How Can We Have More and Better Paying Jobs?
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why u help? Why not our money face govt? How much can you help? Are u trying get PBM for our prasidant?Originally posted by Salman:Yes sir, I put in my energy and my money. I know what I am talking about.
I help the people to help themselves. Handouts are a no no.
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I do what I can do. If everybody does his part, the world will be a better place.
Listen to Mike Jackson, look at the man in the mirror. Nanananananananana.... ooh... -
Where land and housing costs are concerned, the govt is riding the tiger and cannot do much, what with so many Singaporeans having banked all their retirement savings (and in debt) over their HDB flat.Originally posted by diggo:The major items tat SGP are not competitive in are the land cost and the hosuing cost. Both are hold up artificially... however, a gradual reduction is avocate. as reduction will have other impact.
Another area is going into niche markets. It is either u r the lowest cost producer, or u have a niche. no where in between. We are out of the low cost producer arena.... therefore we should go for the niche. We need to built up the knowledge base and the branding in the specific areas that we wanted to develop in. For example, SGP has be known of oil refinery, Swiss are known for their watch making.
You are absolutely right about niche industries. The problem is that these niches (such as R&D, biomedical technology, nanotechnology etc) do not employ huge numbers of people and require highly skilled workers. So whilst we are going around to employ PhDs from China, India and the West; large numbers of uncles and aunties in their late 40s, early 50s cannot find jobs after retrenchment. Young graduates who do a general Bachelor degree or have qualifications that are not in demand eg. arts and social science, media studies, psychology; will not find it easy to get jobs.
The government has to continue looking for niche industries and the population must also respond by getting training to find jobs in these industries. Otherwise, we will have to bring our skills in traditional industries overseas where costs are lower and more competitive. The only way to maintain our high quality of life is to go somewhere else for retirement then. -
Is this seriously a thread about the means to improve the job market?Originally posted by Salman:What creates jobs? Do jobs grow on trees? Does the sea create jobs? What about ants and birds?
Typical Singaporeans look to the govt for solutions. Can the govt really create jobs? Lets say the govt bans foreign workers and Singaporeans start shunning job ads, job hop and demand higher pay as a result, what do you think will happen? Maybe services will become scarce and expensive. We may have to pay more for goods and services. Perhaps many companies will collapse as a result because they cannot find workers or become too expensive. MNCs or even local companies may relocate due to these reasons to survive.
Lets say the govt starts businesses thru GLCs. Won't the people complain that the govt gets too involved in businesses, monopolising and stiffling entrepreneurship?
So what do you expect the govt to do? Can the govt force China to buy products from us that they can produce at a lower price or that the US buy from us at a higher price for the same product coming from China?
What exactly can the govt do? Attract foreign investors? Been there, done that. Attract more MNCs you say? With what? Higher paying workers compared to China and Malaysia? Will the foreign investors be interested in paying more?
What about attracting higher tech MNCs? Do we have the workers who are willing to upgrade? Aren't other countries trying to attract high tech MNCs too?
What about encouraging our SMEs to grow? Been doing that for years. Our SMEs lose billions of dollars through nonsensical investments and bad mangement. They can't compete against foreigners.
So what do we do? Blame the govt again? Is that all we know how to do? To complain rather than compete harder? Look to the govt for solution and blame the govt for interference at the same time?
What exactly do you people want the govt to do?
Lets hear something from you fellas.
Or is it just another govt-critic bashing session? -
All investment are only business decision. For a businessman to commit a investment decision, there must be a high degree of confidence that his investment will give the target yield. Sadly, all these confidence in Sg seems to be evaporating off overnight after 2000 the dot.com bubble burst.
It is evident that even Sg gov investment firm are reallocating their investment weightage in Sg. They had even stated that more investment will be going towards Europe, jap and china... the weightage for Sg investment in their portfolio will dropped from 49% in 2005 to 33% in 20xx in their annual report. How can we expect our potential foreign investor to throw in their $$$ when our own Sg gov investement firm is trimming the investment at home?
Just take some examples;
1. Korea had managed to emerage as a come-back kid after the 1997 Asia Crisis. A lot of korean MNCs are investing heavily on their home turf to support the local economy growth. Samsung had committed USD19Biliion to bulid a large wafer / LCD manufacturing park just outside Seoul by 2010.
2. Taiwanese are not far behind. A taiwanese companies lead by Acer, AU and few other giants are committed to spend SGD56billion to open up a high tech industrial park in Taichung just in October 2005. It is projected that the first factory will open its door by late Aug 2006 (barely 10 mths down the road), and expected to ramp up to full production by mid 2007.
3. Jap companies are joining hands to build mega fab projects in mainland Jap despite of the rising manpower cost.
4. Even Intel has been investing back in States for their newly upgraded 65nm Fab.
So what are our action plan?? -
oh, definitely a govt-critic bashing thread and a very rude one too.Originally posted by BillyBong:Is this seriously a thread about the means to improve the job market?
