Recognition of Workforce Skills Qualification

Oral Reply to Parliamentary Question on Recognition of Workforce Skills Qualification

Parliamentary Sitting: 5 November 2014

Mr Zainal Sapari: To ask the Prime Minister (a) whether the Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ) Diploma or Specialist Diploma awarded by WDA is recognised by Ministries or statutory boards for the purpose of job application or gaining entry into the Public Service; (b) what is the estimated number of civil servants employed based on their WSQ qualifications; and (c) what is the equivalent qualification, eg polytechnic diploma or National ITE Certificate, that they are recruited at.

Oral Reply by Mr Teo Chee Hean, Deputy Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security, Minister in charge of the Civil Service and Minister for Home Affairs:

The Public Service recruits officers based on their individual merits. In finding the best person for a job, our agencies consider factors such as relevant skills and training, work experience, academic background and aptitude. The requirements are different for different jobs. A person with a WSQ diploma in a particular field will be deemed as having the relevant training and skills in that field and agencies can take this into account in assessing his suitability for the position.

The member asks how many officers are employed based on their WSQ qualification.  We do not track this number as we do not employ officers based solely on their WSQ qualification but whether they demonstrate the overall required abilities and qualities for the jobs. The member will also be pleased to know that public service agencies send our in-service officers to attend WSQ programmes as part of their job training. Officers who complete these WSQ programmes will have their training records updated, and they will be deemed to have acquired the relevant skills in that specific area.

*Reply read by Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for Health and Manpower, on behalf of Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean.