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.