The Workers Rights 
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) of the Singapore government has widened the list of Non-Traditional Source (NTS) occupations to include 8 semi-skilled jobs in the following industries: food services, social services and air transportation.
The expansion works to create more job opportunities for employers looking to hire NTS workers from approved NTS countries like India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Cambodia and Laos.
Eight New Occupations Added to Singapore’s NTS List
The new expansion adds positions in several key sectors which are experiencing staffing and operational issues.
New additions are waiters, kitchen assistants, food and drink stalls assistants, and butchers and fish mongers. Jobs include front of house, food preparation and other operational tasks.
There are 3 occupations added to the Social Services sector – babysitters or infant caregiver, educarer, teacher aide. These are additional staffing provisions to augment staff numbers in early childhood and infant care services.
This addition also introduces another pathway for the Air Transportation sector, by introducing the role of Cabin Attendants, to allow eligible aviation employers to hire workers via a Work Permit.
New Hiring Opportunities for Global Workers
The enlarged list further offers employers’ additional opportunities to recruit foreign workers for customer-service and operational roles.
The policy could be of specific interest to businesses in the food and beverage services, childcare and aviation sectors, where there are gaps in finding employees for certain positions in the area. Employers are now able to think about and hire NTS Work Permit eligible candidates if the criteria and quotas are fulfilled.
The expansion provides members of the labor force in approved source countries with more opportunities to work in Singapore in the new occupations.
Salary and Workforce Safeguards Remain
Singapore’s foreign-worker controls as stipulated under the NTS will not be lifted. Employers may not employ an NTS Work Permit holder in a listed occupation unless they meet the NTS requirements, which include the salary stipulation and the workforce limit.
The framework allows for NTS Work Permit holders to get at least an SGD 2,000 a month, in addition to discretionary allowances and overtime.
The NTS Sub-Dependency Ratio Ceiling (Sub-DRC) also restricts the percentage of NTS Work Permit holders in a company to 8%. There is also a general overall sector Dependency Ratio Ceiling that employers are subject to.
What Employers Should Check?
The updated NTS hiring pathway is for business organisations to review their workforce quotas and to make sure that job specifications match approved occupations.
HR staff should also verify their organization’s Work Permit Online (WPOL) sector classifications and ensure they have the necessary documentation before applying.
FAQs
What is Singapore’s NTS Occupation List?
The NTS Occupation List are occupations that are approved for eligible employers to hire Work Permit holders from certain countries in the non-traditional sector.
What is the total increase in occupations?
Singapore has increased by 8 jobs in food services, social services and air transportation.
What sectors will be affected by the extension?
All the new occupations are in the fields of food services, social services and air transportation.
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