Apprenticeship scheme

Germany has a successful apprenticeship system that builds up the skill of their workforce. 

Here is a description from Wikipedia:
Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a structured competency a basic set of skills. Apprentices are set a strict training program so they can gain a set of skills to prepare themselves for their desired trade or certain career in which they wish to pursue. License to practice in a regulated profession. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships. Most of their training is done while working for an employer who helps the apprentices learn their trade or profession, in exchange for their continuing labor for an agreed period after they have achieved measurable competencies. For more advanced apprenticeships, theoretical education was also involved, with jobs and farming over a period of 4–6 years.
To be successful, the individual must have perseverance, ambition, and initiative. Like a college education, the successful completion of an apprenticeship term does not come easily, but is the result of hard work on the part of the apprentice. In practically every skilled occupation, more than fundamental knowledge of arithmetic is essential. The ability to read, write and speak well is beneficial in any walk of life, but in some apprenticeship occupations it is more important than in others.

A new way to train young people for the jobs of the future

We need a better way to plan the education and training of your young people. We have to train them for the skills and knowledge that they need for the suitable jobs, and assure them that they will be able to find a job, after getting trained. They should also have an idea of the expected income, which should be adequate to make a living. 

We need people to do the various types of jobs in our society, including the manual and service workers. If these jobs pay adequately and fairly, they will attract people who are suitable for these jobs. These people do not need to pursue a piece of paper, call a degree, which is costly and are not useful for many types of jobs.

How can this goal be achieved? How can we project the demand for various types of jobs, and ensure that the wages for these jobs are fair and adequate?

This requires an innovative way of planning, which is market based, fair and transparent. It is now possible with the Internet.

It involves a system of licensing for all types of jobs. The number of licenses to be issued to the job holders will be monitored based on market demand. Only those with licences will be allowed to perform the job.

Employers should indicate their demand in advance and will be given the priority to get the employees with the licence.

The number of licenses to be issued can be controlled based on the market demand, and also to ensure that the human resources are optimally used. The system can be managed transparently.

An example of the licencing system is that used for taxi drivers. The same concept can be extended to other jobs.

I hope that this concept can be developed further to ensure that our human resources and training are put to optimal use and that people are assured of jobs that they planned ahead for.

Action needed on suspected abuse in recruitment of foreign workers

I do not condone rioting and violence, and agree that they have to be dealt with, according to the law.

But, our government should also take time to reflect on this incident, and also the previous strike by the PRC bus drivers. We have to understand their grievances - and see if there has been abuse and exploitation by the recruitment agencies.

We have to find a way to deal with the abuses. I suggest that all foreign workers should be interviewed by an NGO worker, and their statement should be taken down, in case there is any complaint about being misled on the salary and working conditions.

We should follow up with the recruiting agent in Singapore, who should be responsible for what is being said by the recruiting agent in the other side.

There is the possibility that the foreign worker may not tell the truth, but if several workers make the same statement, then there must be some truth to it.

It is wrong for our "authority" to close two eyes and two years and let the abuse continue for a long time. We must be proactive, and must use practical sense to deal with the problem.

It is time for our "authority" to wake up and do their duty.

Help small businesses to promote to the neighborhood

Many small businesses have to send flyers to the neighborhood. It is an economical way to promote their business.
However, the flyer is a nuisance. It is also largely wasted and environmentally unfriendly.
An alternative is for households to register in a website and for the businesses to send the flyers to them in soft copy by email.
If you support this Green Drive, you can register here, 
www.opt-in.sg
If there are many people who registered in this manner, there is no need for snall businesses to send flyers to their neighborhood. 
www.opt-in.sg

Getting people employed

Many countries have a problem of finding enough jobs for their people. In countries where jobs for existing workers is protected, there is high unemployment among the youth. 
In countries where there is weak protection of workers, such as in Singapore, there is high unemployment among the older workers. We now see this phenomena among the PMETs. 
Countries with high rate of tax, such as in Scandinavia, is able to handle this problem better. the high tax rate allows them to pay unemployment benefit.
It is a mechanism that those who are employed should contribute towards the welfare of those who are unemployed. If the wages are below subsistence level, it is better to draw unemployment benefit. Somehow, it ensures that the wages are kept at an "adequate level".
There is the risk that unemployment benefit can be abused by those who are lazy. But, some countries are able to manage the abuse quite well, while others failed in this task. It depends on the culture of the people and the Government.
We cannot rule out that unemployment benefit is bad and that the system in Singapore is good. Each system has its strengths and weaknesses.
I do not like the Singapore system, as it is not properly managed. Too much is left unmanaged. This is why the cost of living is too high, relative to wages.
I like to see a change in government, so that the social problems faced in our society, which has been neglected for two decades, can be properly addressed, and a new perspective can be considered.

PAP sets new direction

I am encouraged by the new goal that has been adopted by the PAP, especially the part about build a "fair and just society" .... provided they really understand what they are talking about. 

QUOTE FROM THE STRAITS TIMES.

The People's Action Party (PAP) on Sunday resolved to uphold an open and compassionate meritocracy, and build a fair and just society in Singapore, as it adopted a significant resolution that will define its cause in a new phase of Singapore's development.

