TODAY webinar: Failure to understand complexity of vocational work may explain low wages, say panellists

SINGAPORE — Most people here don't realise how much specialised knowledge is needed for vocational trades.

This may explain why Singaporeans do not value these skills as highly as people in countries such as Australia, or pay as much to those offering these skills.

But a change in mindset could be possible through education if consumers are willing to pay more and if young people see opportunities for well-paying vocational jobs such as plumbers, electricians and carpenters.

These were some of the views shared during a panel discussion in the TODAY "live" webinar series on Thursday (Oct 19), which looked at the topic: Is a degree still important?

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The series was conducted in a hybrid format — with a live audience comprising about 50 youths from tertiary institutions and secondary schools, while being streamed live on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.

The session was the first instalment of three following the recently published TODAY Youth Survey 2023.

The survey found that 76 per cent of youths polled said they expect their children or intended children to obtain a university degree. As many as nearly seven in 10, or 69 per cent, said that having a degree is still necessary to achieve success here.

Moderator Elizabeth Neo asked panellists on Thursday if Singapore places too much emphasis on having a degree and academic qualifications as compared to technical qualifications.

TODAY journalist Loraine Lee, one of three panellists, noted that universities are gradually moving towards courses that entail acquiring skills on top of just disciplinary knowledge.

“In universities, we see more internships, learning things more hands-on, group projects, things like that,” said Ms Lee.

“But I think for a lot of people, they still see that degree as a requirement when they are job searching, for example. So that's where I think we place a little bit too much emphasis.”

Fellow panelist Cheah Horn Mun, dean for the college of interdisciplinary and experiential learning at the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS), said that universities recognise that youths today may go through two or three career changes in their lifetime.

As a result, universities such as SUSS place emphasis on modules that focus on transferable life skills.

“We expanded the amount or curriculum time on them, for the reason that this provides a foundation of preparation, coupled with disciplinary preparation, that allows you to be able to successfully negotiate the complexities of life later on.”

Ms Neo noted that Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong last year had remarked about the growing pay gap based on education levels and how Singapore places too much of a premium on intellectual work while undervaluing technical roles.

Mr Amos Phua, managing director of plumbing company Crizto Singapore, the third panellist, said that to become a licensed plumber, he had to take a 16-month long part-time course and train for a two-year period with a senior plumber.

He felt that vocational workers such as plumbers are underpaid, considering the time taken to hone their skills and how “physically involved” they have to be in their day-to-day jobs.

“But basically, it still boils down to the end user, whether they are able to pay more,” he said.

Professor Cheah said that when it comes to wages, it boils down to “what a certain piece of work is worth” to one's society.

“And that is a very complicated calculation; it will vary from country to country,” he said, citing how plumbers in Australia are paid higher salaries than some white collar workers.

“I would argue that over time, as society changes its perspective, it probably would also review what the kind of fair compensation is for particular areas of work.”

Ms Lee said that educating the public may be key to shifting mindsets.

“Understanding what your vocational workers do, I think, would definitely help people value the work and in turn, you may be willing to pay a bit more,” she said.

More broadly, Prof Cheah said the greater emphasis placed on degrees over vocational competencies by parents, for example, may be attributed to a wish for what's best for young people.

Parents may simply want to make the path easier for their kids to attain success, he added.

If society provides more pathways towards success and their availability is "communicated well”, this change may allay some of parents' anxieties.

“If I (as a parent) don't know what else to do (to achieve success), I will focus on what I do know — which is get the degree, get certification.”

WHAT YOUTHS HAD TO SAY

For junior college student Tan Xue Yu, 17, the session gave him a new-found appreciation for vocational work.

He said that he previously felt that a degree was “definitely more important” than vocational skills, given the emphasis on the former.

“But listening to the panellists, especially the plumber — his job is essential and there is high demand for it. And the skillset that he possesses cannot be gained from a degree,” he added.

SUSS student Kow Zi Jie, 22, said that one of his key takeaways from the session is that degrees and vocational competencies are both important to society, with their level of relevance depending on different fields of work.

“Although I think we still have some way to go to convince society why technical vocations should be valued equally to degrees,” he said.