Singapore terminates the EPEC

According to a recent news report, the Employment Pass Eligibility Certificate (EPEC) scheme has been terminated. The scheme, which was launched in 1992, gave graduates of over 700 MOM-approved (Ministry of Manpower) institutions the green light to stay in Singapore for a year to secure jobs.

According to MOM, the EPEC scheme, which granted one-year and non-renewable certification to eligible international graduates, has been brought to a halt as it has not been successful in delivering high-quality candidates to Singapore companies. The report concluded that the absence of the EPEC scheme, coupled with the two enhancements to the Singapore Employment Pass (EP) scheme, will make it even harder for foreigners to find jobs in Singapore.

GuideMeSingapore.com opines that 1) the EPEC scheme is no longer relevant to the changing needs of Singapore’s economy and workforce and that 2) the absence of the EPEC scheme and the tightening of the Singapore EP requirements do make it harder for lower-qualified foreigners to find jobs in Singapore. Hence, we cannot automatically infer that Singapore is then shutting its doors to foreign professionals. As discussed in our blog on fair employment in Singapore, mortality mandates that Singapore opens its doors to the external world. However, this time, and in a bid to create inclusive growth for Singaporeans, it must continue carving a space for Singaporean PMETs (professionals, managers, executives and technicians) to be developed.

To read the full article, please visit http://www.guidemesingapore.com/blog-post/singapore-relocation/singapores-terminates-the-epec

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Created on Dec 19th 2011 05:59. Viewed 192 times.

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