SINGAPORE: Facing a future powered by artificial intelligence (AI), the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) is studying ways to strengthen its focus on youths, labour chief Ng Chee Meng said.
In an interview with CNA on Monday (Feb 23) about Singapore’s jobs situation and the impact of AI, Mr Ng said NTUC is pushing itself to better support youths’ transition into the workplace.
This is especially so for fresh graduates, among whom the labour movement does not yet have a strong presence, he added.
“Coming out of our school system, where we are all ranked so well in the world in terms of the foundational education, how can we now maybe also rethink a little bit about that transition from the schoolhouse to the workplace?” he asked.
“How can we in the AI era help overcome the possibilities of entry-level job disruption … to allow our children (to be) coming out of school, becoming adults, easing into the market that much better?”
Earlier in February, NTUC launched the AI-Ready SG initiative to prepare workers and businesses for an AI-enabled economy. The initiative includes AI training pathways for workers, a subsidy for AI tools and sectoral AI playbooks for business transformation and job redesign.
Mr Ng said NTUC was also trying its best to innovate for youths in this space.
“A few things that we are pushing ourselves to think about: how can we get into the mindshare of the students from the universities, from the polytechnics, the (Institutes of Technical Education)? How can we help them access coaches, mentors perhaps, so that the transition is not so raw?”
NTUC is looking at launching a mentorship initiative under the NTUC LearningHub, which Mr Ng said he hopes will hold value for graduating students.
He also pointed to job-matching, which NTUC has traditionally done more for mid-career workers who are pivoting. One possibility is to look at “job-matching beyond internships” for students with certain skills.
“Would it be possible for us, beyond internships, to deepen possibilities in this era, to match (students) into a full-time job?” he asked.
More details about NTUC’s initiatives for fresh graduates entering the workforce may be shared in the middle of the year, he added.
The NTUC secretary-general acknowledged some entry-level jobs are already “feeling some of the heat” from AI, although he noted youth employment remains relatively healthy.
In 2025, nine in 10 job-seeking polytechnic graduates found jobs within six months of completing school or National Service. Employment figures for fresh university graduates in 2025 are not yet available.
Mr Ng assessed that Singapore’s job market remains robust.
Advance estimates recorded 57,300 jobs created in 2025 – more than the year before. While retrenchments inched up, this was mainly due to business restructuring, he noted.
“The job market, by statistics, seems reasonable. But on the ground, we do hear of different segments of workers feeling a little bit anxious,” he said, noting that growth in different sectors was uneven.
Singapore is in the initial phases of job disruption from generative AI, which is not currently causing widespread job displacements, said Mr Ng.
Instead, there are opportunities to use AI for job redesign and to improve productivity, including business outcomes and workers’ performance, he said.
He added that AI’s impact is not isolated, but layered on top of Industry 4.0 technologies and previous generations of technology, like robotic process automation, that augment businesses and workers’ productivity.
“I think these are all big future positives for Singapore's economy and for our workers – so long as we are able to embrace these technologies, take action pre-emptively, so that we can embark on the positive sides and not get left behind.”
Asked if NTUC’s role is to protect jobs amid the AI revolution, his answer was firm.
“We protect workers, and in our deepest philosophy, we don’t really want to just protect jobs, especially if (the) jobs are becoming less relevant or even obsolete.
NTUC wants to help workers upgrade so they can transition into better jobs and perhaps benefit from better job-matching, he said.
As for NTUC’s continued relevance to workers’ careers, he said: “In a very uncertain age, the very core of NTUC and the union is to protect the worker.
“And in the AI age, it is no longer the blue-collar worker that may require protection, but even the white-collar workers.
“Can NTUC protect the workers’ interest? I would say yes, but there’s work to be done. Are there privileges that NTUC can bring to the table in terms of welfare? I think in that space, we have done quite a bit.
“Now, in the way forward, NTUC is innovating not just in terms of protection or privileges. Now we are helping workers progress and actually help with placements of good workers into good jobs.”
NTUC is moving into new segments of workers, and it can be argued that “the new working class in Singapore is no longer the blue-collar workers but PMEs”, as they form the majority, he added.
Professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) made up 64.2 per cent of Singapore’s employed residents in 2025.
“NTUC will do our best to add value to all the different sectors of workers – young to old, blue- or white-collar,” he said.
NTUC was “much more about protection and privileges” of workers in its earlier history, but in the last few years, it has moved strongly into learning and training, said the labour chief.
This is the more institutional role that NTUC now plays through the company training committees, he said.
First launched in 2019, the committees involve union leaders working closely with management to identify likely job disruptions and skills gaps, and map out training and progression pathways.
Close to 4,000 company training committees have been formed and over 800 company training committee grants have been given to businesses, noted Mr Ng.
