{
  "id": 982624,
  "title": "NTUC’s first job security chief has two worries: fresh graduates and older PMEs",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/15/ntucs-first-job-security-chief-has-two-worries-fresh-graduates-and",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-15T06:55:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Straits Times",
    "slug": "straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/ntucs-first-job-security-chief-has-two-worries-fresh-graduates-and-older-pmes"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In her first month as NTUC's job security chief, Caryn Lim has identified two key groups of workers that require her attention: fresh graduates and older professionals, managers and executives (PMEs). Concerning the former, Lim worries that young people starting their careers may become discouraged and lose hope in work. For the latter, particularly those over 50, she fears their ability to bounce back from retrenchment or find jobs that match their previous salaries. To assist these groups, NTUC must enhance its support on an individual level, according to Lim.\n\nLim emphasizes the need for NTUC to strengthen its work with industry training officers, who collaborate with companies to develop and implement skills and capability upgrades aligned with business and industry transformation. However, she also highlights the importance of leveraging technology, such as artificial intelligence, to reach more workers. NTUC is currently revamping its AI career coach to aid this effort.\n\nOn the company level, the unions are expanding company training committees (CTCs), which bring together management, workers, and union representatives to determine the skills employees need as businesses evolve. Lim hopes to broaden these committees beyond individual companies to sectors, and is working with leading companies to create \"prototypes\" for implementing solutions to common industry problems.\n\nOne of Lim's primary goals in her role as Chief Job Security is to coordinate NTUC's coverage of the \"job life cycle,\" from internships to re-entry into the workforce. This includes overseeing the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) and the job security directorate. So far, her focus has been on groups facing more challenges due to the changing economy and uptick in retrenchments. Recent data shows that in Q2 2026, 4,500 workers were retrenched, up from 3,830 in Q1 2026, the highest quarterly figure since 2020.\n\nLim notes that the profile of Singapore's workforce is changing, with more professionals and technicians compared to the past when there were more rank and file employees. While rank and file workers typically find new jobs more easily, PMEs and technicians now face a more challenging situation. Raising the example of the information and communication technology sector, Lim points out that many jobs remain available, but those retrenched may have skills that are no longer as relevant.",
  "summary": "NTUC needs to beef up its individual support to help them, said Caryn Lim.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}