Contributed by RAYMOND ANTHONY FERNANDO –
The Government’s recent societal shift to allow non-graduates to have equal opportunities with graduates so that the latter can move up the corporate ladder is welcome news
During the recent live television forum, Ask the PM, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong mentioned that a person’s skills, knowledge and productivity are essential to securing a job.
Work Attitude Over Paper Qualifications
I agree with this view as it is not the paper qualifications that matter so much, but rather the work attitude that is essential in raising productivity. Even an Oxford trained graduate will not be able to carry out the job effectively if he/she does not have the necessary experience. And although many of our senior workers do not possess degrees, with their wealth of experience, they can easily be mentors to the younger workers who are still learning the ropes. Such mentors ought to be given the opportunity to scale greater heights.
But it is not necessary for those who want to succeed in life to have polytechnic or ITE degrees, because even O and A level workers can excel in life. What is needed for increased productivity is for workers to have the right attitudes, the commitment, the dedication, the skills and the professionalism.
With life going at breakneck speed, we need to create a conducive environment to allow workers to give their best performance. There is a saying which goes, “Work is so bad that you have to pay people to do it”. But with a happy environment, reduced work hours to allow for family bonding, proper time management, enlightened employers and colleagues, payment then becomes the icing on the cake.
Appraisal Should Be A Two-Way Street
Finally, to ensure that all workers – graduates and non-graduates — are ranked fairly, it would be timely to incorporate a two-way staff appraisal system which I proposed through a press letter in January 2014. Given that social support is vital for needy Singaporeans, it would be useful to factor in community work in the staff appraisals as well.
By RAYMOND ANTHONY FERNANDO
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