EMPLOYERS reluctant to invest in training for their workers for fear of their leaving afterwards can always have the workers sign an agreement to stay for a set period of time, akin to the government bond process, said Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran today.

He said that it was not right to hold back one’s employees from self-improvement, and that he was working on a plan to give employees the “right to be trained”.

“Some employers are reluctant to send their workers for training because they are afraid they will leave after they are trained.

“We will come up with a plan that gives employees the right to be trained. If someone goes up the ladder of success, it is wrong to delay him,” he told reporters after a meeting with the National Labour Advisory Council in Putrajaya today.

“You can sign an agreement with employees, where you pay for their training, and they have to come back and serve a number of years. “Like a government bond. It works the same way.”

Kulasegaran said upskilling and reskilling workers, “even janitors”, would raise wages nationwide.

“If everyone in the country is skilled, even janitors, you can push up income.

“If Singapore can do it, there is no reason why we cannot,” he said.

Kulasegaran said he had spoken to the cabinet about incentives for workers to be certified and trained.

He said this was why he was advocating for technical and vocational training centres to be open from 5.30pm to 11pm, so those working full-time can go after office hours for training. – May 27, 2019.