Shortage of 30,000 IT professionals by 2017
I refer to the article “S’pore may lack 30,000 professionals by 2017; not enough local grads, says industry” (Straits Times, Feb 8).
150,000 IT professionals, 15,000 vacancies
It states that “The Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) told The Straits Times that in 2014, when there were 150,000 technology professionals working in Singapore, about 15,000 vacancies could not be filled.”
150,000 S’poreans, PRs & foreigners?
The subject article does not mention anything about the breakdown of the 150,000 IT professionals into Singaporeans, PRs and foreigners.
IT sector and jobs most affected by FT?
Anecdotally, I understand that the Information Technology (IT) sector and IT jobs may have been the most affected by our liberal foreign labour policies.
According to the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) Singapore yearbook of manpower statistics 2015 – the total number of resident workers (Singaporeans and permanent residents (PRs)) as of June 2014, for Information and Communications (IC) was 87,800.
So, does it mean that 62,200 of the 150,000 were foreigners?
How many of the 87,800 resident jobs were to Singaporeans?
Steep decline in the number of resident jobs as they age?
The percentage distribution of the IT jobs by age group was 31,600, 22,800, 12,100 and 3,400 – for age 30 – 39, 40 – 49, 50 – 59 and 60 and over, respectively.
For the previous year (June 2013) – it was a total of 92,100 jobs – 36,100, 24,400, 11,700 and 3,000 – for age 30 – 39, 40 – 49, 50 – 59 and 60 and over, respectively.
Locals’ IT jobs decrease, despite rising demand?
The above numbers do not seem to make any sense – because if the IT jobs have been growing so rapidly as suggested by the subject news article – why is it that the total number of IT jobs held by locals (Singaporeans and PRs) decreased by 4,300, or about five per cent, from 92,100 in 2013 to 87,800 in 2014?
In 2013 – amongst the 12 sectors in the services category – IC was the 6th highest in absolute numbers of workers in the age group 30 – 39.
But, it declines relatively to 7th, 11th, and joint last (12th) – for age 40 – 49, 50 – 59 and 60 and over, respectively.
This trend appears to persist in 2014 – 6th, joint 7th, 11th and 11th respectively.
What do these statistics mean?
Jobs taken by foreign workers?
Does it mean that as resident workers in IC age, their numbers decline – due to foreign workers?
Breakdown into citizens, PRs, employment pass, S-pass & work permits?
What is the breakdown of the total number of jobs in the Information and Communications category and IT jobs, into Singaporeans, PRs, employment pass, S-pass and work permits?”
Manpower development plan, but jobs to foreigners?
What’s the point of having an Infocomm plan to develop our IT manpower to meet rising demand, when most of the jobs may not be going to Singaporeans, possibly because we allow foreigners from all over the world to flock to Singapore to compete unfairly and take away jobs from Singaporeans?
Reciprocate trust with more help?
Since the people have given their trust and mandate – shouldn’t we reciprocate by being more transparent?
Leong Sze Hian
