WP presses for support for youths and entrepreneurs; PAP says existing system provides opportunities

One gets a lasting share of Singapore’s success by "meaningfully participating" in the country’s economy, says Minister for Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) Tan See Leng.

SINGAPORE: The Workers’ Party (WP) on Wednesday (Aug 5) called for better opportunities for young Singaporeans and local entrepreneurs, saying that Singapore's next phase of economic growth should create broader opportunities for citizens.

In response, the People’s Action Party (PAP) said that Singaporeans gain a lasting stake in the country’s success by participating meaningfully in the economy through good jobs, skills development and support to adapt to change.

The debate centred on a WP motion tabled by Members of Parliament (MPs) Kenneth Tiong (WP-Aljunied) and Jamus Lim (WP-Sengkang), which set out the opposition party's vision for "an economy of the future" and its proposed economic playbook.

An amended motion was eventually passed in parliament after a nine-hour debate.

Minister for Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) Tan See Leng said the question posed by Mr Tiong – "How does an ordinary Singaporean get a lasting share of our country's success?" – was a fair and important one.

“A Singaporean gets a lasting share of that success by meaningfully participating in our economy: Through good jobs, sustained real wages growth, and finding fulfilment through work; by acquiring and building skills and skillsets that remain relevant as technology changes; and, after any setbacks, by taking up the opportunity to learn, and the support to recover and build again,” he said.

YOUTHS AND THE CAREER LADDER

For almost all Singaporeans, the “jobs ladder is the main route up”, Mr Tiong said, and not many become entrepreneurs because of factors including the lack of social safety nets for risk-taking, the small domestic market and the high cost of doing business.

Policymakers should “remake the system” with young Singaporeans as the “first consideration rather than the last adjustment”, he said.

Among his proposals was a special innovation zone around Nanyang Technological University (NTU) where state land is charged at cost recovery instead of market value, and takes its returns from the companies that grow there rather than from rental income.

Calling it a district that would be both "pro-worker and pro-business", Mr Tiong said Singapore should spend the next three decades becoming a place where homegrown companies can thrive.

“We have spent 30 years making this country a good place for other people's companies to succeed,” he said. “I am asking that we spend the next 30 making it a place where ours can.”

WP Non-Constituency MP Andre Low focused on what he described as a "broken bottom rung" of the career ladder, arguing that too many young Singaporeans struggle to make their first meaningful step into stable employment.

He proposed a “fair start promise” to the youth – a national commitment that Singaporeans under 30 transitioning from education or National Service should have access to either stable employment or a properly paid career-building pathway.

He suggested various ways for young people to get their fair start, including building a “national market” for paid apprenticeships.

While Singapore already has workplace programmes for young entrants, there needs to be a different route where an occupation requires “sustained, supervised practice”. This means a proper apprenticeship framework providing paid employment, full employee status, Central Provident Fund contributions, structured training and portable skills.

Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash said the government recognises concerns many fresh graduates and their parents have about entering the workforce.

However, he said the “current picture is more resilient than suggested” by the WP, with vacancies outnumbering jobseekers last year.

In the first quarter of 2026, Singapore had about 32,800 entry-level professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMET) vacancies, exceeding the number of graduates looking for jobs.

About nine in 10 university graduates from the 2025 cohort also found employment within a year of graduation, comparable with previous cohorts, Mr Dinesh said.

“The system has served us well, but must continue to evolve with a new generation of workers and a changing work environment.”

He said this was why the Economic Strategic Review (ESR) recommended bringing learning closer to work, including formally recognising on-the-job training as part of qualifications.

“We do this precisely because we want our young to have a good headstart in their jobs,” said Mr Dinesh, who co-chairs the ESR committee on entrepreneurship.

CAN ENTREPRENEURS SUCCEED?

Nominated MP Kenneth Goh said the WP MPs who tabled the motion had described it as "complementary to, but distinct from" the ESR.

While he agreed with many of the aspirations in the motion, such as letting entrepreneurs experiment and giving businesses room to succeed, he held some reservations about how the original motion was framed.

"My concern is that the wording does not adequately address the trade-offs involved," he said.

MP Louis Chua (WP-Sengkang) said the ESR’s ambitions for enterprise and innovation would not be realised if the government continued to operate with what he described as a "landlord" or "rentier mindset".

He proposed a public rental housing option for young and middle-income Singaporeans, with rents linked to incomes instead of market rates.

“If we want a generation of founders, we should stop shackling them to mortgages in their twenties and thirties,” he said.

WP NCMP Eileen Chong stressed that while the ESR seeks deeper trade and supply chain links across the region, Singaporeans need to be out in Southeast Asia to turn “capital that has been deployed into capital that is productive”.

“The more successful we are at sending capital and our companies into the region, the more pressing the question the ESR does not answer: who are we sending with it?”

She called for greater emphasis on regional readiness in the public service and stronger support structures to develop Singaporeans with overseas experience.

“The talent we import appreciates for a while then goes home. The Singaporean we equip to work in the region appreciates for a lifetime.”

Mr Dinesh said advances in artificial intelligence and other technologies were making entrepreneurship an “increasingly viable pathway”.

“Not every venture will succeed. That is the nature of enterprise and risk-taking. But we are expanding support for promising startups to build, grow and reach global markets,” he said.

Mr Dinesh said that Singapore now has more than 4,500 tech startups, and the ESR recommendations will strengthen access to growth capital, technology, networks and overseas markets.

“Successful ventures do more than reward their founders; they create job opportunities for other Singaporeans.”

Dr Tan added that Singapore has built up a “credible base” for entrepreneurship.

“Our ambition cannot be measured only by how many companies are formed,” he said.

“It has to be measured by how many good ideas become viable businesses, how many viable businesses can scale, and how many anchor capabilities, intellectual property and good jobs in Singapore.”

He acknowledged that entrepreneurs must cross several “difficult gaps”, and while government policy can help at each stage, it cannot make the journey risk-free.

“We cannot guarantee that every venture will succeed, every job will remain the same, or every transition will be painless,” added Dr Tan.

“But what we can always do is to ensure that Singapore remains a place where every person has a fair chance to try, a pathway to progress, and the support to recover from setbacks.”