The question now is how to scale the possibilities of company training committees in the AI era, to go beyond the traditional space that NTUC occupies and reach PMEs, he said.
He pointed to finance and accounting firms participating in the company training committees, which are “not quite in the traditional manufacturing kind of spaces” for NTUC.
Asked about getting employers’ buy-in to enable training, Mr Ng said NTUC would also talk with employers about improving the salaries of workers when company training committee grants are given.
It was previously reported that workers received an average wage increase of 5 per cent over their annual increment through productivity gains from the company training committees.
National Trades Union Congress secretary-general Ng Chee Meng at the NTUC Income building, on Feb 23, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Raydza Rahman)
Mr Ng, 57, also briefly discussed how his work as labour chief has changed with his political career. He has led NTUC since 2018.
Asked whether not being in Cabinet discussions affects his leadership of the labour movement, Mr Ng said: “Well, I maintain close contact with the ministers.”
He cited Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng, Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo in the AI space, and Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong in particular.
“We still maintain very regular meetups, discussions that keep me up to date and also keep them up to date on what we see from NTUC’s perspectives on the ground,” he said.
Mr Ng was previously a Member of Parliament (MP) in Pasir Ris-Punggol Group Representation Constituency (GRC) from 2015 until 2020, before his team lost to the Workers’ Party in Sengkang GRC.
He returned to parliament after winning the solo seat for the People’s Action Party in Jalan Kayu in the 2025 General Election.
The former education minister and minister in the Prime Minister’s Office has not returned to Cabinet after regaining his parliamentary seat.
When announcing the new Cabinet in 2025, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said that Mr Ng was left out of the leadership team in a "temporary arrangement" and that he looked forward to having Mr Ng join the Cabinet before too long.
The prime minister also noted that the NTUC secretary-general has traditionally held a Cabinet position. He said: "I value this link, and I know that NTUC does too."
Asked whether returning to parliament makes a difference to his work in the labour movement, Mr Ng told CNA he is very focused on NTUC’s work overall.
“Where there are new networks, new possibilities, of course I will do my very best to utilise those. Where certain avenues may no longer be possible, well, we find new ones.
“Overall, it’s up to my unions, my central committee, to see how we can do better, whether in the last seven or eight years, NTUC has come to the fore in terms of representing the labour movement’s interest in uplifting workers.”
He added: “I'm equally focused, now that I’m MP for Jalan Kayu, on the ground work, and the current instance is purposeful and fulfilling.”
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In an interview with CNA on Monday (Feb 23) about Singapore’s jobs situation and the impact of AI, Mr Ng said NTUC is pushing itself to better support youths’ transition into the workplace.
This is especially so for fresh graduates, among whom the labour movement does not yet have a strong presence, he added.
“Coming out of our school system, where we are all ranked so well in the world in terms of the foundational education, how can we now maybe also rethink a little bit about that transition from the schoolhouse to the workplace?” he asked.
“How can we in the AI era help overcome the possibilities of entry-level job disruption … to allow our children (to be) coming out of school, becoming adults, easing into the market that much better?”
Earlier in February, NTUC launched the AI-Ready SG initiative to prepare workers and businesses for an AI-enabled economy. The initiative includes AI training pathways for workers, a subsidy for AI tools and sectoral AI playbooks for business transformation and job redesign.
Mr Ng said NTUC was also trying its best to innovate for youths in this space.
“A few things that we are pushing ourselves to think about: how can we get into the mindshare of the students from the universities, from the polytechnics, the (Institutes of Technical Education)? How can we help them access coaches, mentors perhaps, so that the transition is not so raw?”
NTUC is looking at launching a mentorship initiative under the NTUC LearningHub, which Mr Ng said he hopes will hold value for graduating students.
He also pointed to job-matching, which NTUC has traditionally done more for mid-career workers who are pivoting. One possibility is to look at “job-matching beyond internships” for students with certain skills.
“Would it be possible for us, beyond internships, to deepen possibilities in this era, to match (students) into a full-time job?” he asked.
More details about NTUC’s initiatives for fresh graduates entering the workforce may be shared in the middle of the year, he added.
The NTUC secretary-general acknowledged some entry-level jobs are already “feeling some of the heat” from AI, although he noted youth employment remains relatively healthy.
In 2025, nine in 10 job-seeking polytechnic graduates found jobs within six months of completing school or National Service. Employment figures for fresh university graduates in 2025 are not yet available.
Related:
PROTECTING WORKERS, NOT JOBS
Mr Ng assessed that Singapore’s job market remains robust.
Advance estimates recorded 57,300 jobs created in 2025 – more than the year before. While retrenchments inched up, this was mainly due to business restructuring, he noted.
“The job market, by statistics, seems reasonable. But on the ground, we do hear of different segments of workers feeling a little bit anxious,” he said, noting that growth in different sectors was uneven.
