKILLS MODEL
TR – mostly influenced by
‘product market strategy’
IR – mostly influenced by
‘competitive strategy’ via
people
All positions in the business
strategy space are ‘viable’
… but with very different
skills utilisation implications
The Link Between Business Strategy and Skills Utilisation
Centre for Skills, Performance and Productivity, IAL
Technical
Relations
Interpersonal
Relations
Task
Focused
People
Focused
Differentiation
Standardisation
Business Strategy
Skills Space

6. THE PRIVATE (UNARMED) SECURITY
INDUSTRY
Technical
Relations
Interpersonal
Relations
• Licensing for agencies and workers
• Job is narrowly defined - ‘guarding’; 2
qualifying modules; emphasis on
‘security’ only
Only citizens, PRs or Malaysians can
be employed; mostly old and poorly
educated segments of society
A body count approach to contracting
Low pay, long hours, poor morale and
lack commitment
Centre for Skills, Performance and Productivity, IAL
A case of a low-waged and low-skilled sector
Task
Focused
People
Focused
Differentiation
Standardisation
Business Strategy
Skills Space
X

7. THE PRIVATE (UNARMED) SECURITY
INDUSTRY
Key players in the industry:
The ‘regulator’
The union (unarmed security
officers)
Property management firms (the
buyers)
Security agencies (the sellers)
WDA - training providers
IL:
The relative powers of the
stakeholders
Their interests
Finding a win-win for sustainability
Centre for Skills, Performance and Productivity, IAL
The application of ‘institutional logics’ for change
Technical
Relations
Interpersonal
Relations
Task
Focused
People
Focused
Differentiation
Standardisation
Business Strategy
Skills Space
X

8. PART 2: THE SECTORAL APPROACH
Sectoral
Approach to
Skills
Development
Centre for Skills, Performance and Productivity, IAL
The Concept of
Skills
Utilisation

9. CONTENT
SECTORAL APPROACH TO SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

10. SECTORAL MANPOWER STRATEGIES
Continue to:
improve the access to training
increase engagement of employers
and individuals
improve the quality of provision
Seek greater understanding of
the productive system for
improved skills utilisation
By sector, formulate policy that
are relevant to skills utilisation
work practices
job quality
Finance/Insurance
Infor Comm
Business Services
Manufacturing
Community Services
Wholesale
Construction
Transport
Retail
Centre for Skills, Performance and Productivity, IAL
Policy Challenges in Singapore
0 20 40 60 80 100
Broad Skills Index
Accomodation & Food
Broad Skills Index by Industry
Minimum
Qualifi cat ion
Required
Init ial
Training
Required
Cont inuous
Learning
= + + Required
Broad Skills
Index
(BSI)

11. SECTORAL MANPOWER STRATEGIES
Continue to:
(a) improve the access to training
(b) increase engagement of
employers and individuals
(c) improve the quality of provision
Seek greater understanding of
the productive system for
improved skills utilisation
Generic Skills by Selected Industry
Teamwork
Leadership
Problem Solving
Formulate policy that are relevant
to skills utilisation
(a) work practices
(b) job quality
Literacy
4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
Physical
Numeracy
Influence
Communication Planning
Manufacturing Retail Trade
Food & Accomodation Information & Communication
Financial & Insurance
Centre for Skills, Performance and Productivity, IAL
Policy Challenges in Singapore

12. SECTORAL MANPOWER STRATEGIES
Job Quality Indicators Comparison of Selected
70
60
50
40
30
Centre for Skills, Performance and Productivity, IAL
Policy Challenges in Singapore
Continue to:
(a) improve the access to training
(b) increase engagement of
employers and individuals
(c) improve the quality of provision
Skills Development
Seek greater understanding of
the productive system for
improved skills utilisation
Formulate policy that are relevant
to skills utilisation
(a) work practices
(b) job quality
20
Pay
Job Security
Intrinsic Job
Quality
Work Time Quality
Sectors
Manufacturing Retail Trade
Food & Accomodation Information & Communication
Financial & Insurance

13. DISCUSSION
Thank You
Centre for Skills, Performance and Productivity, IAL