Explaining the reason for this move, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the PAP's secretary-general, said that while the fundamental goals of the PAP remain the same, and have been set out in its constitution and pledge, it is time to interpret and update them for a new generation.

These goals are to build a multi-racial, fair and just society with opportunities for all.

"I think we can all agree these are the right things to do... But what do these ideals mean tangibly, concretely, in this day and age? We must interpret these goals in a new phase and with a new generation," he said at the party's convention at Kallang Theatre.

Medishield Life will face big challenges

 expect that Medishield Life will encounter some of the following problems:

1. It aims to cover everyone for a lifetime, and to include pre-existing illnesses. Judging from the experience of Medicare in America, it could become very costly. 

2. The key challenge is to manage the expectation of health care for the aged - a challenge that America, with their decades of experience, was not able to solve. Singapore will face the same challenges.

3. Asking everyone to pay for the cost of Medishield Life through insurance premiums will not be easy. The cost will be unaffordable.

4. Making it compulsory to solve Medishield Life will not work. Many people will not heave the money to pay the premium. Those who have, will complain about the cost.

5. We need an "out of the box" solution to manage the expectation of health care for the elderly - especially when the cost is paid by insurance, or by the government (like in America). I am not aware of any successful system to manage it well. But, it can be found, by an innovative approach.

Are you able to think "out of the box" ?

Are you prepared to try something idfferent, and to take risk? Do you look heyond the obvious answer? Try this quiz. 

Theer is no "right" or "wrong" answer to these questions. I have selected what I think are the answers that are innovative and out of the box. Check your score on this scale. And you will see an explanation.

http://c-onyx.com/page/1351

Get a project leader to implement change

William Lim said:
People are unwilling to make changes, including myself. But some policies are outdated and need modification, the leaders who need to endorse the changes for the better of Singaporean. How can this mindset to be changed? Changing of Government is no use, the question is how to change their mindset?

REPLY
They are scared of failure. They are scared that failure meant loss of job.
We need a system to allow them to try and learn. But, even if you tell them, they will not take the risk, because their mindset is - I don't trust what you say.
So, they will NEVER CHANGE.
The only way is to appoint another person to manage a specific change project. Put this person in charge. Let the person handle the project. If the project fails, the person will disappear from the scene. Anyway, this person was not part of the organization in the first place.
This is the only way to make change.

Students want better grade

Most graduates want to get top grades, so they stand a better chance to be employed by the banks and large companies. 

But, only 10% will be able to get top grades. Those who failed to get the top grades pressure the professor or the school to give them a better grade. They even accuse the professor of being unfair in the grading. 

This attitude is harmful. There can only be 10% who can get top grades, and the professor is trying his or her best to be as fair as possible to all students. 

What is the solution?

Insurance company repudiate liability

Under an agreement among the insurance companies, the insurer can repudiate liability under a motor insurance policy if its policyholder does not report an accident. This allows the insurer to avoid paying the third party claim, even though its insured vehicle cause the accident, and require the third party to take a legal case against the driver, which is time consuming, costly and risky. The third party had no choice but to claim against its own policy and risk losing the no claim bonus. This is not satisfactory.

A ransom price on top of market rentals

Some people argue that it is best to leave matters to the free market. This is the PAP approach that has been prevailing for the past 30 years, ever since LHL was active in the Government.
While the free market has its merits, it also has it serious flaws. It does not recognize the rights of the tenant. On renewal, the landlord can impose a ransom on the renewal terms. The tenant had already invested in the renovation of the shop or stall and had spent time to build a business. The tenant had to pay a price that is higher than the true market.
Sometimes, another tenant may offer a higher rental rate, with the purpose of "killing off a competitor".
This situation leads to rental being higher than the true market, and over time, leads to escalation. When a tenant moves to a new location, there is additional cost in rebuilding the business. This is what I called "wastefulness".
Wastefulness has been a part of the Singapore system for several decades. It has lead to high cost of doing business and high cost of living. We are now no longer competitive globally.
We are misled by the statistics of multinational companies setting up operation in Singapore. In many cases, there are given tax incentive, land at special rates and government grants. These are not publicized. They show good figures, but hide the fact that our costs have gone out of hand.
If we do not recognize the real problems in Singapore, and continue to delude ourselves, things will continue to get worse.

Will we face the same problems as the Obamacare Exchange?

The insurance exchange that was launched on 1 October under the Affordable Care Act in America encountered technical problems and was not able to cope with the heavy traffic of 8 million visitors. The cost of the system ballooned three times from $100 to $300 million in US dollars.

While the problem seemed to be quite irrelevant to us, we should not be complacent. We will be introducing two similar initiatives in Singapore over the next 12 months.

We will have to register large number of applicants under the proposed Medishield Life scheme and also provide a website for employers to post their job vacancies before they are allowed to apply for a work pass for foreigners.

These registrations are likely to face issues similar to those that bogged down the insurance exchange in America. 