Or is it just another govt-critic bashing session? -
I am staying in Taichung. and the place that they are developing is huge. They also have a huge knock-on effect in that the number of resturants/pubs/shops/supermarkets have increase. However the cost of living has gone up (rental increase) plus those ppl working in the old traditional industry suffers as they are obsoleted and got to move out. You can literally see it... the bulding of the high tech industry park on the right hand side of the road and simultaneously the demolition of the "old tech" factory.
2. Taiwanese are not far behind. A taiwanese companies lead by Acer, AU and few other giants are committed to spend SGD56billion to open up a high tech industrial park in Taichung just in October 2005. It is projected that the first factory will open its door by late Aug 2006 (barely 10 mths down the road), and expected to ramp up to full production by mid 2007.
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These are the co-lateral demage that they have to take to reinvent themselves constantly. The way to avoid this is to move to a peaceful country or trained urself in the art of warfare. -
Wat will happened if in20 yrs time the focus is not in Biomed/nano/R&D.. so wat do those PHDs do? Are they mobile/agile enough to look for the next phase in the development of the industry in SGP or move on with the industry to the next place that still uses it. Example, a lot of Mfg guys move on the China to work.Originally posted by oxford mushroom:You are absolutely right about niche industries. The problem is that these niches (such as R&D, biomedical technology, nanotechnology etc) do not employ huge numbers of people and require highly skilled workers. So whilst we are going around to employ PhDs from China, India and the West; large numbers of uncles and aunties in their late 40s, early 50s cannot find jobs after retrenchment. Young graduates who do a general Bachelor degree or have qualifications that are not in demand eg. arts and social science, media studies, psychology; will not find it easy to get jobs.
The government has to continue looking for niche industries and the population must also respond by getting training to find jobs in these industries. Otherwise, we will have to bring our skills in traditional industries overseas where costs are lower and more competitive. The only way to maintain our high quality of life is to go somewhere else for retirement then.
Jobs will never be easy...given a choice no one would want to work. Effort need to be put in by the individual to look for his/her niche...
Even aunties and uncles can worked out their niche. What about starting a home-nanny services or house cleaning services for those expats that is moving in? If u cannot goes into the niche industry, one can always try to get into the supporting area -
They will have to constantly watch the movement of the industry and adapt...that's what the govt has been telling us. I think these industries will still be hot after 20 years but the subject may change. So IT professionals who used to do COBOL will be outdated if they don't keep up with the times. Right now there is alot of competition with cheap IT people from India but there is a great demand for a new niche of IT: that of bioinformatics.Originally posted by diggo:Wat will happened if in20 yrs time the focus is not in Biomed/nano/R&D.. so wat do those PHDs do? Are they mobile/agile enough to look for the next phase in the development of the industry in SGP or move on with the industry to the next place that still uses it. Example, a lot of Mfg guys move on the China to work.
Jobs will never be easy...given a choice no one would want to work. Effort need to be put in by the individual to look for his/her niche...
Even aunties and uncles can worked out their niche. What about starting a home-nanny services or house cleaning services for those expats that is moving in? If u cannot goes into the niche industry, one can always try to get into the supporting area
I agree with you totally....individuals have to put in effort to look for a niche but in addition, they will have to keep looking even when they have found one, as technology and needs change with time.
As for aunties, I thought of your idea a long while back. It will not work as long as Singaporeans have access to cheap foreign maids who work 7 days a week without leave or off hours. Who would want to pay an auntie $20 to clean the house each time when you can get a full-time maid to do everything under the sun, 12 hours a day, every day of the week, for only $300 a month? -
I would say it is partially true... it is all about niche thoughOriginally posted by oxford mushroom:As for aunties, I thought of your idea a long while back. It will not work as long as Singaporeans have access to cheap foreign maids who work 7 days a week without leave or off hours. Who would want to pay an auntie $20 to clean the house each time when you can get a full-time maid to do everything under the sun, 12 hours a day, every day of the week, for only $300 a month?
For example: For a family of 3, both working with the child at the nursery. Some may not want a live-in maid with nothing to do. Also singles who share a condo... will not want a maid around.
Overall cost is lower, 3 times a wk @ 20 = 240. Without the risk of the losing ur deposit when the maid run away or get pregnant.
Fact of the matter is that there are niches out there that no one has / too lazy to explore before. -
Originally posted by Lazylordz:i lick 50 cents balls
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he is an ardent supporter of our govt.Originally posted by BillyBong:Is this seriously a thread about the means to improve the job market?
Or is it just another govt-critic bashing session? -
nothing wrong with that, and you see lots of young upstarts doing community service, joining political parties for associations and business network opportunities. you see, if there is an agenda, it is more likely the self gratification kind. but better not be those fumbling 3-legged dog in the entourage out to soak in the fanfare and sniff for praises and public acknwledgements. as when it trips or doesnt walk the talk, these would be the first to go. maybe many don't know, but I heard from their whispers... 'I not stupid you know?'...Originally posted by Salman:I do lots of community work. I walk among the people in the heartlands. You don't, thats why you don't know.
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Most people do community service out of altruism. PAP actually makes sure of that. In order to climb the political ladder thru grassroots service, you need to serve the people very hard and you can't take breaks. Its a deliberate system put in place by PAP so that grassroots movement isn't corrupt.