Singapore is in the initial phases of job disruption from generative AI, which is not currently causing widespread job displacements, said Mr Ng.
Instead, there are opportunities to use AI for job redesign and to improve productivity, including business outcomes and workers’ performance, he said.
He added that AI’s impact is not isolated, but layered on top of Industry 4.0 technologies and previous generations of technology, like robotic process automation, that augment businesses and workers’ productivity.
“I think these are all big future positives for Singapore's economy and for our workers – so long as we are able to embrace these technologies, take action pre-emptively, so that we can embark on the positive sides and not get left behind.”
Asked if NTUC’s role is to protect jobs amid the AI revolution, his answer was firm.
“We protect workers, and in our deepest philosophy, we don’t really want to just protect jobs, especially if (the) jobs are becoming less relevant or even obsolete.
NTUC wants to help workers upgrade so they can transition into better jobs and perhaps benefit from better job-matching, he said.
As for NTUC’s continued relevance to workers’ careers, he said: “In a very uncertain age, the very core of NTUC and the union is to protect the worker.
“And in the AI age, it is no longer the blue-collar worker that may require protection, but even the white-collar workers.
“Can NTUC protect the workers’ interest? I would say yes, but there’s work to be done. Are there privileges that NTUC can bring to the table in terms of welfare? I think in that space, we have done quite a bit.
“Now, in the way forward, NTUC is innovating not just in terms of protection or privileges. Now we are helping workers progress and actually help with placements of good workers into good jobs.”
NTUC is moving into new segments of workers, and it can be argued that “the new working class in Singapore is no longer the blue-collar workers but PMEs”, as they form the majority, he added.
Professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) made up 64.2 per cent of Singapore’s employed residents in 2025.
“NTUC will do our best to add value to all the different sectors of workers – young to old, blue- or white-collar,” he said.
Related:
SUPPORT FOR TRAINING WORKERS
NTUC was “much more about protection and privileges” of workers in its earlier history, but in the last few years, it has moved strongly into learning and training, said the labour chief.
This is the more institutional role that NTUC now plays through the company training committees, he said.
First launched in 2019, the committees involve union leaders working closely with management to identify likely job disruptions and skills gaps, and map out training and progression pathways.
Close to 4,000 company training committees have been formed and over 800 company training committee grants have been given to businesses, noted Mr Ng.
The question now is how to scale the possibilities of company training committees in the AI era, to go beyond the traditional space that NTUC occupies and reach PMEs, he said.
He pointed to finance and accounting firms participating in the company training committees, which are “not quite in the traditional manufacturing kind of spaces” for NTUC.
Asked about getting employers’ buy-in to enable training, Mr Ng said NTUC would also talk with employers about improving the salaries of workers when company training committee grants are given.
It was previously reported that workers received an average wage increase of 5 per cent over their annual increment through productivity gains from the company training committees.
National Trades Union Congress secretary-general Ng Chee Meng at the NTUC Income building, on Feb 23, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Raydza Rahman)
LABOUR MOVEMENT AND POLITICAL CAREER
Mr Ng, 57, also briefly discussed how his work as labour chief has changed with his political career. He has led NTUC since 2018.
Asked whether not being in Cabinet discussions affects his leadership of the labour movement, Mr Ng said: “Well, I maintain close contact with the ministers.”
He cited Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng, Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo in the AI space, and Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong in particular.
“We still maintain very regular meetups, discussions that keep me up to date and also keep them up to date on what we see from NTUC’s perspectives on the ground,” he said.
Mr Ng was previously a Member of Parliament (MP) in Pasir Ris-Punggol Group Representation Constituency (GRC) from 2015 until 2020, before his team lost to the Workers’ Party in Sengkang GRC.
He returned to parliament after winning the solo seat for the People’s Action Party in Jalan Kayu in the 2025 General Election.
The former education minister and minister in the Prime Minister’s Office has not returned to Cabinet after regaining his parliamentary seat.
When announcing the new Cabinet in 2025, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said that Mr Ng was left out of the leadership team in a "temporary arrangement" and that he looked forward to having Mr Ng join the Cabinet before too long.
The prime minister also noted that the NTUC secretary-general has traditionally held a Cabinet position. He said: "I value this link, and I know that NTUC does too."
Asked whether returning to parliament makes a difference to his work in the labour movement, Mr Ng told CNA he is very focused on NTUC’s work overall.
“Where there are new networks, new possibilities, of course I will do my very best to utilise those. Where certain avenues may no longer be possible, well, we find new ones.
“Overall, it’s up to my unions, my central committee, to see how we can do better, whether in the last seven or eight years, NTUC has come to the fore in terms of representing the labour movement’s interest in uplifting workers.”
He added: “I'm equally focused, now that I’m MP for Jalan Kayu, on the ground work, and the current instance is purposeful and fulfilling.”
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