We also have to be careful about adopting the same approach, i.e. relying on vendors and consultants who face a conflict of interest and are likely to recommend costly solutions that have a tendency to overrun in budget.

Let us be aware now of the issues and not repeat the problems that are now experienced in America. 

Delay in implementing national IT projects

here were much publicity a few years ago about the OneInbox project and the National Authentication Framework.

OneInbox was intended to allow the public to receive their mails from all government agencies at a common inbox, instead of logging in to separate websites to retrieve the replies from these agencies.

The National Authentication Framework was intended to allow each person to hold a single token which can be used as an additional verification of the person for  financial and other sensitive transaction.

I am quite tired of logging in to the websites of separate government agencies to retrieve my mails and being asked to change my passwords frequently and to create strong passwords which differ from one website to another.

I also do not like the bulky security tokens that are being issued separately by different banks and securities firms.

Pay a fee to the financial adviser

The information given in the EIP website are FREE for members of the website. 
If you still need advice on any of the product or alternative products, contact a financial adviser and pay a modest consulting fee. It is worth spending this money. The adviser can guide you on what is a better choice and can save you tens of thousand dollars. Pay them a fee, as they have to make a living. Otherwise, they will spend their time to sell you products that can earn them a few thousand dollars, at your expense. Do you want that to happen?

www.c-onyx.com/eip

Naming of roads

In the old days, we have a simpler way to name our roads, e.g. in Ang Mo Kio and Toa Payoh. The major roads are called Avenue or Lorong and the smaller roads are called Street. They are numbered.

Later, for Sengkang and Punggol, somebody decided to give different names to the roads. This naming structure is confusing to people who visit the estate from outside. I suspect that the residents will also find it confusing.

To make matters worse, the roads are described as avenue, road, street, lane, way without regard to size. Usually, one expects the roads to be name according to size - starting from avenue, road, street, lane.

For example, Sin Ming Lane is of the same size as Sin Ming Avenue. This is only possible using Singapore logic!

I don't know why some smart fellow was allowed to change the naming structure to be so confusing, and why they were allowed to do so.

My grand children love the Magic Box

Whenever my grand daughters visit me, the first thing they ask is to look into the Magic Box. It will stay in their childhood memory. What is the Magic Box? Every parent or grandparent should have one. http://c-onyx.com/page/26

Meet the People session

Desumondo Deseumondeu asked:
Mr Tan,
Some thing happen to me quite recently and i just wanted to share my views.

I approached 3 different PAP MPs during their Meet The People sessions on different days regarding the same matter and asked exactly the same question.
However NONE of them actually got back to me with an answer, and worse yet send me a letter which is not the answer but a totally different opinion which does not in anyway relate to the question i asked them !!

When the govt are not able to help us citizens, what other channels are we able to turn to for assistance and squeeze an answer out of them ??

REPLY
The MPs are also in a jam. They receive all kinds of people and problems in their Meet the People session. There is also difficulty in communicating with some residents - due to language or lack of education. (I am not referring to you).

It is quite easy for them to get mixed up, or to get confused over the issue.

If you have a problem, it will be helpful if you can write it down clearly (or get some help to write it down). It will be easier for your MP to understand the issue and to help find an answer (if at all possible).

Be fair to the MPs. Do not approach three of them over the same issue.

Frankly, I think the "Meet the People" session is out-of-date, but the PAP dare not abandon it.

A more open and transparent approach

Dear Mr. Tan,
You said that our government leaders are arrogant and don't want to listen to the views of concerned citizens. I find your views to make a lot of sense, but they seem to be ignoring them. So, I agree that they are not only arrogant but out of touch with what is happening on the ground. 

I believe that it is not difficult to be a leader. There are many wise people around, and if the leader is willing to listen to them, they should be able to come out with better policies.

My point is, if there is a change of government in 2016, Singaporeans do not need to be worried. If another party comes into power, and the leaders know that they are not the elites, they will be able to listen to more wise people and get better policies. Singapore will be governed better.

Do you agree?

REPLY
Generally, I agree that the government can come out with better policies if they are more willing to listen to people who have wider and more diverse experience and knowledge.

But, we still need leaders to make the final judgment - and that is not easy. If the leaders are incapable, they may make a bad judgment (even after getting the inputs of the advisers). And different advisers may have different opinion.

But, I must say that the current system - where decisions are made from the ivory tower, is probably among the worst. There is now suspicion that these decisions are made to benefit certain quarters, which makes things more difficult.

It is better to have a more open and transparent way to make important policy decisions affecting the people at large. .

My attitude towards government policies

Someone observed that I don't like the policies of the Government. It is true that I don't like many of the social and economic polices, especially those that lead to high income gap, high cost of housing, high cost of living, wastefulness and unfairness. 

But, I know that the Government leaders are doing their best to solve these issues. I do not like their approach, which is not addressing the roots of the problems, but it is a matter of opinion. They think that their policies are right, and they are ultimately responsible for the outcome.

By adopting their aloof approach, they are cutting themselves from alternative views of concerned citizens - many of whom have practical experiences. I hope that they will be truly willing to listen to alternative approaches, rather than continue their "arrogant" attitude.