Daily Lessons from Life 08 May 2014 - Some 9,000 job openings listed on National Jobs Bank portal

"Some 9,000 job openings listed on National Jobs Bank portal - CNA 08 May 2014

SINGAPORE: Some 9,000 job opportunities have been provided by the National Jobs Bank portal at its pilot phase. Currently, more than 50 recruitment agencies are involved in this pilot.
The primary aim of this testing phase is to ensure that the portal is user friendly.
Some job portals, such as JobsNet, have informed its users that they will cease operations by end-May.
Users -- both employers and employees -- will then be redirected to the new National Jobs Bank portal from June 1.
Recruitment agency RecruitPlus Consulting said that the National Jobs Bank will give users more than just options for job opportunities.
Adrian Tan, managing director at RecruitPlus Consulting, said: "Eventually, it'll be tied into something just beyond job search. It'll move into an aspect where you can develop yourself in terms of different types of training, different courses.
"That will also act as a portfolio, a kind of guidance for candidates to understand what (their) shortcomings are and the training (they) can apply for."
Some said that the portal may change the job scene as well.
Kurt Wee, president of the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, said: "What it affects is steering the employment behaviour in certain segments of employment, to really encourage companies to put in some effort and look for Singaporeans first.
"If you really can't find it after a period of time, then you can advertise in other channels and try to find local or even foreign labour."
The National Jobs Bank is set to be ready in July."

This can provide some 'evidence' that companies are looking for local talents before they resort to hiring foreigners.

Lessons for me are:

1. the question of: 'are Singaporeans discriminated in their own country for employment opportunities?' has been a troubling one for the local talents who could not find a matching job as well as a troublesome one for the government who were accused of not looking out for its citizens FIRST. With the operation of this National Job Bank, hopefully it can provide some concrete evidence that the companies are looking at local talents who are able and willing before looking at foreigners;

2. there are detractors who commented that the companies will find ways to circumvent the 'system' by doing this or that. These are useful input as the government agencies can, after evaluating the probability of those 'this or that loopholes or actions' is high, take 'preventive actions' to make sure those who try to circumvent the system will be napped! It will be constructive instead of just poking holes on this National Job Bank system;

3. the National Job Bank administrator(s) will need to prepare 'data analysis' to make sense of trends like: which industry, what type of jobs, how many months have elapsed after 1st posting, follow up with local talent candidates that actually attended the interviews, etc to ensure that the employers DO SERIOUSLY consider local talents who are able and willing instead of just posting it up to let it elapsed passed the time limit and justifying the action of hiring foreigners.

More than 9000 jobs is a start though I am very SHOCK to read that Barclay Bank will be laying of 19000 jobs over the next 3 years (12000 in 2014!) out of 140k employees in the news! I can't imagine the impact that number of people losing their job in Singapore at the SAME TIME!!